Austria's largest teacher training programme on Holocaust education covers the genocide of Roma and Sinti

Between 1938 and 1945, around 500,000 European Roma, Romnja, Sinti and Sintizze fell victim to the racist persecution policy of the Nazis and their allies. Roma and Sinti were defamed and marginalised, forced to work on farms, construction sites and in industry, died in forced labour and concentration camps and were killed in extermination camps. As part of a three-day training course hosted by the Austrian Education Agency (OeAD), teachers from across Austria explored the history of the genocide against Roma and Sinti and how it is taught in schools. The OeAD implements the ERINNERN:AT programme on behalf of the Ministry of Education.
 

‘Educational work about the genocide of Roma and Sinti during the Nazi era is an important part of teaching Austrian history. With the OeAD's ERINNERN:AT programme, we are taking an important step towards raising awareness of the often-forgotten stories of those once persecuted and, at the same time, fighting against current discrimination. It is our shared responsibility to come to terms with the past and to ensure a just future free from discrimination, violence and extremism,’ said Martin Polaschek, Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research.
 

‘Even today, very little is known about the genocide against the Roma and Sinti, and it is rarely addressed in educational contexts. We are addressing this gap in the education system and want to create awareness of the history of the genocide – it is also about countering today's discrimination against Roma and Sinti,’ emphasises Jakob Calice, managing director of the Austrian Education Agency OeAD.
 

The European Parliament declared 2 August 2015 the European Day of Remembrance of the Roma and Sinti Genocide. In 2023, this was unanimously confirmed by the National Council and officially observed for the first time in Austria on 2 August 2023.
 

State of research, teaching materials and excursions
 

The central seminar was the highlight of the year-round activities and offers on the topic of the OeAD programme ERINNERN:AT ‘The Genocide of the Roma and Sinti’. The training offered educators the opportunity to explore historical background and the current state of research, as well as practical educational work. In workshops, teachers got to know specific learning opportunities that the OeAD and other partners have created; for example, the international learning website romasintigenocide.eu, which is supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, provides historical knowledge and materials for teaching in twelve languages. An ‘IWitness Activity’ on the continuities of antigypsyism – a digital learning module that ERINNERN:AT 2024 developed with the University of Flensburg – was also part of the workshop portfolio.
 

Excursions took place to places of remembrance in the region, such as the memorial for Roma and Sinti in Lackenbach, where the annual rally with a wreath-laying ceremony took place in memory of the Roma and Sinti murdered by the Nazis.

The genocide in Burgenland and the ‘gypsy camp’ Lackenbach
 

In 1938, around 8,000 of Austria's 11,000 Roma and Sinti lived in numerous settlements in Burgenland – mostly in oppressive poverty, harassed by the authorities and marginalised. On 23 November 1940, the so-called ‘Gypsy camp’ Lackenbach was set up in a former estate. 2,000 of the 4,000 Roma and Sinti interned in the camp were deported to the Łódź/Litzmannstadt ghetto in the autumn of 1941 and later to the Chelmno/Kulmhof extermination camp, where they were murdered. Between 300 and 400 prisoners survived the liberation of the Lackenbach camp by Soviet troops in April 1945.

The OeAD's Central Seminar ended on 16 November 2020 with participation in the official memorial service for Roma and Sinti at the memorial in Lackenbach.

Austria's largest teacher training course on the Holocaust and National Socialism
 

The largest teacher training course on the Holocaust and National Socialism, entitled ‘Central Seminar’, is held annually by the OeAD programme ERINNERN:AT on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. In 2024, the three-day seminar took place in Stadtschlaining in Burgenland and was dedicated to the genocide of Roma and Sinti during the Nazi era and how to teach this topic in the classroom. This year's seminar was held in cooperation with the Roma Service Burgenland and the University College of Teacher Education Burgenland. The annual event is aimed at teachers from all over Austria and from all types of schools and subjects, in particular history and political education. The 2024 Central Seminar was supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism, the Future Fund of the Republic of Austria, the State of Burgenland and the German Embassy in Vienna.
 

To the pictures of the APA photo gallery

Further information:

• To the seminar programme
   
• To the central seminar of the OeAD programme REMEMBERING:AT
   
• Overview page for the annual focus of REMEMBERING:AT ‘Genocide of the Roma and Sinti’ with historical background, learning opportunities and all events: https://www.erinnern.at/themen/jahresthema-2024-genozid-an-den-roma-sinti