Germany Holds Historic Funeral for Roma Men Used in 'Race Research'
In a historic first for Germany, a funeral was held for three Roma men whose remains were used for 'race research' at the University of Leipzig over 160 years ago. The solemn ceremony aimed to restore dignity to the men and acknowledge past injustices.
The men's bones, including their skulls, were numbered and added to a collection at the university after their death. Martin Gericke, deputy director of the Institute of Anatomy, reconstructed their history. The funeral, held at the South Cemetery in Leipzig, was described as a dignified memorial service by Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of Sinti and Roma. A Romanian Orthodox service was held, and the coffins were solemnly lowered into the earth after the service. Michael Brand, Federal Commissioner against Antiziganism, thanked the event for demonstrating respect and defense of human dignity. Rose called on other universities to check their collections and return dignity to people's remains. The systematic persecution and murder of Sinti and Roma by the German Nazi state was partly based on the results of such race research. Jens Eilers, deputy rector of the University of Leipzig, apologized on behalf of the institution for the past misuse of the remains.
The funeral marked a significant step in Germany's efforts to acknowledge and atone for its past treatment of the Roma people. The remains of the three men were finally laid to rest with dignity, and the university apologized for its role in the past misuse of their remains.
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