Thursday, October 25, 2012

Memorial to Roma and Sinti Holocaust Victims in Berlin

On Wednesday, a ceremony took place in the Tiergarten Park near the Reichstag parliament building, where Germany paid tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Sinti and Roma people killed by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.  Many historians estimate between 220,000 and 500,000 Sinti and Roma people in Europe were killed by the Nazis because they were regarded as an inferior race.  Some died in massacres, while others perished in concentration camps.  The long-delayed monument, a circular dark pool of water with a triangular plinth at the center, is close to Berlin's monument to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.  The dark pool was conceived as a lake of silent tears, but also as a symbol for loss and the re-emergence of life.  Chancellor Angela Merkel responded how "remembering the victims went hand-in-hand with a commitment to protect minorities today."  Furthermore, another memorial to the disabled and mentally ill who were killed is planned to take place in the future.
More information at:
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/germany-unveils-memorial-to-roma-killed-by-nazis-1.472236

Amanda Ngo

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