Video & Audio Podcast
from Netherlands
Produced by Radio La Benevolencija HTF © 2016-2018
Partner in the Netherlands: Radio Patrin
Directed by: Miško Stanišić
Editor: Marko Korać
Production: Adriana Costa Souza
Radio Patrin: Orhan Galjus
SETTELA
RECOGNITION OF THE GENOCIDE
Almost 50 years since the glance of the unknown girl in white head scarf, who is fearfully staring out of the wagon, was filmed in Westerbork transit camp, a Dutch journalist managed to identify her as Sinti girl, Settela Steinbach. This became the turning point for the Dutch Sinti and Roma community to finally gain official recognition as victims of Nazi persecution and genocide. There is continuity in persecution of Sinti and Roma – current exclusion and discrimination is linked to the past. Roma were and have always been a substantial part of European cultures and societies.What was life like for Sinti and Roma in the Netherlands before World War II? Can collective trauma in the past be used for self-empowering and boosting of the new strong group identity today?
PAST AND PRESENT
COMMEMORATION AND EDUCATION
The Dutch police and administration contributed in persecution of Sinti and Roma by collaborating and providing the Nazis with crucial information and registers of the Sinti and Roma. Is it recognised, acknowledged, and known in the Netherlands? What impact did it have on the view of the majority population on Sinti and Roma? Through personal stories and reflections of survivors and their descendants we learn how the genocide affected the Sinti and Roma communities in the Netherlands. What are the main challenges in addressing the history of persecution of the Roma in education? How we commemorate and what exactly do we remember – combating antiziganism by introducing new perspectives and views from official and state-sponsored ceremonies to independent Roma-run radio programs.
Subtitles and Language settings: click [CC] to choose available subtitles.
This is a version with English graphics. Click here for version in Romani.
In this video, in order of appearance:
Aad Wagenaar, researcher and journalist; Serge Kokos, musician and factory worker; Leo Lucassen, PhD Research Director of the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam; Leolena Galjus, student and activist; Huub van Baar, PhD Senior Research Fellow of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalisation Studies (ACGS), University of Amsterdam; Karen Polak, Senior Staff Anne Frank House and former Chair of IHRA’s Committee on the Genocide of the Roma; George Weiss, CEO of Radio La Benevolencija HTF;
Subtitles and Language settings: click [CC] to choose available subtitles.
This is a version with English graphics. Click here for version in Romani.
In this video, in order of appearance:
Serge Kokos, musician and factory worker; Zoni Weisz, survivor and activist; Leo Lucassen, PhD Research Director of the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam; Huub van Baar, PhD Senior Research Fellow of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalisation Studies (ACGS), University of Amsterdam; Leolena Galjus, student and activist; Karen Polak, Senior Staff Anne Frank House and former Chair of IHRA’s Committee on the Genocide of the Roma; Niels Weitkamp, Senior Adviser on Education at the National Committee 4 and 5 May; Jaap Tanja, Educational Dept. Anne Frank House; Orhan Galjus, Journalist and activist;
Audio version:
Music: White Atlantis by Sergey Cheremisinov, Night II by Swelling, some excerpts from the music of Barcelona Gipsy BalKan Orchestra.
Highlighted Keywords
Think and Reflect
Some of the most significant statements by the interviewees, the “keywords”, are selected for further discussion and examination. The quotes are presented together with the respective screenshots from the video. Each quote is related to one of the 12 themes (this is marked above each screenshot). Review and discuss the selected quotes. You might also:
Find the selected quote in the video. Listen again to the whole conversation.
Analyze what can we learn from the selected quote.
If it is a testimony/personal experience: when and where did it happen? Who were the protagonists? Describe what happened.
Do you have any similar personal experiences, or other knowledge that helps you understand the described event/experience better?
Why, in your opinion, is the selected quote related to that particular theme. Could it also be related to some of the other proposed themes? Explain.
Watch the video again and find other significant quotes or other moments that made impression on you. Explain why did you choose it, and how did you understand it.
Relate the quote you have chosen with one of the 13 themes. Explain.
Theme:
Recognition
Theme:
Lasting Imprints of the Genocide
Theme:
Life before World War II
Theme:
Knowledge, Awareness, Education
From video 1:
SETTELA
The discovery of Settela was a turning point. All newspapers wrote about it. Suddenly, Roma and Sinti were considered a victim group. Earlier it wasn’t explicitly so.
Aad Wagenaar, researcher and journalist;
From video 1:
SETTELA
I grew up in a family that was forced to flee from the genocide. My grandparents and my parents were always living in fear that we will be discovered. (That is why) I was raised outside of the Roma community.
Serge Kokos, musician and factory worker;
From video 1:
SETTELA
The life of Sinti and Roma before WWII was hard, the police and the gendarmery were considering them as an unwanted group, and discrimination was making their life difficult, but under the circumstances they were still able to work and earn bread for their families.
Leo Lucassen, PhD Research Director of the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam;
From video 1:
SETTELA
I haven’t heard about and didn’t know about the genocide of the Roma and what have happened in World War II until three-four years ago. I was very surprised and wondered how come that this topic has not been mentioned at all in schools in history lessons about the WWII?
Leolena Galjus, student and Roma activist;
Theme:
Knowledge, Awareness, Education
Theme:
Challenges Today
Theme:
Shared History and Roma Identity
Theme:
Lasting Imprints
From video 1:
SETTELA
Roma were and have always been a substantial part of European cultures and societies, have contributed to European cultures and societies, and they seem to be neglected when we focus on the moments in the history of the Holocaust.
Huub van Baar, PhD Senior Research Fellow of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalization Studies (ACGS) at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam;
From video 1:
SETTELA
Prejudice, and sometimes not just discrimination but also persecution of the Roma, today, in Europe, is linked to the past. There is a lot of continuity in antigypsyism.
Karen Polak, Senior Staff at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, former Chair of IHRA’s Committee on the Genocide of the Roma;
From video 1:
SETTELA
In commemorating (Genocide of the Roma) you also feel strong group identity, especially if it is a major major injustice that the world has committed against you.
George Weiss, Director of Radio La Benevolencija HTF;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
The military officers asked me why I refuse to serve in the Dutch army? I said because the way you treated us in the 1930’s, and also because where I come from we don’t have a country and you want me to fight for somebodies country and I don’t want to do it. Then they asked me what if the war would break out and I said that I know how to shoot and that I would protect my home, that is clear!
Serge Kokos, musician and factory worker;
Theme:
Lasting Imprints
Theme:
Recognition
Theme:
Knowledge, Awareness, Education
Theme:
Shared History and Roma Identity
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
I am married for 53 years and I am probably the happiest person in the world, because I have two beautiful children… four grandchildren… they are grown-up know. And this is fantastic! They couldn’t kill us all. They could not kill us all! We are still here! After thousands of years of exclusion, of discrimination we are still here, and we are going to be here for another thousand year!
Zoni Weisz, survivor and activist;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
The Dutch society, and the Dutch state may not have initiated it, but they made the razzia (against the Dutch Sinti and Roma) possible, and there lays a collective guilt. On the other hand there is a strong continuity in the society’s view on Sinti and Roma. It was negative before the war, and even today it stayed negative.
Leo Lucassen, PhD Research Director of the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
Roma integration is a delicate term. It seems to suggest that THEY need to do something in order to catch up with the majority societies. But what we actually need to understand are these moments and processes of exclusion.
Huub van Baar, PhD Senior Research Fellow of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalization Studies (ACGS) at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
There are successful Roma and Sinti, that are educated and integrated in the society, but who do not socialize with other Roma and Sinti and trying to hide their Roma and Sinti identity.
Leolena Galjus, student and Roma activist;
Theme:
Challenges Today
Theme:
Remembrance
Theme:
Knowledge, Awareness, Education
Theme:
Roma and Sinti Voices
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
There is a huge challenge to address the ignorance. We managed to convince the larger community within the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, now 31 countries, that history of the genocide of the Roma and Sinti needs to be addressed. But it is very complex. It’s not only about knowledge, it’s also about responding to prejudices, not only of students, but also of educators, and policy makers.
Karen Polak, Senior Staff at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, former Chair of IHRA’s Committee on the Genocide of the Roma;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
We also represent various episodes of the World War II that the Netherlands don’t know about, that are less known. The history of the genocide of the Roma and Sinti is one such episode, and the other such episode is the war in Dutch East Indies. The Committee for 4 and 5 May is programming the activities of the 4th of May, educational projects and informational campaigns.
Niels Weitkamp, Senior Adviser on Education at the National Committee 4 and 5 May;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
Antiziganism can, in the long run, only be changed by education. To change people’s behavior you have to change their minds first. And you can change their minds and opinions only when you can reach them with new information and new stories and new perspectives.
Jaap Tanja, Educational Dept. Anne Frank House;
From video 2:
PAST AND PRESENT
There is increasing awareness aboutthe genocide of the Roma which the Roma should be happy about. This bring the opportunity for new perspectives and opportunity to make the genocide of the Roma even more known to the public. With this recognition there is a chance for new voices, new knowledge to be developed and for Roma to take the lead in raising the awareness. .
Orhan Galjus, journalist and activist;
REQUIEM FOR AUSCHWITZ
by Roger Moreno-Rathgeb
World premiere of Requiem for Auschwitz in Amsterdam on 3rd May 2012, played by the Roma and Sinti Philharmonics under direction of Riccardo M. Sahiti. The Dutch Sinto musician Roger Moreno Rathgeb composed the Requiem for Auschwitz, a Requiem to commemorate all Nazi victims. Just like many Sinti musicians, he is self-taught.
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