Prague honours Roma resistance fighters against Hitler

Prague honours Roma resistance fighters against Hitler

The full report

A new exhibition in Prague showcases the stories of partisans and soldiers whose fates barely received any attention for decades. The exhibit explores the role of Czech and Slovak Romani resistance fighters during the Nazi German occupation and the dismantling of Czechoslovakia from 1938 to 1945.

The exhibition at the Museum of the Roma National Movement marks a turning point in how the Roma are viewed during World War II. At least 1,400 Roma fought against the German Nazi occupation in Czechoslovakia, with many participating in resistance groups and as soldiers in the Czechoslovak Underground Army.

The exhibition presents the detailed life stories of 100 of the most significant Roma partisans and Roma soldiers from the Czech underground army and resistance groups who fought against the Nazis. Exhibition curator Radoslav Scuka said they selected the 100 most interesting stories from over 1,400 Romani fighters in the archives.

The exhibition opening was attended by several hundred people, most of whom were Roma from Czechia and Slovakia. Museum director Emil Scuka, a lawyer and former prosecutor, called on attendees to bring their children and grandchildren to the exhibition to learn about the Roma heroes who fought against Nazism.