75 years ago on 2nd of August, the Nazis destroyed the Roma part of the camp, also known as “Zigeunerlager” in Auschwitz-Birkenau and killed the local prisoners. Nearly 3000 Roma and Sinti were killed that night, mostly women, children and the elderly. Today, in memory of this event, 2nd of August is marked in many countries as an international day of remembrance of victims of genocide against Roma and Sinti.
On the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Genocide over the Roma and Sinti, we kindly invite you to memorial events in Murska Sobota and Maribor on Thursday, 1st August 2019.
MURSKA SOBOTA
10.00, Hotel Zvezda, Murska republika, Trg zmage 8
Genocide in the Second World War and the consequences of genocide, which are present in various forms in the area of some European countries, an international symposium
The symposium will hold lectures by mag. Jožek Horvat Muc, President of the European Roma Association, the Union of Roma of Slovenia and the Council of the Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia, prof. dr. Dragoljub Ackovic, Secretary General of the European Roma Association, dr. Vera Klopčič, Institution dr. Šiftar Foundation, dr. Igor Šoltes, former European Member of Parliament, and mag. Orhan Galjus, Vice-President of the European Roma Association.
The honorary speaker will be Lidija Divjak Mirnik, member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. The musical ensemble Lukec & Sebastjan will perform in the cultural program.
12.00, courtyard of the former Economic School, Slovenska ulica 9
V spomin romskim žrtvam holokavsta v 2. svetovni vojni 1941–1945, spominska slovesnost s položitvijo venca k spominski plošči
In memory of the Roma victims of the Holocaust in the Second World War 1941-1945, memorial ceremony with the placement of a wreath to the memorial plaque.
MARIBOR
17.30, Gallery EPEKA, Koroška cesta 8
Auschwitz, opening of a photography exhibition by Branimir Ritonja.
Na odprtju bosta obiskovalce nagovorila Štefan Simončič, predsednik Združenja EPEKA, in Marjetka Bedrač, Center judovske kulturne dediščine Sinagoga Maribor. V kulturnem programu bo nastopil romski pesnik in pisatelj Jože Livijen.
At the opening, visitors will be addressed by Štefan Simončič, President of the EPEKA Association, and Marjetka Bedrač, Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor. In the cultural program, a Roma poet and writer Jože Livijen will perform.
18.00, Synagogue Maribor, Židovska ulica 4
Genocide against Roma in Europe – between forgetfulness and marginalization, lecture by dr. Danijela Vojaka
Dr. Danijel Vojak is a senior research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in Zagreb, and one of the leading Croatian genocide researchers of Roma and Sinti. The lecture will be in Croatian, visitors will be offered a Slovene translation of the lecture summary.
Speakers of the lectures will be addressed as a keynote speaker by the Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia Peter Svetina and mag. Jožek Horvat Muc, President of the Council of the Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia. In the cultural program, a Roma poet and writer Jože Livijen will perform.
Kindly invited!
Organizers of the events: Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor, EPEKA Association, European Roma Union, Roma Union of Slovenia, Romani Union Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota Municipality, Institute for Romology Studies, Education and Culture, Institution dr. Shiftar Foundation.
The events were supported by: Municipality of Maribor, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Council of Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia, European Union – European Social Fund, CMEPIUS, Movit, Erasmus+ Programme.