August 2nd marks exactly 80 years since the Gypsy family camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau was closed. The SS killed the last 4,300 or so Roma and Sinti who were still there.

In memory of all the Roma and Sinti who were killed during World War II, the European Parliament declared this day as Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2015.

This is important for us Roma because we must remember what happened so that it never happens again. Unfortunately, there are still people who do not like Roma, and we must be careful that their hatred does not grow into something worse. The Roma Holocaust should be discussed in schools and among Roma, because it is often a topic that is not talked about.

Petra Gelbert and I went to Auschwitz to commemorate this sad event. We met there with survivors, young Roma, and representatives of states and various organizations to not only remember, but also talk about how to fight hatred against Roma.