Buchenwald / Germany (RNC Agency) 18.08.1997

In Germany a heavy dispute has been launched about the number of Sinti and Roma killed by the nationalists.

The central committee of Sinti and Roma attacked the historian Michael Zimmermann and protested against a planned appearance of the scientist at the memorial of the concentration Camp Buchenwald.

The central committee criticised Zimmermann, for only accepting as proven the murder of 50.000 Sinti and Roma and not 500.000.

Besides this he would deny the planned program of genocide on Sinti and Roma by the Nazis.

The director of the KZ-memorial, Volkhard Knigge, rejected the central committee reproach as ‘‘total buncombe’’, as Zimmermann is the one historian who has devoted personal interest to fate of Sinti and Roma. The reproaches were untimely and personally off ending, he leaves no doubt to the intended genocide and the extend of Nazi wrongdoings, said Knigge.

The historian, who works at the Ruhrland-Museum in Essen, had written highly acclaimed thesis about Nazi race policy. It is therefore incomprehensible why Zimmermann, one of the elite of Westgerman historians, and the memorial is pushed close to rightwinge d fakers of history by the central committee.

Through this action, of all organisations, the Association of Sinti and Roma provides a platform for rightwingradicals.

In October, Zimmermann should participate in a scientifical congress on the 60 anniversary of the creation of KZ Buchenwald.

The central committee combined their criticism of Zimmermann with the demand for their own seat in the foundations committee of the memorial Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora.

Knigge said, for years Sinti and Roma have been participating on the detainee committee.

The foundation committee is an institution of financiers. Even so the board will deal with the demande at its next meeting