Day of Remembrance for Roma and Sinti 2024

Eighty years ago, on the night of 2-3 of August 1944, over 4,000 Roma and Sinti were murdered in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. It marked a tragic nadir in the Nazis' genocidal persecution, to which a total of 500,000 Roma and Sinti fell victim. In keeping with a decision by the European Parliament, 2 August has been the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of Roma and Sinti since 2015. Last year, Austria followed suit: the Austrian National Council decided to make 2 August a national Day of Remembrance.

Auschwitz-Birkenau, 1 August 2024 (c) Nationalfonds/Hannah Lessing

Commemoration in Auschwitz

On 2 August 2024, the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, together with the Association of Roma in Poland in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, will commemorate the 500,000 members of this minority group who were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust. The central rememberance ceremony takes place on 2 August at 12 noon and will be streamed live.

The ceremony will be attended by members of the Sinti and Roma minority from a wide range of countries, by Polish government officials, churches and other international institutions and organisations, and numerous ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives.

Representatives from Austria will also be in attendance at the ceremony, including the Managing Director of the National Fund, Hannah Lessing.

Commemoration in Vienna

Commemorative events are also taking place in Vienna. These include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Hofburg, an ecumenical service presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Franz Scharl in the Altlerchenfeld Parish Church at 17:30 and then a memorial service on Ceija-Stojka-Platz featuring speeches by Santino Stojka, Robert Weinrich and Pia Thomasberger, accompanied by music from Hans Zinkl (guitar), Joschi Schneeberrger (bass) and Tini Kainrath (vocals).

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