What does this have to do with me?
After 1945, the genocide of Romani and Sinti people was not recognized; rather, the “second persecution” began in Germany. Few perpetrators were punished and the survivors and their families had to continue to deal with the continuities of racism in the authorities, politics, legislation, the educational system and in everyday life. It was not until 1982 that the genocide was politically recognized and many years later, in 2012, the memorial was finally inaugurated in Berlin. On a European level, Romani and Sinti people also suffered from the consequences of the Nazi era. Until today, Romani and Sinti people organize politically for an appropriate culture of remembrance and a dignified life in the present.
The Second World War was a worldwide violent event and influenced the political systems and the lives of many people beyond the German borders and even beyond the occupied countries. While some lost their livelihoods and suffered the consequences for the rest of their lives, others profited from the war and passed it on to their descendants.
