Remembering the past means taking responsibility for the present. On this day 81 years ago the SS murdered 4,300 Roma and Sinti children, women and men in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Today, we mourn them and we mourn the loss of more than 500,000 Roma and Sinti who were murdered during the Holocaust.
The consequences of the Holocaust have a significant impact on Roma communities today – the reason why we at ternYpe continue to remember and commemorate is to bring the voices of survivors to life through their testimonies. This is not only a way of sharing the past atrocities, but also a call to each and every one of us to fight against injustices committed against the Roma community.
2025 – an important year of two anniversaries
In 2025, we mark the 15th anniversary of Dikh He Na Bister, an initiative built on the intergenerational dialogue between Holocaust survivors and young Roma and non-Roma. Through learning about the Roma Holocaust and both historical and contemporary antigypsyism we establish a society where young people will write their own story and act as agents of change.
This year marks also a decade since 2 August was officially recognised by the European Parliament as the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day in April 2015. These two anniversaries are deeply connected, because it was through the persistent mobilisation of young people, survivors, educators, and activists within the Dikh He Na Bister movement that the significance of 2 August became impossible to ignore.
This dual anniversary reminds us that history does not speak for itself, it must be spoken for. Recognition was not given. It was achieved through years of grassroots pressure and intergenerational dialogue. The on-going fight for the recognition of our history and identity fuels youth-led commitment to equality, justice, and combating antigypsyism.
Recognition is not a final step, it’s part of a longer journey that we walk together. As we look ahead to the 15th anniversary of Dikh He Na Bister, we remind ourselves that remembrance must lead to responsibility. Now it’s on us to keep that recognition alive, in education, in activism, in everyday conversations.
As in the last 15 years, we gather not only to remember, but to continue a responsibility that spans generations. To carry forward the stories that were nearly erased. To confront denial with truth. And to shape a future where the history of Roma and Sinti is not pushed aside, but recognised, taught, and firmly rooted in collective memory.
We invite you to stand with us. Follow our journey, share what speaks to you, and help us reach those who still look away from the truth of our past. Because remembrance is stronger when it’s shared, and recognition only lives if we carry it together.
Ame dikhas thaj na bisteras!
Ten years ago, in 2015, the European Parliament recognised this day as the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.
Today is the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Roma and Sinti on 2 August 2025. We commemorate the 81th anniversary of 2nd August at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. At the commemoration we are joined by families of the murdered and survivors, other organisations, dignitaries and politicians from many different countries.
Remembering the Nazi crimes and the Holocaust today, we must also stand up for democracy and fight against antigypsyism in Europe and around the world.
Every year we work to strengthen young people’s understanding of Roma history and resilience to foster mutual trust, co-operation and solidarity among Roma and non-Roma youth, through analysis and interpretation of history, to evaluate and act in contemporary societies.