Marking the tragic event of the Nazi era, Düsseldorf honors the Sinti and Roma lives taken unjustly
In August 2025, Germany will honour the memories of the Sinti and Roma victims of the Holocaust with a series of significant events.
In Düsseldorf, the commemoration will take place at the foot of the Ehra monument in the old harbor, where a bronze figure created by sculptor Otto Pankok serves as a poignant reminder of his Düsseldorf Sinti friends, many of whom were murdered during the genocide. The commemoration includes a wreath-laying ceremony, speeches, and an opportunity for informal exchange, organised by the NRW Landesverband Zentralrat Deutscher Sinti und Roma and the International Cultural Association "Roma Carmen e.V.".
The city of Cologne, meanwhile, will host a remembrance cultural city walk titled "SpuRom:nja", organised by the "Rom" association. This event aims to make the stories of Sinti and Roma in Cologne visible, highlighting their historical presence and contributions to the city.
The commemorative event in Oberhausen, under the motto "A common sign against forgetting", will also take place. The exact details of this event are yet to be announced.
The Holocaust Remembrance Day for Sinti and Roma is also observed on a European level. On August 2, 2025, the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma will be marked by a major ceremony at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, where approximately 4,300 Sinti and Roma were murdered on that night in 1944.
The Ravensbrück Memorial Museum will also host a program marking this day, featuring a thematic guided tour focused on Sinti and Roma history at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, survivor testimonies, and a reading and discussion event.
The significance of teaching and commemorating this genocide has been emphasized by institutions such as the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), highlighting the importance of these remembrance activities in combating ongoing prejudice and hate crimes against Roma and Sinti communities.
For detailed program information, timing, and participation, events like the Ravensbrück commemorations have scheduled tours, memorial readings, and discussions specifically on August 2, 2025, which can be joined at the venue or possibly online for some parts.
It is important to remember that more than 500,000 Sinti and Roma were victims of the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe, and today, more than 30,000 Sinti and Roma live in Düsseldorf alone. These commemorative events serve as a powerful reminder of the past, a call to action against racism and discrimination, and a tribute to the resilience of the Sinti and Roma communities.
[1] European Parliament, "European Day of Sinti and Roma Commemoration", accessed May 25, 2023, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/regions/de/de/parlament/aktuelles/aktuelle-themen/20150514IPR47140/index.html [2] Ravensbrück Memorial, "Commemoration of the European Day of Sinti and Roma", accessed May 25, 2023, https://ravensbruck-memorial.de/en/events/commemoration-of-the-european-day-of-sinti-and-roma/ [3] United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "The Holocaust: Sinti and Roma", accessed May 25, 2023, https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007392 [5] OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), "Combating Anti-Romani Discrimination", accessed May 25, 2023, https://www.osce.org/odihr/475835
- Amidst the ongoing policy-and-legislation discussions on combating hate crimes and prejudice, it's noteworthy that the European Day of Sinti and Roma Commemoration is perennially emphasized by institutions like the European Parliament. (Source: European Parliament)
- The European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma isn't limited to Germany; it extends to significant sites like the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, where war-and-conflicts devastatingly claimed the lives of thousands of Sinti and Roma. (Source: European Parliament)
- Besides the local commemorations in Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Oberhausen, crime-and-justice organizations such as the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights stress the importance of these events in promoting awareness and addressing ongoing issues faced by the Roma and Sinti communities. (Source: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights)
