Paper short abstract:

In this paper I will examine how Roma as victims of the Holocaust during WWII are, if at all, incorporated into learning schemata in Romania post-communism, and what institutional forces, internal and external, influence this process.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper I will examine how Roma as victims of the Holocaust during WWII are, if at all, incorporated into learning schemata in Romania post-communism, and what institutional forces, internal and external, influence this process. In 1942, the Romanian regime, allied with Nazi Germany, deported over 25,000 Roma to camps in occupied Ukraine. Two categories of Roma to concentration camps in occupied Ukraine: all nomads and settled populations of Roma deemed "dangerous" by the regime. Less than half of those Roma deported returned home as most died from malnutrition, disease and brutality. The postwar communist regimes would silence the Romanian crimes of genocide, blaming their German allies for the heinous acts. To understand the incentives and the obstacles in including the Romani genocide into history courses, I closely follow training seminars offered to Romanian teachers on Holocaust education, as well as distributed materials. Regarding Roma, some important questions that need to be answered are: Why are most teachers ignorant about the Holocaust and how do they view it today? What attitudes and perceptions do some teachers have about Roma? Why do some teachers resist learning about Roma as former victims? Moreover, I ask whether this is an issue that is unique in the Romanian education system or, alternatively, whether it is more widespread throughout Europe. Briefly, I will delve into the historiography of the Holocaust in Romania, exploring the avenues of silences immediately following the war, through communism and the transition to democracy until today.