If Only It Were History…
Why Roma Holocaust Education Matters
Despite efforts by scholars and educators in the last two decades, the genocide of the Roma remains underrepresented in commemorative practices, scholarship, and education on the Second World War in Europe. Several EU member states display strong feelings against their Roma populations, while others have made significant steps in the introduction of Roma History and the History of the Roma Holocaust in their school curricula. Institutionalised antigypsyism in these countries is in fact reinforcing these negative societal attitudes and obscuring the genocide of the Roma from practices of Holocaust remembrance.
Building on the Recommendations of the Council of Europe (CM/REC 2020) on the inclusion of the history of Roma and/or Travellers in school curricula and teaching materials, while recognising that Roma and Travellers’ longstanding historical presence in Europe is still not adequately acknowledged in educational systems, the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) in collaboration with the Council of Europe, is organizing a training programme for personnel of public authorities from EU Member States, with a special focus on individuals directly involved in curriculum development, Ministries of Education, and others who hold influence over national educational materials. We also welcome the participation of staff from National Roma Contact Points.
The two-day training aims to advance Roma Holocaust remembrance and education, including through promoting teaching on Roma Holocaust and Roma history. With the most outstanding experts, Roma and non-Roma scholars, we plan to exchange good practices and know-how in the field.
This training programme is organized in the frame of the Joint Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe on Roma Holocaust Remembrance and Education (JP Roma Memory)
Training Dates
- Online Training:
Friday, July 25, 2025
3 live online lectures from leading experts (details below)
Format: Zoom (link and access details provided to registered participants) - In-Person Training:
August 1–2, 2025 – Krakow, Poland
Including a site visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau and participation in the August 2nd European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration event
Online Training – Final schedule and connection link was shared in e-mail with registered participants*
AGENDA
- Friday, July 25, 2025 (online)
10:30-11:00 Welcome & Introduction
11:00-12:30 Antigypsyism: The Roots of the Holocaust Explained
Dr. Iulius Rostas (Visiting Professor at National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Bucharest, Romania)
This lecture explores the ideological and systemic roots of antigypsyism in Europe, tracing the path that led to the genocide of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust.
12:30-13:30 Break
13:30-15:00 ‘The Forgotten Holocaust’: The Struggle for Recognition of the Roma Victims
Dr. Karola Fings (Historian at the Research Center for Antigypsyism at the Department of History at Heidelberg University; Initiator and director of the project “Encyclopedia of the Nazi Genocide of the Sinti and Roma in Europe” and member of the German delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA))
This session will highlight the political, scholarly, and community-led fight for the visibility and institutional recognition of the Roma Holocaust.
15:00-16:00 Break
16:00-17:30 Healing Historical Trauma: Remembrance and Commemoration of the Romani Holocaust
Dr. Ioanida Costache (Assistant professor of ethnomusicology in the Department of Music at Stanford University and an affiliate of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University)
Through the lens of art, memory work, and community rituals, this lecture explores how Roma communities confront historical trauma and reclaim agency through remembrance.
*Note: Session times and final speaker confirmations will be shared by email with selected participants in July. ERIAC reserves the right to make changes to the program
Day 1
In-Person Training – August 1–2, 2025
Location: Krakow, Poland
Format: 1 day of hands-on workshops + 1 day of site visit and memorial engagement
August 1 – Training Day
This full-day session in Krakow focuses on practical tools, critical pedagogy, and contemporary approaches to teaching about the Roma Holocaust. Delivered in a workshop format, participants will engage with cutting-edge educational resources, case studies, and historical framing.
09:00-09:10 Advancing Roma Holocaust remembrance and education in Europe – Welcome address by ERIAC
09:10-09:30 Tools supporting the Recommendation CM/Rec(2020)2 on the inclusion of the history of Roma and/or Travellers in school curricula
Caroline Helene Martin (Roma and Travellers division, Council of Europe, Coordinator of EU-CoE Joint Program RomaMemory)
Capacity-building programme and tools supporting the implementation of CM Rec(2020)2
09:30-11:00 Why Should We Teach About the Roma Holocaust?
Dr. Raul Cârstocea (Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe at the Council of Europe, ERIAC member of Barvalipe Academy)
Drawing on findings from the Council of Europe’s report on Roma in European curricula and textbooks, this session explores the implications of absence and misrepresentation—and why history education must center Roma perspectives.
Read the Report
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 How to Teach About the Roma Holocaust?
Dr. Stéphane Laederich(Executive Director of the Rroma Foundation in Zürich, Swiss Delegate to the IHRA, and outgoing Chair of IHRA’s Committee on the Genocide of the Roma and co-author of the recommendations)
Based on materials developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), this session introduces accessible pedagogical tools and structured guidance for classroom educators.
Explore IHRA Resources
13:00-14:30 Lunch
14:30-16:00 “Voices of the Victims”: Working with Roma Testimonies
Dr. Maria Bogdan (Fortunoff Research Fellow at the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies)
Based on her ongoing research, this workshop gives insight into Roma testimonies from different archival collections and initiatives – including intergenerational narratives – with practical examples of how they could be used in educational settings.
16:00-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-17:45 From Victims to Heroes: The Roma Holocaust Through the Lens of Resistance
Dr. Anna Mirga-Kruszelnicka (Deputy director, ERIAC, co-editor of the books Re-thinking Roma Resistance throughout History: Recounting Stories of Strength and Bravery (2020) and Education for Remembrance of the Roma Genocide: Scholarship, Commemoration and the Role of Youth (2015))
Based on ERIAC’s Roma Resistance project, this session reframes Holocaust education through narratives of courage, agency, and resistance among Roma communities.
17:45-18:00 Closing remarks
Ms. Zuzana Dorazilova, Deputy Head of Unit Non-Discrimination: Ani-racism and Roma Coordination, DG JUST, European Commission
20:00 Dinner
Day 2
August 2 – Memorial Day: Site Visit & Commemoration*
This day aligns with the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day and centers lived experience, remembrance, and reflection.
Activities:
- Guided Visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
Focused on the Roma experience and narratives within the historical site. - Participation in the Official Commemoration Ceremony
Honoring the memory of Roma and Sinti victims (European Holocaust Memorial Day for Roma and Sinti commemoration day organized by the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma and the Association of Roma in Poland). - Observing the meeting with Roma youth and survivors (part of the international youth event Dikh He Na Bister organized ternYpe International Roma Youth Network)
- Closing Session
A facilitated reflection on the experience, and commitments for action back home.
*Note: Final program for August 2 European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma will be shared by email with selected participants in July. ERIAC reserves the right to make changes to the program
Logistical information:
Return bus transfer from Krakow to the Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial Site will be provided by the organizer.
Participants are expected to arrive in the evening of Thursday, July 31st and depart in the morning of Sunday, August 3rd. Travel arrangements will be secured by the organizer for a maximum of 20 participants.
ERIAC will select participants from among staff of Ministries of Education, National Roma Contact Points, or similar public entities with a mandate in education. This includes pedagogical staff involved in curriculum design and textbook content development. Travel and accommodation support will be provided for up to 20 selected on-site participants.
Registration closed on 18 July, 2025 EOB
A dedicated resource page of “If Only It Were History…Why Roma Holocaust Education Matters” training participants is accessible through this link. The password has been shared with registered participants of the event.
