Romanian Embassy in Germany Participates in Commemoration of the Roma Holocaust at ERIAC Event
Marking the 80th Anniversary of the Roma Holocaust
August 16th, 2024
On July 31, 2024, the Romanian Embassy in Germany joined a significant commemorative event organized by the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) in Berlin. This event was held in observance of the European Day of Remembrance of the Roma Holocaust. It marked the 80th anniversary of the tragic events of August 2, 1944, when approximately 3,000 Roma from the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp fell victim to the Nazi regime.
The commemoration featured the opening of the exhibition CARGO—of Dust and Ashes, which invites visitors to collectively reconstruct history through the works of three young Roma artists: Charly Bechaimont (France), Anita Horváth (Hungary), and Lila Loisse (United Kingdom). Curated by RomaMoMA, the exhibition profoundly reflects on the burdens of history and memory that the Roma and Sinti communities continue to carry.
The opening event began with welcoming remarks from Timea Junghaus, the Executive Director of ERIAC, followed by a performance piece titled The Taste of Blood by Charly Bechaimont. This intensely personal and evocative piece explored themes of memory, identity, and historical silence. The evening concluded with a panel discussion featuring the three artists in conversation with independent curator Isabel Raabe, one of the initiators of the RomArchive – Digital Archive of Sinti and Roma.
The CARGO – of Dust and Ashes exhibition will remain open to the public, offering a space for reflection on the traumas passed down through generations and the ongoing struggle to preserve the memory of the Roma Holocaust.
