On the eve of the 2 August 1944, the Nazis abolished the “Zigeunerlager” (“Gypsy camp”) in Auschwitz-Birkenau and in one single night killed several thousand Sinti and Roma in gas chambers. In individual countries, the 2 August is today marked as International Genocide of the Roma Remembrance Day.
On the occasion of commemorating the 2 August the Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor in collaboration with the association EPeKa, Council of Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia, Sonda Foundation and GT22 cordially invite you to attend the commemorative event “The Night That Silenced the Violins”.
Within the frame of the event, which will be held on Wednesday, 1 August 2018 at 6 p. m. at the Synagogue Maribor (Židovska ulica 4), a film “Sidonie” (A/D, 1990, 87’) will be projected. Honorable guest of the event will be Mr Jožek Horvat Muc, the president of the Council of Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia.
The film “Sidonie” presents a tragic story of a Roma girl Sidonie Adlersburg in the Third Reich. In February 1934, a doorkeeper found a sleeping baby at the doors of the hospital in Steyr. Next to the baby, there was a note: “My name is Sidonie Adlersburg and I beg for parents”. The Breitner family, who were not bothered by Sidonie’s Roma origin, eventually fostered her. Sidonie grew up relatively peacefully in a loving and safe shelter of her new family up until 1943 when the Breitners received a written order upon which Sidonie had to be returned to her biological mother. Sidonie Adlersburg died some few weeks later in Auschwitz.
The film, which was based on the novel by Erich Hackl “Abschied von Sidonie” (“Farewell Sidonia”), was directed by Karin Brandauer. We would like to express our gratitude to the Austrian National Television (ÖRF) for the permission for public screening of the film.
The event “The Night That Silenced the Violins” presents a part of the project “Stone Tears”, which is supported by the Maribor City Municipality. The project “Stone Tears” was from 2014 until 2016 developed with the support of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) as well.
