Sofia Z-4515

Sofia Z-4515

“Sofia Z-4515” is a comic book that tells the story of Sofia Taikon, a Polish Romni who was interned in the concentration camps Auschwitz-Birkenau and Ravensbrück during the Second World War and survived the Pharrajmos. Sofia Taikon wrote the book in collaboration with Gunilla Lundgren. It was first published in 2005 in Swedish and Kaldarash – Romanes, the language of the Kalderash Roma. Translations into English and Romanian followed later.

The comic book describes Sofia’s experiences as a child in the concentration camps and shows the violence and challenges she faced during that time. It also shows the humanity and solidarity that she and other survivors have experienced during this time. The book reflects Sofia’s entire life as well, from her childhood in a Romani family in Poland to her life as a grandmother in Sweden. Furthermore it raises the question of how Holocaust survivors can deal with memories of the past and traumas.

The comic book is an important medium for preserving the history and memory of the genocide and encourages readers to deal with the difficult times and challenges of the present.