International Workshops on the Memorialization of the Genocide of the Roma

International workshops under the framework of the project Pasostar ando Prastape – Breaking into a Gallop

As part of the international project “Pasostar ando Prastape – Breaking into a Gallop: An International Incubator for Rethinking and Innovation in Education about the Genocide of the Roma during the Nazi Era,” two workshops were recently conducted. These workshops aimed to explore new approaches to educating about and commemorating the persecution and genocide of the Roma and Sinti. The project supports the national implementation of the IHRA’s Recommendations on Teaching and Learning about the Persecution and Genocide of the Roma during the Nazi Era.

Workshop 1:

(Mis)representation of Roma and Sinti in Education, Museums, and Memorials

📍 Vienna, Austria | 🗓 April 7–8, 2025
📌 Venue: Austrian Academy of Sciences
🎓 Co-host: Institute of Culture Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences
🙏 Special thanks to Dr. Ljiljana Radonić

This international gathering brought together 21 participants from Austria, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, and Croatia, representing researchers, scholars, educators, museum professionals, policymakers, and civil society actors.

The workshop featured a dynamic program of keynote talks, expert presentations, and practitioner-led discussions exploring the complexities of teaching and memorializing the genocide of the Roma and Sinti. Key themes included educational policy, inclusive practice, historical accuracy, and the need for Roma voices to be centered in both education and remembrance.

Program Highlights:

The Persecution and Genocide of the Roma: Specifics and Challenges, Gerhard Baumgartner (Former Director, Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance – DÖW, Austria)
Participant-Centered and Site-Specific Learning about the Holocaust, Wolfgang Schmutz (Education Consultant, Curator, Facilitator, Austria)
IHRA Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Persecution and Genocide of the Roma during the Nazi Era, Miško Stanišić (Director, Terraforming, Serbia)
(Mis)Representation of Roma in Memorialization and Education, Ljiljana Radonić (Institute of Culture Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Implementing the IHRA Recommendations, Moritz Wein (Deputy Head of Department at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, focusing on Holocaust education and international cooperation)
Practitioners’ Perspectives and Experiences – Challenges and Best Practices in Teaching and Learning about the Genocide of the Roma: Miljan Garčević (Serbia), Miljenko Hajdarović (Platform Klio, Croatia), Florian Zeller (DÖW), Jakab Attila (Holocaust Memorial Centre, Hungary), Chinara Majidova (ARCA Ukraine), Ana Rotovnik Omerzu (Slovenia), and Juš Ašenberger (Slovenia)
Teaching about the Genocide of the Roma: Roma Perspectives, Tetiana Storozhko (Executive Director, TENET, Ukraine)
Teaching about the Genocide of the Roma and the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC), Călin Rus (Director, Intercultural Institute of Timișoara, Romania)
Pasostar ando Prastape – Breaking into a Gallop: Teaching about the Genocide of the Roma through Educational Graphic Novels, Miško Stanišić (Director, Terraforming, Serbia)

Key Themes Discussed in Austria:

Intersection Between Teaching the Holocaust and the Genocide of the Roma

Exploring how both histories can enrich each other when taught in parallel, while respecting their unique narratives.

Complementing, Not Competing

Developing methods to integrate both genocides in curricula and cultural memory without reducing either to a secondary narrative.

Inclusive Education

Highlighting the importance of Roma voices in teaching materials, policymaking, and classroom practice, the role of Roma students, educators, survivors, and activists in shaping education.

Sources and Resources

How to find and use existing materials—or fill gaps—by identifying personal stories, documents, objects, and authentic sites that promote evidence-based, reflective learning.

Workshop 2:

Roma Voices in Education and Memorialization of the Genocide of the Roma

📍 Westerbork and Assen, The Netherlands | 🗓 June 10–11, 2025
📌 Venue: Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre
🎓 Co-host: Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre and Drents Museum
🙏 Special thanks to Bas Kortholt

This workshop hosted 32 participants from Albania, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Program Highlights:

Welcome by Bas Kortholt, Scientific Researcher
Overview of Holocaust education in the Netherlands by Christel Tijenk, Head of the Knowledge Center
Introduction to the IHRA Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Persecution and Genocide of the Roma during the Nazi Era by Miško Stanišić, Director of Terraforming
An interview with Alisa Cuuna, Ardzun Galjus, and Loewana Weiss—Roma and Sinti activists—moderated by Bas Kortholt
Guided tour: Sinti and Roma in Camp Westerbork, led by museum educator Kim van der Burgh
Personal story from Sheila Meinhardt, descendant of a large Sinti family from Eindhoven
Visit to the Travellers & Sinti and Roma exhibition at the Drents Museum

The workshop combined practical examples of museum practices with powerful personal narratives, leaving participants energized and equipped with concrete ideas to advance inclusive, Roma-centered education.