Czech President Petr Pavel emphasized the continued need to defend freedom and human rights during a commemorative event held in Lety, the site of the former WWII Roma concentration camp. The event marked the 80th anniversary of the transport of 420 Roma prisoners to the Auschwitz extermination camp. Hundreds of people, including senior state representatives, attended the event and paid their respects by laying flowers at the memorial. Notably, President Pavel became only the second Czech president to attend this event, following Vaclav Havel’s visit 28 years ago.

President Pavel stated that it is both right and necessary to commemorate such dark chapters of history, including the nation’s own. He stressed that the need to defend freedom and human rights remains as crucial today as it did in the past. Pavel also highlighted the tendency of humankind to repeat mistakes, referring to the ongoing suffering of civilians during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Milos Vystrcil, the Senate chair, viewed the opening of the Roma Holocaust memorial next year as an opportunity to foster better relations between the Roma community and the wider society. He expressed the hope that the memorial’s creation would encourage dialogue and help dispel prejudices that stem from ignorance. Vystrcil also expressed regret over recent remarks made in the Senate that could have hurt Roma people and cautioned against the encouragement of such tendencies, even in democratic elections.

Marketa Pekarova Adamova, the chair of the Chamber of Deputies, acknowledged that the prisoners at Lety had been mistreated by Czech gendarmes and called for the country to apologize for this injustice. She emphasized that it is essential for today’s society in the Czech Republic to confront racism and discrimination, urging individuals to speak out against these issues.

Jana Kokyova, chairwoman of the Committee for the Compensation of the Roma Holocaust in the Czech Republic, highlighted the alarming parallels between the characteristics that led to the Holocaust and the ongoing war in Ukraine. She drew attention to the fact that Roma people continue to face attacks, particularly in the form of hateful comments on social media.

The Lety forced labor camp was established in 1940, and a similar facility existed in Hodonin u Kunstatu in south Moravia. In 1942, both camps were converted into internment camps, with Roma camps established there in August of the same year. Tragically, many Roma individuals lost their lives during their internment, with a significant number sent to the Auschwitz extermination camp. The Nazis ultimately targeted and murdered approximately 90% of the Czech Roma population.

The site of the former Lety camp was later transformed into a pig farm in the 1970s. However, in 2018, the Czech government purchased the farm and completed its demolition at the end of the previous year. Plans are now underway to construct a memorial to commemorate the Roma and Sinti Holocaust in the Czech Lands. The Roma Culture Museum is expected to open the memorial in the first half of 2024.

Article by Prague Forum