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On the eve and during the Second World War, anti-Roma policies were introduced in Transcarpathia, the rights of Roma were restricted, in many settlements the question of their deportation outside the cities was put forward, and later they were removed to forced labor camps and prepared for deportation to concentration camps.
According to historical data, up to 50% of Roma population (about 30,000 people) were killed in the USSR, including Ukraine, during the German occupation (1941-1944). According to other experts, however, the number of killed Roma is much higher.
The actions against Roma demonstrated all the signs of genocide. At the same time, you can find different terminology – “Kali trash” (translated from Romaness “Black Horror”), also used the terms “Samudaripen” and “Porajmos”. At the same time, the most commonly used term to describe Roma genocide is “Porajmos”, which was introduced by Roma linguist, researcher and activist Ian Hancock, According to Jan Hancock, the term translated from the Romani language means “Extinction”.
Different terminology is caused by the lack of a common language among Roma and at the same time – the presence of different dialects, which leads to a situation where even Roma living in the same state but in different regions may not understand each other when speaking Romaness. At the international level, the term “Porajmos” is commonly accepted.
Transcarpathia was part of Hungary, which pursued a similar policy to Germany as its ally in the World War II. Hungarian Roma policy was linked to the extinction of anti-social elements, including Roma.
In Uzhgorod, the question of eviction of Roma outside the city was also put forward. Various departments and officials were involved – the mayor of Uzhhorod, the engineering department, the sanitary doctor, and the royal police department.
First of all, the government officials aimed to merge two large Roma settlements: from the Mochar tract on Bercheni Street and – from Radvanka Street. They planned to move the camps away from the city, closer to the forest. Neither the opinion of Roma nor the lack of living conditions at a new place was taken into account.
As for Uzhhorod, most documents have been preserved confirming the intention to evict Roma from the city. The first document was signed by the mayor on March 3, 1942. Here is what it says: «We must liuquidate the non-compactly located gypsy settlements and remove gypsies into one camp, in a suitable place for this purpose. The most suitable for this purpose is the area outside the city, behind the bridge over the stream Kadubets, on the road leading to the village Petrovce, because there are no plans to develop this area of the city of Uzhgorod in the future, and there is no threat that in some time in the future it will become suitable for residential construction».
With the beginning of war on the Eastern front, Roma men were taken to the army of the Kingdom of Hungary and into forced labor camps on the Arpad line.
Starting from March 1942, the work of local authorities started on the census and identification of Roma and Jew population, determining the exact place of their residence, and monitoring their movement to other settlements.
A full census of Roma in Uzhhorod was made. In total on the date of March 1943, the detailed list of Roma was prepared: in the settlement on Bercheni Street there were 56 families or 284 people.
The movement of Roma was monitored: it was recorded both the settlement they moved from the Uzhhorod and the new address. Similar work was done concerning Jews. In fact, almost simultaneously in March 1943, the lists of residents were prepared for these two national minorities, Jews and Roma, throughout entire Transcarpathia. Everything was ready for removal to the camps. However, the Hungarian Government delayed sending Jews and Roma from Hungary and Transcarpathia.
This policy has restricted the rights of Roma and discriminated against them. That is why Andras Horvat, a Roma resident of village Surte in Transcarpathia, was unable to obtain a permit for the trading of worn clothes during long time.
He applied for a permit on November 10, 1943. Because he was Roma, the permit was not granted. And only after re-application, he received permission in 1944.
Another dark page of Porajmos in Transcarpathia is forced labor in agriculture. It started in 1940 and mainly concerned Romami women and their involvement in seasonal work. They were involved in forced agricultural work following publication of orders in the local press.
Berky Paraska from Vynohradiv during the interview published in the book “The White Stone from the Black Torture” told about her involvement in forced labor.
We quote: «During the war, my father was taken from the house by gendarmes and he was sent to Hungarian army, he was wounded. He returned home and was taken to a labor camp near Volovets, where he was building fortifications on the Arpad line. He worked hard there, he was beaten many times, mocked and laughed at. He survived because he escaped from Volovets. Despite the fact that I had two small children, I was taken to work in a field near city Sevlyush (nowadays – Vinohradiv). We worked in the fields all day, returned back home in the evening, and in the morning we were forced to go back to the fields. My two children were left alone at home, soon they fell ill and died. And when my husband returned from the labor camp, we had no more children».
After the last train with Jews left Transcarpathia, in July 1944, based on a Regulation of the Hungarian Government, a decision was made to establish ghetto camps for Roma.
Articles were published for the local population justifying such measures. Examples were provided on isolation and placement of Roma in forced labor and concentration camps in Germany and other countries.
Technical adviser Alfeldi György in his article published in the newspaper “Carpati Hirodo” on July 11 1944, suggests (quote): «…gather gypsies, who avoid to work, in the camps, where their freedom of movement would be limited and where they would work under strict supervision and where they would always be under medical control».
The Government resolution clearly required to establish of the closed ghetto camps for Roma in compact settlements in Berehove, Mukachevo, Svalyava, Rakhiv, and Chop.
On the basis of the above mentioned Governmental Decision the corresponding Code of rules about life in camps was approved. The Code stated that “the existing way of live of Gypsies residing in city Uzhgorod is harmful from the health, public morals and public point of view, as well as from an economic point of view, and a Code of rules has been created to change this situation for better”.
Starting from June – July 1944, all Roma in Transcarpathia lived in closed camps – ghettos, which were fenced with spiked wire. The entrance was allowed through a single gates guarded by Hungarian gendarmes. Roma could enter the city only accompanied by police.
The events of the late summer of 1944 alarmed Roma because their treatment degraded their human dignity. Compulsory sanitary cleaning was performed, all men and women had their hair cut-off. Husbands were forced to cut-off the hair of their wives and children. The clothes were disinfected in special chambers, and then people had to wear it when it was still wet. Famine started in camps as Roma were unable to enter the city to search for work. There were not enough products brought to the ghetto camps.
The black wing of Porajmos affected all Roma in Transcarpathia. Initially, men were forcibly taken to military units, where they dug trenches and built fortifications on the front line. Later, both men and women, and sometimes children, were taken to forced labor camps to build the Arpad line. Women who remained at home alone with their children were sent to forced labor in agriculture.The culmination of the Porajmos of Transcarpathian Roma was the establishment of ghetto camps throughout the region, where Roma were in isolation for more than three months and were being prepared for deportation to concentration camps. Only the Soviet troops in September-October 1944 did not allow the Hungarian Government to deport Roma.
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The creation of this video became possible for you thanks to the implementation of the project by the public organization KAPL “Vested”. Developped with the support provided by the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”(EVZ). This publication does not represent an expression of opinion by the Foundation EVZ. The author(s) bear(s) responsibility for the content.
