Romani Holocaust

Quick Facts: Who was Romani Holocaust?

Subject:

Romani Holocaust

Known for:

The Porajmos: The systematic genocide of European Roma and Sinti people by Nazi Germany.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Romani Holocaust, also known as the Porajmos, was the genocide of European Roma and Sinti people during World War II. Beginning in 1933, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted the European Roma, Sinti and other peoples through forcible internment and compulsory sterilization. German authorities summarily and arbitrarily subjected Romani people to incarceration, forced labor, deportation and mass murder in concentration and extermination camps. Under Adolf Hitler, a supplementary decree to the Nuremberg Laws was issued on 26 November 1935, classifying the Romani people (or Roma) as "enemies of the race-based state", thereby placing them in the same category as the Jews. Thus, the fate of the Sinti and Roma in Europe paralleled that of the Jews in the Holocaust.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Historians estimate that at least 250,000 Romani and Sinti were killed during the Holocaust, although this could be as high as 500,000. In 1982, West Germany formally recognized that Nazi Germany had committed genocide against Sinti and Roma people. In 2011, Poland officially declared August 2nd as day of commemoration of the Romani genocide. Within the Nazi German state, first persecution, then extermination, was aimed primarily at sedentary "Gypsy mongrels". In December 1942, Heinrich Himmler ordered the deportation of all Sinti and Roma from the Greater Germanic Reich, and most were sent to the specially established Gypsy concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Other Sinti and Roma were deported there from the Nazi-occupied Western European territories. Approximately 21,000 of the 23,000 European Roma and Sinti sent there did not survive. In areas outside the reach of systematic registration, e.g., in the German-occupied areas of Eastern and Southeastern Europe, the Roma who were most threatened were those who, in the German judgment, were "vagabonds", though some were actually refugees or displaced persons. Here, they were killed mainly in massacres perpetrated by the German military and police formations as well as by the Schutzstaffel (SS) task forces, and in armed resistance against the Nazi German occupation of Europe. Prior to Nazi persecution, Romani people were stereotyped as dishonest, wandering criminals who were likely to steal.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1933: 1933 Milestone — Beginning in 1933, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted the European Roma, Sinti and other peoples through forcible internment and compulsory sterilization.
2. 1935: 1935 Milestone — Under Adolf Hitler, a supplementary decree to the Nuremberg Laws was issued on 26 November 1935, classifying the Romani people (or Roma) as "enemies of the race-based state", thereby placing them in the same category as the Jews.
3. 1942: 1942 Milestone — In December 1942, Heinrich Himmler ordered the deportation of all Sinti and Roma from the Greater Germanic Reich, and most were sent to the specially established Gypsy concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
4. 1982: 1982 Milestone — In 1982, West Germany formally recognized that Nazi Germany had committed genocide against Sinti and Roma people.
5. 2011: 2011 Milestone — In 2011, Poland officially declared August 2nd as day of commemoration of the Romani genocide.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Romani Holocaust

True or False: “Was the initial persecution of Romani people solely a result of Nazi ideology beginning in 1933?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Anti-Romani discrimination predates the Nazis, with state interventions documented as early as the German Empire and Weimar Republic periods.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 13th Dalai Lama — Historical peer (Died in 1933) (1933): Spiritual leader of Tibet who championed national independence and modernization.
• Abolhassan Banisadr — Historical peer (Born in 1933) (1933): Iranian politician who served as the first president following the Islamic Revolution.
• 14th Dalai Lama — Historical peer (Born in 1935) (1935): Spiritual leader of Tibet and head of Tibetan Buddhism since 1940.
• Abdou Diouf — Historical peer (Born in 1935) (1935): Senegalese politician who served as President of Senegal from 1981 to 2000.
• 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — Historical peer (Born in 1982) (1982): The 44th annual NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
• Ahmed al-Sharaa — Historical peer (Born in 1982) (1982): Syrian statesman who led opposition forces, establishing the Syrian Salvation Government.
• Al Davis — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): Pioneering NFL executive and coach, known for building the legendary Oakland Raiders.
• Alan Rubin — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): American musician known for playing trumpet, flugelhorn, and piccolo trumpet.
• Abdulsalami Abubakar — Historical peer (Born in 1942) (1942): Retired Nigerian Army General who oversaw the transition to democracy in 1999.
• Alexander Belyaev — Historical peer (Died in 1942) (1942): Pioneering Soviet science fiction writer, known as 'Russia's Jules Verne'

Frequently Asked Questions about Romani Holocaust