More than 1,400 Roma fought against the German Nazi occupation in Czechoslovakia. A new exhibition in Prague showcases the stories of partisans and soldiers whose fates barely received any attention for decades. For more than half a million Roma in Czechia and Slovakia, October 15, 2026, marks an important milestone. That day, an exhibition on a largely forgotten chapter of Czech history opened at the Museum of the Romani National Revival in Prague. 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. Until now, Czech and Slovak Roma appeared in the history of World War II almost exclusively as victims of the Holocaust against Roma and Sinti. In the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Nazi Germany murdered approximately 90% of the Czech Roma during World War II. (…) Scuka called on those present: “Bring your children and grandchildren here so they can see for themselves and realize that the Roma have heroes too!” He also pointed out that this topic had been completely marginalized in Czech and Slovak historical writing for decades and that the Roma had therefore decided on their own to document the fates of their war heroes. 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. “We found over 1,400 Romani fighters in the archives. From among them, we selected the 100 most interesting stories for this exhibition,” said exhibition curator Radoslav Scuka at the opening.
via dw: Prague honors Roma resistance fighters against Hitler
