Database of victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“

Project objective

The project „Database of victims of the national socialist persecution of ‚gypsies‘“ contributes to the documentation of the identity and lives of those who were persecuted as so-called „Zigeuner“ on racial grounds by the National Socialists and whose fates were connected with the territory of the contemporary Czech Republic.
By systematically collecting and making available data and documents, photographs and further materials about individuals, who were persectued on racial grounds due to them being Roma or Sinti, the project aims to strenghten awareness about the genocide of Roma and Sinti in the context of Central Europe‘s modern history. Beyond that, the project aims to stimulate a broader discussion about the meaning of commemorating the events of World War II, especially taking into consideration their roots and consequences for the formation of identity of all groups in our region – as well of those belonging to society‘s majority as well as those part of minority communities – and supports the improvement of mutual relations among all groups.
 

1st phase


Duration
1. 6. 2016 – 31. 5. 2018

 

Project activities

 

  1. Processing of the materials made available or created by the historian Ctibor Nečas on the victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“
  2. Research of relevant archival materials in Czech archives (The National Archives Prague, Moravian Provincial Archives in Brno, State Regional Archives in Třeboň).
  3. Development of a methodological framework for the documentation of victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“ - in cooperation with members of the advisory board.
  4. Development of the basic structure of the database of victims of the national socialist persecution of „gyspies“, including rules for the assignment of permissions for the access to the data, archival sources and further materials to be implemented into the database; consultation of the advisory board and the project partners Museum of Roma Culture (MRK) and Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance (DÖW) and subsequently, implementation of the results into the structure of the database.
  5. Systematic research for further relevant archival materials, processing of the found materials and beginning of the integration of those documents into the database.


Project outputs

 

  1. A basic structure for the database of victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“, including model datasets of victims and archival materials (documents and photographs).
  2. Overview of archival records containing materials related to the project‘s subject.
  3. Establishment of a working group consisting of experts and advisers to assure the quality of the project and its further development regarding the impartation of the project‘s outputs into society‘s majority as well as into the Roma-community.

 

2nd phase


Duration
1. 6. 2018 – 31. 5. 2020

 

Project activities

 

  1. Continuation of systematic research in the National Archives in Prague, the Moravian Provincial Archive in Brno and the State Regional Archives in Třeboň.
  2. Systematic research in further archives within the Czech Republic and abroad (State District Archives Liberec, State District Archives Břeclav and Mikulov, The Archives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim, Federal Archives Berlin).  
  3. Digitalization of the CT Lety records in the State Regional Archives Třeboň.
  4. Implementation of the lists of inmates of the „gypsy camps“ in Lety u Písku, Hodonín u Kunštátu and Auschwitz-Birkenau published by Ctibor Nečas into the database.
  5. Compilation of selected family histories on grounds of the available archival sources and including the memories of surviving dependants and descendants of victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“.


Planned project outputs

 

  1. Database containing datasets on the victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“ including name, family name, date and place of birth, date and place of internment, date and place of death etc., depending on the availability of data in the archives and other sources.
  2. Completion of the digitalization of the CT Lety records in the State Regional Archives Třeboň.
  3. Several viable family histories of victims of the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“, which will serve as a means to give the public an understanding of the fate of those who fell victim to the national socialist persecution of „gypsies“.

 

Applicant

  • Terezín Initiative Institute, Prague, Czech Republic


Project partners


In cooperation with


Members of the advisory board

  • Karel Holomek, Association of Roma in Moravia, Czech Republic  
  • PhDr. Jana Horváthová, Museum of Roma Culture, Czech Republic  
  • Dr hab. Slawomir Kapralski, Prof. UP, Pedagogical University of Krakow – Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Poland
  • Mirjam-Angela Karoly, OSCE ODIHR, Poland
  • Petr Lhotka, historian, Czech Republic
  • Rudolf Murka, member of the second generation, Czech Republic  
  • Dr. Jörg Osterloh, Fritz Bauer Institute, Germany
  • Frank Reuter, Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Germany
  • Čeněk Růžička, Committee for the compensation of Roma-victims of the holocaust, Czech Republic
  • Helena Sadílková, Ph.D., Department for Romani Studies, Chair for Central European Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
  • Marek Szilvási, Europen Roma Rights Centre, Hungary

 

 

 

The Project is supported by

baderphilanthropies


 


 

22. 3. 2024

About a month ago, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Terezín Initiative Institute at the invitation of Austrian Ambassador Bettina Kirnbauer. Till Janzer from Radio Prague International also reported on the event. You can read or listen to the article under the following link (only in German).

21. 3. 2024

We would like to invite you to an educational workshop called "Art Against Death", which we are organizing. This workshop will take place on April 13, 2024 from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm in Prague.

15. 3. 2024

The latest Anne Frank Youth Network action project is complete!


9. 3. 2024
On Friday, 8 March, we held a commemorative act in the BIIb section of the former concentration and extermination camp at Auschwitz II-Birkenau, where the so-called Terezín Family Camp was located, to honor the memory of the people who were murdered on the night of 8 to 9 March 1944. In addition to the director of the Terezín Initiative Institute, Tomáš Kraus, the event was attended by the director of the Terezín Memorial, Jan Roubínek, the director of Beit Terezín (Israel), Tami Kinberg, the chairwoman of the board of the Terezín Initiative Institute, Michaela Rozov, and on behalf of the Jewish Museum in Prague, Jana Šplíchalová.
We would also like to thank the Auschwitz Memorial for its patronage and, last but not least, all the participants for joining us in honouring their memory.
7. 3. 2024

In September 1943, five thousand Jews from the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia were transported from the Terezín concentration camp to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp in two transports for reasons that have not yet been made clear. 

29. 2. 2024

Next week, on 8 and 9 March, we will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the so-called Terezín family camp at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. Terezín Initiative Institute is organising a commemorative event on the site, with the Director of the Terezín Memorial, PhDr. Jan Roubínek as one of our guests.

26. 2. 2024

On February 23 we had yet another cooperation with students from the University of New York in Prague through Verto Education. We organised a workshop on how Jewish life in Prague was affected by anti-Jewish laws during the Nazi occupation.