Gypsies, at least a half million of whom were killed by the Nazis, will have a niche at the Holocaust Museum at Kibbutz Lohamei Hageta’ot (the Ghetto Fighters Kibbutz) north of Acre.
Miriam Novich, a veteran member of the museum staff, has collected hundreds of documents and photographs attesting to the genocide of the Gypsies by the Nazis during World War II. They were rounded up from all over Europe. Many perished at Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Nazi death camps.
The museum will be the largest repository of this evidence. As a spokesperson explained, the Gypsies, whose origins as a people remain obscure to this day, were for many centuries transients in most European countries. They have no homeland of their own and no public body anywhere has documented Nazi crimes against them. The material collected by Novich includes orders signed by gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler for the destruction of the Gypsies and progress reports on how this was carried out. Relevant documents published since World War II will also be on display.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
