THE SINTI AND ROMA

Victims of the Holocaust AssignmentBy: Ashley,

Deena, Sofia, Tre and Yashar

Overview

Origins

Northern India Europe in 1400s

Craftsmen, blacksmiths, cobblers, musicians, dancers

942 000 in German-occupied Europe

Culturally different Discrimination

predates the Nazis

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: Roma (Gypsies) in Prewar Europe — Map. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_nm.php?ModuleId=10005395&MediaId=359 (Dec. 8, 2010).

“the science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics.” –Oxford Dictionary

Eugenics

Laws

Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Defects (July 1933) Sterilization of Gypsies

Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour (15 September 1935) Non-Aryans prohibited from marrying

Aryans

Dr. Robert Ritter

Directed genealogical research on Roma

Physical separation of the Roma to protect racial purity in Germany

Tried to link criminal behaviour to genes Roma were “naturally inclined” to be criminals

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: DR. ROBERT RITTER: RACIAL SCIENCE AND "GYPSIES”. Photograph. http://www.ushmm.org/education/resource/roma/rsritter.htm (Dec. 8, 2010).

“the theory that individuals, groups, and peoples are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals; that some races are superior to others.”-Oxford Dictionary

Social Darwinism

Laws

Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution Viewed as inferior therefore equal rights of

citizenship, but more discriminatory laws Combating Gypsies, Vagabonds and the

Work Shy (16 July 1926)

Registration, restricted movement, internment camps

Law Against Dangerous Habitual Criminals (November 1933) Roma arrested and interned

Reich Citizenship Law (15 September 1935) Defined Roma as “racially distinctive”, stripped

of civil rights

Himmler’s Declaration

First-hand account from Himmler (Dec. 8 1938)

“Gypsy problem” = racial issue

Suited only for nomadic life

Registering Gypsies at the Reich Criminal Police Office

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: Genocide of European Roma (Gypsies), 1939-1945 — Photograph. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_ph.php?ModuleId=10005219&MediaId=1565 (Dec. 8, 2010).

Treatment of Children

Subhuman, animals needing to be trained

Roma children became wards of the state

Experimented upon Interned in camps Inability to speak

German = mental problem

= “special school”

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: Genocide of European Roma (Gypsies), 1939-1945 — Photograph. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/gallery_oi.php?ModuleId=10005219 (Dec. 8, 2010).

Deportation and Camps

“resettlement to the East” = mass deportation

Hierarchy within camps Green = professional

criminal Black = “asocial”

Treblinka, Auschwitz, Buchenwald,

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: Classification System in Nazi Concentration Camps — Artifact. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_da.php?ModuleId=10005378&MediaId=5037 (Dec. 8, 2010).

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: Sinti & Roma: Victims of the Nazi Era- Photograph. http://www.ushmm.org/education/resource/roma/roma.php (Dec. 8, 2010).

Personal Story

Karl Stojka: Roma during WWII Roman Catholic Roma

family (Lowara Roma) Deported from Vienna

to Birkeneau then Buchenwald for forced labour

Avoided gassing, sent to Flossenbürg camp

Liberated by Americans in 1945 (age 14)

USHMM. Holocaust Encyclopedia: Karl Stojka- Photograph. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/idcard.php?ModuleId=10006784 (Dec. 8, 2010).

Darwinism and Eugenics?

Darwinism Initially forced to adopt “superior” way of

life (settling in one place) Considered inferior by Germans Deported forced to work, horrible

conditions

Eugenics Separated from the rest of society Eliminated from gene pool

Conclusion

Action taken reflected Hitler’s philosophy

Laws became more restrictive

“alien blood”

Mainly Social Darwinism Considered inferior because of nomadic

lifestyle Keeping small group interned to study