WWII Roma victims commemorated

The National Remembrance Day of Roma Killed in WWII was marked in Belgrade today with a wreath-laying ceremony. The central state commemoration led by Human and Minority Rights Minister Milan Markovic was held at the Bezanijska kosa Memorial Cemetery – a place where a mass grave containing bodies of civilians murdered during WWII had been located. WWII Roma victims commemorated The minister pointed out that today we must remember all those who had died at the hands of the Nazis and that those crimes would never be forgotten. He added that our country showed it was committed to anti-fascist heritage by remembering all the victims. Roma National Council President Viromir Mihailovic also pointed to numerous sufferings that Roma endured during the WWII at the commemoration ceremony on Friday. Victims' descendants, representatives of the Roma ethnic minority, city of Belgrade, municipality of New Belgrade and civil associations attended the commemoration. The commemoration was held as a remembrance of December 16, 1942 when SS leader Heinrich Himmler ordered systematic deportation of Roma to concentration camps and their extermination. Deportation of Roma to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Zigeunerlager camps lasted from February 1943 until July 1944. More than 23,000 Roma were imprisoned during that period of time and around 20,000 were killed. The imprisoned Roma came from Germany and the occupied states such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Norway, Spain and the occupied parts of the USSR. The ceremony in Belgrade to honor the Roma victims of WW2 (Tanjug)

WWII Roma victims commemorated

The minister pointed out that today we must remember all those who had died at the hands of the Nazis and that those crimes would never be forgotten. He added that our country showed it was committed to anti-fascist heritage by remembering all the victims.

Roma National Council President Viromir Mihailović also pointed to numerous sufferings that Roma endured during the WWII at the commemoration ceremony on Friday.

Victims' descendants, representatives of the Roma ethnic minority, city of Belgrade, municipality of New Belgrade and civil associations attended the commemoration.

The commemoration was held as a remembrance of December 16, 1942 when SS leader Heinrich Himmler ordered systematic deportation of Roma to concentration camps and their extermination.

Deportation of Roma to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Zigeunerlager camps lasted from February 1943 until July 1944. More than 23,000 Roma were imprisoned during that period of time and around 20,000 were killed.

The imprisoned Roma came from Germany and the occupied states such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Norway, Spain and the occupied parts of the USSR.