Bolesław Rumanowski

Holocaust survivor

Commemoration speech on the occasion of 2 August 2024, Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Assembly,

I am here with you, on this special and unique day , which is the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Roma camp. As a witness to history, as someone who survived the hell of persecution and repression, I would like to share with you my memories and reflections on those tragic events.

I was born on August 2, 1932 in Rypin, Kujawy, to a Roma family. My parents, Ryszard and Zofia Brzezińska, led a nomadic lifestyle, traveling with their tabor across Poland. It was a life full of freedom and joy, which, however, was brutally interrupted by the war. After the outbreak of World War II, like many other Roma, we had to seek shelter to avoid repression and imprisonment.

We found temporary shelter in the forests near Łódź, Częstochowa and Kielce. Unfortunately, in 1941 we were herded by the Germans into the ghetto in Kielce. Conditions there were terrible – hunger, disease, inhumane treatment. Nevertheless, thanks to the courage and determination of my mother, who took a job in a sawmill, we managed to survive.

We survived, although every day we faced death and inhuman sufferings. Every day was a struggle for survival, and every night – full of fear and uncertainty. In the final period of the war, we managed to escape from the ghetto and hid in the nearby forests. We survived, thanks to the help of people of good will and an unyielding determination to live.

My story and that of my family is full of perseverance and fortitude in the face of unimaginable obstacles. It is also the story of all Roma who survived, even though many of us lost our lives in the camps and ghettos.

This anniversary is an opportunity for all of us to reflect and remember. We must remember those who perished and those who survived. It is our moral duty to pass on the memory of the Holocaust to future generations , so that the nightmare of genocide never happens again in the future.

Dear Assembly,

I address especially to the young Roma, do not forget your tragic history, but at the same time look to the future with confidence, faith and optimism.

Only through effort and work on yourselves are you able to fight stereotypes, superstitions, exclusion.

Study, acquire knowledge, reach the highest possible positions and functions, show by your example that you can be legitimate citizens of your countries.

Demand equal treatment, respect your rights, respond to all signs of racism and anti-Gypsyism. Be courageous, persistent and open to others.

Let today’s anniversary be a reminder to all of us of the value of life, the strength of the human spirit and the enduring will to survive. Let it also be a reminder that we must fight for the rights of all people so that such tragedies never happen again.

Thank you for your attention.

Biographie

Bolesław Rumanowski, born on 2 August 1932 in Rypin, Kujawy, into a Roma family, is a witness to the history and persecution of the Roma community during the Second World War. His parents, Ryszard and Zofia Brzezińska, led a nomadic life before the war, travelling all over Poland with their tabor. After the war broke out, they found refuge in the forests around Łódź, Częstochowa and Kielce to escape repression and arrest.

In 1941–42, he and his family were deported by the Germans to the Kielce ghetto, where living conditions were terrible, and hunger prevailed. Bolesław Rumanowski experienced the hell of inhumane treatment in the ghetto; his mother had to take on work in a sawmill so that the family could survive. Despite all the hardships and adversity, they managed to survive thanks to their great courage, steadfastness and strength of character.

In the final phase of the war, Bolesław Rumanowski and his family managed to escape from the ghetto and hide in the surrounding forests, which is why they survived until the end of the war. His life story is a testimony to the perseverance and strength of the human spirit in the face of the greatest tragedies.