German-Czech Conference The legacy of the surviving Sinti and Roma across generations
Recognition, responsibility, and challenges 80 years after World War II
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Research Centre on Antigypsyism is organizing an international conference in cooperation with the Institute of Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Other partners in the event are the Romani Studies Program of the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, the Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust, and Menda Yek (Amcha Germany).
The three-day conference brings together activists, descendants of survivors, researchers, and representatives of public institutions to discuss current forms of remembrance of the Nazi genocide of Sinti and Roma in Europe, the ethical challenges associated with researching it, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the politics of memory. Several descendants of survivors from the Czech Republic and Germany are either directly involved in organizing the event or will be giving presentations there.
The three-day program begins on September 11, 2025, at the Ponrepo Cinema in Prague with the premiere of two documentaries about the second generation of Holocaust survivors—the German film “Leaving Auschwitz” and the Czech film „When Pain Is Inherited“. The screening will be followed by a moderated discussion with the filmmakers and protagonists.
On September 12, an international conference with three panel discussions will take place at the Czech government office. The discussion will focus on perspectives of the perpetrators and the voices of the victims and their descendants, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the third generation of survivors' views on the culture of remembrance.
Those interested can register to participate on site or online here:
