The Holocaust is one of the worst crimes against humanity. It does not represent simply an attempt to destroy the whole Jewish, as well Roma nations but is a synonym for total dehumanization, for an industrialized process of planned murder either by gassing or shooting, either by starvation or exhaustion from labour, to death.

With a desire to permanently raise an awareness regarding the Holocaust and the Genocide of the Roma (sometimes also referred as Porrajmos) to the wider public, the Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor along with its partners have, in 2014, designed an international project entitled Stone Tears. Within the framework of this project, we endeavour to develop strategies to raise a permanent awareness of the history of the Holocaust and Genocide of the Roma through various public activities. At the same time, we further wish to warn against the emergence and appearance of hatred and intolerance, which leads to crimes against humanity, through the preservation of the historical memory of the victims of the Holocaust, Genocide of the Roma, Nazi persecution and genocide in general.

Within the framework of the Stone Tears project, we have prepared a documentary exhibition with the same title. It concisely presents the history of anti-Semitism and anti-Gypsysm, an increase of the persecution of the Jews, Roma and Sinti during the time of the national socialist government, the “Final Solution” of the Jewish and Roma question, the lives of the survivors of the Holocaust and Genocide of the Roma following the Second World War and the significance of remembrance and of learning about the Holocaust and Genocide of the Roma.

The authors of the Stone Tears exhibition are Marjetka Berlič, Liljana Matjašič and Marjetka Bedrač. The exhibition was reviewed by Boris Hajdinjak.

During 2014–2016, the project Stone Tears was supported by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The CJCH Synagogue Maribor programmes are financed by the Municipality of Maribor.

Project partners: Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor, Frekvenca, the social-cultural association of restless and active members, Terne Roma – Young Roma Society, Dr. Štiftar Foundation, Artikel-VII-Kulturverein für Steiermark – Pavelhaus, Institut für jüdische Geschichte Österreichs.

The exhibition opening has been supported by Elektro Maribor, d. d.