Memorial to the Sinti and Roma · Audio guide
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Story
In Berlin's Tiergarten, near the city centre, a stone sits in dark water. Every day, a fresh flower is placed on it. This is the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma—half a million murdered by the Nazis, forgotten for decades.
One of them was a boy named Mano. In nineteen forty-three, at eight years old, he was ripped from his family at Auschwitz. An SS guard beat his father before they could even embrace.
Mano was alone. Auschwitz. Ravensbrück. Sachsenhausen. Year after year, just a number tattooed on his arm. Nothing else.
When the war ended, he collapsed on a road. Liberated prisoners found him—he couldn't even say his own name. So traumatized he'd forgotten who he was.
A UN worker identified him by his tattoo. Just numbers. But those numbers led him home to Munich. His mother, father, sister—all alive. A miracle he couldn't believe.
For fifty years, Mano said nothing. The trauma lived inside him. Only as an old man did he speak. His testimony is now required reading in every German school.
That stone still waits. The flower rises and falls. And Mano's name—like thousands of others—will never be forgotten again. download the app to hear more stories and follow for more.
Visiting Memorial to the Sinti and Roma
- Entry and Price
- The entry is free.
- Opening Hours
- The memorial is always open.
- What to Look for on Site
- The memorial features a circular pond designed by Dani Karavan, with a triangular stone slab at its center. The stone rises and falls slowly, symbolizing a beating heart. Names of concentration camps are engraved around the pond, and a melody by the Romani musician Romeo Franz plays softly.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma?
The memorial was designed by Israeli artist Dani Karavan.
What is the significance of the triangular stone slab at the memorial?
The triangular stone slab represents the brown triangle that Nazis used to identify Romani prisoners. It rises and falls like a beating heart, symbolizing the lives lost.
What can you hear at the memorial?
A soft melody plays at the memorial, featuring a piece by Romani musician Romeo Franz titled 'Mare Manuschenge' (Our People).
When was the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma inaugurated?
The memorial was officially inaugurated on October 24, 2012, by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
What historical events does the memorial commemorate?
The memorial is dedicated to the memory of the 220,000 to 500,000 Sinti and Roma people murdered during the Porrajmos, the genocide carried out by the Nazis.
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