To date, there is neither a museum collection nor an archive documenting the "Forgotten Holocaust" against the Sinti and Roma and their history of persecution. So far, there is no museum in which the history of Sinti and Roma can survive time in its own right.
This project approaches this gap. It complements the existing collection of the Documentation Center with memories of the persecution of the Sinti and Roma during National Socialism. The project opens up the possibility for Sinti and Roma throughout Europe to preserve their own history of life and survival, of strength and of struggles for the recognition of basic human rights for future generations.
The collection project
The project searches for objects that can be used to trace the life and survival stories of Sinti and Roma. What makes it special: The communities themselves will have their say and report on their memories. Through second-witness interviews, the stories and memories are preserved and conserved with the object. In this way, the documented objects can become items for the new permanent exhibition.
Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma
The Documentation and Cultural Center in Heidelberg is the result of decades of successful civil rights work. Since 1997, the first permanent exhibition documenting the Nazi genocide of the Sinti and Roma has been on display: From the gradual exclusion and deprivation of rights to systematic extermination.
Numerous events and educational programs are designed to stimulate a critical awareness of history among those who visit the Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma.
Funding country: Germany
Duration: 01.10.2022 until 01.10.2024