Category Archives: Germany

Roma History

Published by:

Roma History

On Thursday, February 26, 2026, the Society for Geography and Cultures of the World, in cooperation with the Museum of Nature and Environment, will host a lecture at 7 p.m. entitled “Sinti and Roma in Lübeck – From 1933 to the Present Day.” The speakers are the authors of the book of the same name, Elisabeth Eßer and Gerhard Eikenbusch, who will present the results of their joint research on the lives of Lübeck’s Sinti and Roma from the Nazi era to the present day.

Antigyspyism

Published by:

Antigyspyism

Against anti-Gypsyism – for social inclusion: For the SPD in the Bavarian State Parliament, combating anti-Gypsyism is a permanent political obligation. The Social Democrats want to strengthen the rights of Sinti and Roma and guarantee their social inclusion – something that is not yet fully ensured. Markus Rinderspacher, the SPD’s European affairs expert, is calling on the state government to take even stronger action against anti-Gypsyism. “Anti-Gypsyism has no place in Bavaria. We must learn from the past, preserve our memories, and strengthen the inclusion of Sinti and Roma today and in the future.”

Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth

Published by:

Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth

The Documentation and Cultural Centre and the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma mourn the loss of Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. “Sinti and Roma owe Rita Süssmuth a great debt of gratitude. She not only supported the work of the Central Council for many years, but also campaigned at the political level for the realization of the Documentation and Cultural Centre in Heidelberg,” emphasized Romani Rose, Chairman of the Central Council and Managing Director of the Documentation and Cultural Centre.

Hamburg and Memorial

Published by:

Hamburg and Memorial

For 15 years, the Hamburg Senate has been planning to build a documentation center in Lohsepark in HafenCity to depict the deportation of Jews, Sinti, and Roma during the Nazi era. Because the project is stalled, an open letter has now been published.

It is addressed to First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) and private sponsor Harm Müller-Spreer. The realization of the documentation center at the former Hanoverian Railway Station is in jeopardy, and the Senate’s credibility is therefore at stake. This is the message from representatives of the Auschwitz Committee in Hamburg.

Racism in Schools

Published by:

Racism in Schools

Another article about racism against Roma in German schools. This time, the story of Melissa who felt excluded as the only Roma child in her class. Changing schools to a special school in Frankfurt enabled her to graduate.

Discrimination in Schools

Published by:

Discrimination in Schools

The Reporting Center for Antigypsyism (MIA) in Hesse has registered significantly more cases of discrimination against Sinti and Roma than in the previous year. Students are particularly affected – on the school grounds, but also during lessons.

Bad.

Holocaust, Genocide, and AI

Published by:

Holocaust, Genocide, and AI

Germany and Holocaust memorial Institutions are warning social media platform about the dangers of AI use in the context of the Holocaust and the genocide of the Roma and are asking them to stop it.

Study on Deportations

Published by:

Study on Deportations

The European University of Flensburg presented the results of a two-year study on the history of Sinti and Roma in Schleswig-Holstein to the state parliament, thus filling a previously under-researched historical gap. They focused on Deportations of Sinti and Roma in Schleswig-Holstein during the Nazi Era.

Exhibition

Published by:

Exhibition

The exhibition “Murdered, Marginalized, and Stigmatized: Sinti and Roma in Rhineland-Palatinate” will be on display at the Center for Social Responsibility of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau in Mainz starting January 21. Students from the Department of History at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz explored the history of Sinti and Roma in Rhineland-Palatinate during the summer semester of 2025. The results of the project, funded by the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Science and Health, will be presented for one week, the university announced on Monday.

Opera Yes, Documentation Centre No

Published by:

Opera Yes, Documentation Centre No

Those arriving in Hamburg by ICE train from the south pass directly by the former “Hanoverian Station,” from whose tracks 8,000 Jews, Sinti, and Roma were deported to Nazi extermination camps in the east starting in 1940. A memorial with desk-like concrete tables lists all the names from the transport lists of that time.

Just a few hundred meters away, directly in line of sight to the deportation site, a new opera house is to be built on Hamburg’s Baakenhöft. It is being sponsored with 340 million euros by Klaus-Michael Kühne, 88 years old. The same man who, to this day, refuses to allow his company’s Nazi past to be publicly investigated. His opera house, his gift to the city, therefore carries a deeply troubling connotation.

Meanwhile, a planned documentation centre on the deprotations is still in planning, without any date of completion.

Conference “Antigypsyism/Racism against Roma and Sinti”

Published by:

Conference “Antigypsyism/Racism against Roma and Sinti”

This conference aims to raise awareness of antigypsyism/racism against Roma and Sinti. In particular, it seeks to sharpen the understanding of how to recognize antigypsyist discrimination and to consider it as a cross-cutting issue in administrative work.

Another focus will be on presenting existing measures implemented by the State of Berlin to combat and prevent antigypsyism. These measures will not only be presented but also discussed and considered together with regard to their further development.

Finally, the conference aims to encourage self-reflection – with the goal of critically examining how antigypsyism/racism against Roma and Sinti is addressed within the administrative context and initiating processes of change.

A Birth, and Police

Published by:

A Birth, and Police

A large family wanted to celebrate the birth of a child in the foyer of the University Hospital of Cologne. Those present felt disturbed, and the hospital asked the family to leave. The police then had to be called.

The result: A complaint against the university hospital from the Rom association, which advocates for the rights of Sinti and Roma, as well as a criminal complaint and a formal complaint against the police at the Cologne Police Headquarters.

Germany, Police, and Roma

Published by:

Germany, Police, and Roma

Sinti and Roma are frequently subjected to prejudice and discrimination by the police, according to a report. The Reporting and Information Center on Antigypsyism (MIA) analyzed 215 cases reported by victims between 2020 and 2024 for the report presented in Berlin on Thursday.

According to the report, Sinti and Roma often report that their complaints are not recorded by the police, and that incidents are downplayed or denied. Investigations against police officers following complaints are reportedly dropped. In some cases, victims who file a complaint themselves become the target of investigations. The study evaluates hundreds of allegations of discrimination against Roma and Sinti by the police. The spectrum ranges from reports not being recorded to violence – even at a children’s birthday party. Experts are calling for recognition of institutional problems within police departments.

Schwaben: Exhibition

Published by:

Schwaben: Exhibition

The traveling exhibition “Swabian Sinti and Roma in Past and Present,” organized by the Swabian District Heritage Preservation Office, has opened at the Church of Mary Queen of Peace (Johannesstr. 4). The exhibition is a collaboration between the Swabian District Heritage Preservation Office and the Regional Association of German Sinti and Roma Swabia. It is open daily from 12 pm to 7 pm until January 22. (AZ)

Berlin: Exhibition

Published by:

Berlin: Exhibition

The exhibition “Resistance and Dignity” by the feminist organization RomaniPhen e.V. and the FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum focuses on the knowledge and experiences of Roma and Sinti. Since 1945 to the present day, Roma and Sinti have been fighting for a dignified life and remembrance.

Romani Rose

Published by:

Romani Rose

The city of Heidelberg has honored Romani Rose with its Citizen’s Medal for his outstanding commitment to the city and the rights of Sinti and Roma.

Mayor Eckart Würzner presented the award on Thursday evening, December 4, at the town hall. Romani Rose has been Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma since 1982. From 1991, he served as Managing Director of the Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma in the Old Town.

Concert

Published by:

Concert

Frankfurt marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a concert by the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic. The event was dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and carries a strong message: memory is not the past, but the responsibility to prevent hatred and war. Representatives of German institutions emphasized the importance of the culture of remembrance and its transmission to young generations. Music has become a bridge between peoples and a reminder that forgetting leads to repetition.

Documentary

Published by:

Documentary

The impressive film by Melanie Spitta and Katrin Seybold sheds light on the persecution of the German Sinti during National Socialism, as well as the challenges and resistance associated with coming to terms with this dark chapter.

rroma.org
en_GBEN