Story Highlights
- historical event: This was in accordance with the Nazi policy by which members of all races that were “inferior” should be eliminated. In addition, all “antisocial” individuals, such as those guilty of severe crimes, were also to be liquidated. According to the Nazis, the Romani belonged to both of these groups.
On this day the Nazi SS chief Heinrich Himmler ordered that the Romani are to be treated the same as the Jews, i.e. they are to be imprisoned in concentration camps. This was in accordance with the Nazi policy by which members of all races that were “inferior” should be eliminated. In addition, all “antisocial” individuals, such as those guilty of severe crimes, were also to be liquidated. According to the Nazis, the Romani belonged to both of these groups.
Although some scientific research at that time showed that the Romani were pure Aryans by origin, the Nazis nevertheless considered them “inferior” because of their alleged mingling with other races. It is believed that, during World War II, between 220,000 and 1,500,000 Romani were killed (estimates are not as accurate as with the Jews, because many Romani lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle and were thus harder to trace, and also because the matter has not been sufficiently researched).
