Dear Mr. President,

I would like to propose Mr. Čeněk Růžička for a state award for his lifetime achievements in the field of commemoration of the Roma Holocaust and the fight for the rights of the Roma minority in the Czech Republic.

Mr. Čeněk Růžička was born in 1946 in Liberec to Alžběta and Jan Růžička, who were interned in the concentration camp in Lety near Písek. His family comes from an old Roma family and many of his relatives became victims of the Roma Holocaust.

Since 1997, when Mr. Růžička learned about the existence of the camp in Lety, he has been actively involved in commemoration of the Roma Holocaust and the fight for compensation for its victims. In 1998, he co-founded and subsequently led the Committee for Roma Holocaust Reparations, which sought to liquidate the pig pen standing on the site of the former concentration camp and to build a memorial on the site.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Mr. Růžička and his associates, the pig pen was purchased by the state in 2017 and its demolition began in 2022. The Roma and Sinti Holocaust Memorial in Bohemia will be built on the site of the former camp, serving as a reminder of the tragic events and a warning to future generations.

Mr. Čeněk Růžička is a personality who, through his life’s work, contributed to the recognition and respect of the Roma minority in the Czech Republic and to the commemoration of their suffering during World War II. His merits deserve public recognition and a state decoration.

With respect,

Karel Karika

Chairman of the Czechoslovak Roma Union z.s.