Romas (Gypsies)
Roman writes about his father playing the violin,
...I suddenly heard music. In the distance violins were playing 'The Blue Danube'... It was intended to calm the Jews going inside, soap and towels in their hands, no doubt believing they were taking a bath. Except that it was not a bath-house, but a crematorium. The Gypsy orchestra was there...their music helping to make a smooth transition for the Jews from life to death.
...I suddenly heard music. In the distance violins were playing 'The Blue Danube'... It was intended to calm the Jews going inside, soap and towels in their hands, no doubt believing they were taking a bath. Except that it was not a bath-house, but a crematorium. The Gypsy orchestra was there...their music helping to make a smooth transition for the Jews from life to death.
Romani, commonly known as but incorrectly called Gypsies, were considered by the Nazis to be social outcasts. Under the Weimar Republic, anti-Romani laws were widespread. These laws required them to register with officials, prohibited them from traveling freely, and sent them to forced-labor camps. When the Nazis came to power, those laws remained in effect in fact, they were expanded. Under the July 1933 sterilization law, many Romani were sterilized against their will.
In November of 1933, just 2 months after the sterilization law, the "Law Against Dangerous Habitual Criminals " was passed. Under this law, the police began arresting Romani along with others labeled "asocial". Beggars, the homeless, and alcoholics were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
By the summer of 1938, large numbers of German and Austrian Romani were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. They wore black triangular patches (the symbol for "asocials") or green patches (the symbol for professional criminals) and sometimes the letter "Z."
Links to more information:
http://www.history.ucsb.edu/projects/holocaust/Research/Proseminar/romaholocast.htm
http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/gypsies.htm
http://www.iearn.org/hgp/aeti/aeti-1997/roma-in-holocaust.html
http://www.history.ucsb.edu/projects/holocaust/Research/Proseminar/romaholocast.htm
http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/gypsies.htm
http://www.iearn.org/hgp/aeti/aeti-1997/roma-in-holocaust.html