Over the next two years, a total of 500 secondary school pupils will undergo a special educational programme that will immerse them in the subject of the Roma Holocaust, through the authentic memories of descendants of survivors. The first workshop starts on Wednesday 25 September in Hodonín u Kunštátu, where the Memorial to the Holocaust of the Roma and Sinti is located. The educational programmes are part of a broader project called Stories of Survivors, which is backed by the Slovo 21 association and the Museum of Romani Culture.
The Romani Holocaust is one of the darkest chapters of our history, yet it is not talked about much. The Stories of Survivors project, which runs from 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2026, seeks to confront this historical injustice by reflecting on contemporary understandings of Romani history and the Holocaust in the Czech Republic. "We want to give this complex topic a human dimension through the authentic stories of people who experienced unspeakable suffering during the Second World War," explains Natálie Klee, project coordinator from Slovo 21.
A large part of the project are the educational programs that are star today in Hodonín u Kunštátu for the first 100 students, where the Memorial to the Holocaust of the Roma and Sinti in Moravia is located. This particular workshop, prepared by the Museum of Romani Culture, a state-funded organization, will be dedicated to the then-16-year-old Květa Ondrášová, who was one of the prisoners of the so-called Gypsy camp there. "It is essential for us that pupils learn about the topic through an authentic personal story, which will have much more added value for them than the general explanation in textbooks," adds Natálie Klee.
The shape of further educational programmes will be shaped in cooperation with the Museum of Romani Culture and will involve the descendants of Romani Holocaust survivors themselves. In addition to educational activities, the Stories of Survivors project also includes an exhibition of the same name at the Museum of Romani Culture, which can currently be visited in Hodonín u Kunštátu until 31 October 2025. Next year, the project will also include a theatre performance that will use the method of theatre of the oppressed, to transform the memories of the descendants of survivors into a theatre production.
For over 25 years, Slovo 21 has been working to integrate Roma into mainstream society through a range of activities, such as tutoring Roma schoolchildren, working with the Roma women's group Manushe, and organizing the World Roma Festival Khamoro. The Stories of Survivors project was supported by the Reminder, Responsibility and Future Foundation (EVZ).
This text does not express the opinion of the EVZ Foundation. The author is responsible for all statements contained in this text.
Contact person:
Marie-Anna Růžičková
732 268 201
marie.ruzickova@slovo21.cz
