2 August 2024
Markéta Pekarová Adamová
Sprecherin der Abgeordnetenkammer des Parlaments der Tschechischen Republik
Video-Statement anlässlich des 2. August 2024, dem Holocaust-Gedenktag für Sinti und Roma
Honorable survivors, distinguished guests, dear friends and colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we commemorate Roma Holocaust Memorial Day around the world.
Exactly 80 years have passed since the tragic night of 2nd to 3rd August of 1944. On that day, the Nazis murdered up to 4 300 Roma men, women, and children in the gas chambers of the infamous concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Countless others were persecuted and brutally tortured by the Nazi regime solely because of their ethnicity. Their suffering and resilience stand as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of hatred and bigotry.
It is our moral duty not to forget these horrific events. Therefore, we commemorate the legacy of all the victims. It is also a way to prevent the repetition of such unspeakable atrocities in the future.
We must remain vigilant, educating future generations about those atrocities and the importance of tolerance and human dignity.
Never again should we allow prejudice and discrimination to go unchecked. Never again should we stand silent in the face of injustice and hatred. We must always remember the lessons of the past and never ever forget them.
May the memories of the victims inspire us to build a world where every person, regardless of their background, can live in peace, safety, and dignity. Let us honor their legacy by striving for justice, compassion, and unity.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Stellungnahmen 2024

Romani Rose
Zentralrat Deutscher Sinti und Roma

Roman Kwiatkowski
Verband der Roma in Polen

Piotr Cywinski
Direktor des Staatlichen Museums und der Gedenkstätte Auschwitz-Birkenau

Alma Klasing
Überlebender des Holocaust

Bolesław Rumanowski
Überlebender des Holocaust