Switzerland observes the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust on 27 January. The day commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, other victims of National Socialism and victims of other genocides. The date is also devoted to the promotion of human rights and tolerance.
In Switzerland, the Roma and Sinti genocide is officially commemorated on 27 January.
Data (camps locations, Remembrance places, measures etc.)
Since 1936, the Swiss police collaborated in the hunt for “Gypsies”. It was forbidden for Roma and Sinti to enter the country. Roma families were arrested when crossing the border, separated and the men were sent to Witzwil, a former farm transformed in prison. Yenisch who were Swiss citizens underwent a stiffening control and discrimination by the Swiss authorities and ended up imprisoned in administrative camps. 600 Yenisch children were taken from their family and placed in state care, through the operation “Enfants de la Grand Route”. The forced transfer of children from on ethnic/national group to another can be considered itself as genocide. Several cases of forced sterilizations were also reported on Yenisch people, on the ground of mental disability, also as part of the operation “Enfants de la Grand Route”, which was dissolved only in 1973.
According to Thomas Huonker, it is impossible to say how many individuals of Roma origin have been refused at the border. In the canton of Geneva, which is the only one to have archives, 13 refusals have been reported, including famous musician Django Reinhardt.
The Eugenist movement which alleged that the Roma population would contaminate the genetics of the European population was first developed by Swiss psychiatrists, such as Dr Josef Jörger.
Specialised institution, commission, research centre etc., dealing with this issue
Official initiatives (campaigns, actions, projects, commemoration days, museums)
In 2001, during the "case of Swiss banks", a 1.25 billion dollars plan for compensation was set up. 13 000 Roma/Sinti benefitted from it (compensations are small).
Switzerland has a Federal commission against Racism which deals with Roma/Sinti/Yenisch issues. In its campaign against Anti-Gypsyism, it has taken into account their particular historical fate in Switzerland.
Teaching about the Roma Genocide
Inclusion of the topic in the school curriculum
The Holocaust is a mandatory topic in Swiss schools. It forms part of history and civic education classes, while aspects of the Holocaust are also addressed in social science, religious studies and literature classes. At the primary and secondary school levels, the Holocaust is taught within the context of World War II and focuses on civic education. At higher levels of education, in Gymnasiums, the Holocaust is taught in the context of violence and genocide prevention, with the aim of developing students’ understanding of the causes of violence, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.
There is no further information on the inclusion of the Roma Genocide in Swiss school curriculum.
Inclusion of the topic in the school textbooks
There is no information on the inclusion of the Roma Genocide in textbooks.
Training of teachers and education professionals
There is no information on the training of teachers regarding the Roma Genocide.
Particular activities undertaken at the level of education institutions
No particular educational activity related to this topic has been reported in Switzerland.
In 2002, GIRCA (Gypsy International recognition and Compensation Action) sued IBM, the US business firm for its complicity in the Holocaust. In 2006, the Swiss Supreme Court judges dismissed the lawsuit because too much time had elapsed. An earlier Swiss court said the charges against IBM were likely to be sustained.
Factsheet on the Roma Genocide in Switzerland
