Addressing the injustice against Sinti and Roma: Administrative office of the new commission at the EVZ Foundation
In early July, the Federal Government decided to establish an independent commission to address the injustices committed against Sinti and Roma in the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR after 1945. In doing so, it lays the groundwork for an independent process of reappraisal and implements a key recommendation of the Independent Commission on Antigypsyism (UKA).
The newly established commission is intended to help comprehensively address the injustices committed against Sinti and Roma after 1945, incorporate previously unheard perspectives, and give the experiences of those affected and their descendants a firm place in Germany’s culture of remembrance. It aims to acknowledge the consequences of this injustice and provide an impetus for sustainable societal and political discourse on antigypsyism and its continuities.
The commission’s office is based at the EVZ Foundation. The Foundation provides organizational and professional support to the independent commission and assists it in fulfilling its mandate. The commission is scheduled to meet for its inaugural session in the fall of 2026.
|
| |
|
|
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE EVZ FOUNDATION
|
|
|
Dr. Hans-Dieter Lucas is the new Chair of the Board of Trustees of the EVZ Foundation
|
|
|
|
| |
Dr. Hans-Dieter Lucas was appointed the new Chair of the Board of Trustees by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in accordance with the Foundation Act. The diplomat served in the Federal Foreign Office for four decades – including in roles as the Foreign Office’s Political Director, the Permanent Representative of Germany to NATO, and Ambassador of Germany to France and Italy. He succeeds Annette Schavan, former federal minister, who had chaired the board since 2019.
“The remembrance of National Socialist injustice carries a mandate to continue strengthening human dignity, democracy, and international cooperation for the future”, says Lucas regarding his appointment.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Annette Schavan for her many years of dedication and look forward to working with Dr. Hans-Dieter Lucas!
|
|
View press release 
|
| |
|
|
NEW FUNDING PROGRAM
|
|
|
Shared Civic Futures: Apply now and strengthen German-Israeli cooperation
|
|
|
|
| |
|
The EVZ Foundation supports institutionalized joint projects between organizations from Germany and Israel through its new funding program “Shared Civic Futures: German-Israeli Cooperation on Remembrance, Antisemitism and Democratic Resilience”. The aim is to strengthen democratic resilience, counter antisemitism, and promote new forms of public dialog, while fostering cross-border engagement.
Funding is provided for projects in two thematic areas: “Antisemitism in the Digital Sphere” focuses on innovative educational, civil society, or technological approaches to counter antisemitism, disinformation, and antidemocratic narratives in the digital sphere. “Visual Narratives of German and Israeli Civil Societies” supports audiovisual or visual formats that address current societal challenges, resilience, and future outlooks in both countries.
Project partnerships comprising at least one organization from Germany and one from Israel are eligible to take part.
|
|
|
Find out more about the funding program and apply until September 30
|
| |
|
|
82nd ANNIVERSARY
|
|
|
Events commemorating the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma
|
|
On the night of August 2–3, 1944, 4,300 Sinti and Roma were murdered in the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. In total, an estimated 500,000 Sinti and Roma fell victim to the National Socialist genocide. Antigypsyism, discrimination, and exclusion continue to shape the everyday lives of survivors and their descendants to this day and limit their social participation. Numerous self-organizations have been campaigning for decades to secure their recognition, their rights, and equal participation. Through its funding program, selbst.bestimmt! For strong Sinti and Roma communities in Germany, the EVZ Foundation aims to amplify the voices of Sinti and Roma and expand their political and social participation.
Around August 2, organizations funded by the EVZ Foundation are hosting various commemorative events. For instance, the Hesse State Association of German Sinti and Roma is hosting two events in Darmstadt: a reading from its book Flucht – Internierung – Deportation – Vernichtung [Flight – Internment – Deportation – Extermination] on August 7 and a closing event with a film screening and panel discussion on August 16.
|
|
|
Learn more
|
| |
|
|
ACTIVITY REPORT
|
|
|
First insights: Three figures from 2025
|
|
|
|
| |
|
2025 was a double anniversary year for the EVZ Foundation: May 8 marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the liberation from National Socialism. On August 2, we launched our anniversary year NO TIME TO FORGET – 25 years of the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ).
The 2025 activity report will be published in August. In the meantime, three key figures provide an early glimpse into this extraordinary year:
281 funding applications submitted. 3,179 participants took part in in-person events organized by the EVZ Foundation. € 300,000 donated to the EVZ Foundation for a specific purpose.
Details on the projects funded in 2025, the events that took place, and the activities surrounding the anniversary year can be found in the activity report and via the EVZ Foundation’s channels.
|
|
|
Stay up to date
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Ma Bistrass! – Lest we forget! Touring exhibition featuring portraits of Sinti and Roma survivors at the next stop in Krakow
Until August 22, 2026, around 40 faces will gaze out at passersby along Planty Boulevard in Krakow's city center. Portraits of Sinti and Roma who survived the Holocaust will be displayed along the promenade leading to Wawel Castle for two weeks, along with their life stories and experiences of survival.
For several years, photographer and filmmaker Luigi Toscano, UNESCO Artist for Peace, has been traveling across Central and Eastern Europe, immortalizing the portraits and stories of the last Holocaust survivors. The exhibition opened on August 1 at the Potocki Palace in Krakow’s Main Market Square, with numerous guests in attendance. Welcoming speeches were delivered by, among others, the Holocaust survivor Christian Pfeil; Michael Brand, Federal Government Commissioner against Antigypsyism and for the Life of Sinti and Roma in Germany; Romani Rose, Head of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma; and Katharina Görgen, Director of the Goethe-Institut Krakow.
The exhibition is on display in Planty Park, between ul. Poselska and Wawel Castle until August 22!
|
|
Find out more about the touring exhibition Ma Bistrass! 
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Maja Jones, Representative of the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf and co-founder of the Ilan Fiorentino Cup
|
| |
|
This year’s Cup was intended to serve as a symbol of encounter, remembrance, and solidarity. What has been your experience of the antisemitic hostility directed at the Israeli guests and Jewish children at the tournament and what impact does that have on your work?
The antisemitic hostility directed at our Israeli guests and Jewish children has affected us deeply. It is particularly distressing when young people are confronted with hatred or exclusion simply because they want to participate in a sports tournament and be part of a community.
These incidents show that antisemitism sadly continues to be a reality in Germany. At the same time, they reinforce the commitment of the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf to education, dialog, and fostering encounters. Projects such as the Ilan Fiorentino Cup are more important than ever, because they bring people together and create opportunities for personal connection. We do not let such experiences discourage us. Instead, we see them as a mandate to continue building bridges, making Jewish life visible, and actively advocating for a togetherness based on respect. The immense solidarity shown by many participants, guests, and partners proved to us that hate does not represent the majority.
|
|
Read the full Interview
|
| |
|
The EVZ Foundation stands with the queer community and all allies
The attack at the CSD in Berlin on July 25, 2026, has left us deeply shaken. Our thoughts are with all those affected, their relatives, and all those who champion diversity, freedom, and the rights of queer people—both at the CSD and beyond. The EVZ Foundation stands firmly with the queer community. We view the increasing violence and hostility directed at LGBTIQ people in Europe with great concern. There must be no place for misanthropy and violence in our society.
Our Funding
Strengthening human rights and protecting marginalized groups are central to the EVZ Foundation’s mission. Together with self-organizations, we have been advocating for an open, democratic society for many years – including through the funding of projects to strengthen LGBTIQ rights in Ukraine.
ILGA-Europe, in cooperation with the EVZ Foundation supports four local LGBTIQ organizations. The aim is to sustainably strengthen the civil society presence, public voice, and institutional and social engagement of the LGBTIQ movement in Ukraine.
In the previous issue of the newsletter, we introduced the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map, which shows how widely the rights of LGBTIQ people vary across Europe. Based on the work of more than 250 activists, legal experts, and specialists from across Europe, the Rainbow Map provides transparent documentation of progress, setbacks, and political attacks on LGBTIQ rights.
Chaber, Executive Director of ILGA Europe, explained the Rainbow Map in more detail as part of our anniversary year and our #25EVZVoices video series.
|
| |
|
The German-Ukrainian study trip: 16 third places, ten days, two countries
The German-Ukrainian study trip “Encounters that shape the future” brought together people committed to strong local communities and a resilient society. Together with CEDOS – Centre for Society Research and pro loco – Projektberatung Gute Orte GmbH, the EVZ Foundation created spaces for exchange and new collaborations through the project funded by the Federal Foreign Office.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine highlights the vital role of local communities: Cultural centers, libraries, and other community spaces provide guidance, foster social cohesion, and strengthen community resilience.
In July, ten representatives of the EVZ-funded program “YeMistechko – Third Places in Ukraine”, a program focused on community meeting spaces, partners from CEDOS, and artists from the Ukrainian illustration collective Pictoric visited a total of 16 Third Places under the North Rhine-Westphalia state program “Third Places – Houses for Culture and Encounter in Rural Areas”.
The study trip concluded with the public event “Encounters that shape the future: A dialog between Germany and Ukraine focusing on resilience, European solidarity” at the Orangerie Theater in Cologne. Representatives from both countries discussed the contribution local initiatives and international partnerships are making to the reconstruction of Ukraine and the future of Europe.
These encounters have paved the way for new networks, shared ideas, and concrete long-term opportunities for German-Ukrainian cooperation – which has an impact on a shared European future far beyond the project’s lifetime.
|
| |
|
|
Augen auf-Kinotag 2027
|
|
|
Augen auf [Eyes Open] Cinema Day 2027: More than 20 films providing access to Nazi history and remembrance
|
|
|
The Augen auf Cinema Day will take place in Berlin, Halle (Saale), Cologne, and Munich on January 27 and 28, marking the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism. Using the slogan “Wegsehen war schon immer eine schlechte Idee” [Looking the other way has never been a good idea], the EVZ Foundation invites people to engage with Nazi history, the Holocaust, and the culture of remembrance– and creates low-barrier access to historical topics, particularly for young people.
An exclusive premiere film will be shown on the evening of January 27. The school cinema program on the mornings of January 27 and 28 will be curated by Vision Kino – Netzwerk für Film und Medienkompetenz [Network for Film and Media Literacy] and provides accompanying teaching materials, a guide, and online professional development courses for educators.
Through Kinotag+, the Augen auf Cinema Day can also be brought to other cities, and films from the Filmpool shown locally in cinemas.
|
|
|
Augen auf Cinema Day: Everything you need to know
|
| |
|
|
DUMMY MAGAZIN #91
|
| |
“The Thing about Remembrance” |
| |
|
Do young people know enough about National Socialism – or has the topic been exhausted? According to the Gedenkanstoß [Call to remember] MEMO study 2025 conducted by the EVZ Foundation, for the first time, there is a majority in favor of “drawing a line” under the Nazi era. For DUMMY Magazin, guest author Tara Yakar visited three EVZ-funded projects that counter this view: In Sachsen-Anhalt, Miteinander e.V. demonstrates that Nazi crimes also happened right on people’s own doorstep; the inclusive podcast “Das Erinnerungs-DING” [The Memory Thing] makes the culture of remembrance accessible through plain language; and “Postkoloniale Erinnerung(en)” [Postcolonial Memories] links Nazi history with colonial continuities. Cathleen Hoffmann, Education Officer at Miteinander e.V., issues a stark warning: Right-wing narratives are increasingly considered “cool” among young people. Her conclusion: Only continuous commemorative work can counter this. The article received editorial support from the Jugendpresse Deutschland [Youth press Germany] team and was researched and written on behalf of the EVZ Foundation.
|
| |
Explore now
|
| |
| |
|
|
NATIONAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER COMPETITION
|
| |
|
“Writing Against Exclusion” Two newsrooms, one clear message
|
| |
At the National Student Newspaper Competition “Kein Blatt vorm Mund”, [No minced words] the EVZ Foundation and the Jugendpresse Deutschland [Youth Press Germany] awarded the special prize for discrimination-sensitive reporting twice. Out of more than 50 submissions, “MS Voice” from Mittelschule Geretsried middle school won over the judges with an article on racism and the commitment to combat it, while “Klaro! Schulnachrichten” [Klaro! School News] from the Margot-Friedländer-Gesamtschule Wedemark comprehensive high school triumphed with an investigation into a stolen rainbow flag.
Both editorial teams are prime examples of what young journalism can achieve: paying attention, providing context, and taking a stand. The award winners were honored in a dignified setting – in the Bundesrat, as part of a three-day program with a reception at the European Commission Representation, and a student magazine convention at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
|
| |
|
Read the winners’ articles
|
| |
| |
|
|
TAZ
|
| |
|
“Forbidden Relationships under the Nazi Regime: And yet, they are here”
|
| |
The taz reports on the Education Agenda project “trotzdem da!” [nevertheless here!] by the Sandbostel Camp Memorial, which brings to light the long-overlooked life stories of children from so-called forbidden relationships between Germans and prisoners of war or forced laborers during the Nazi era. The accompanying publication and the touring exhibition recount their experiences, the persecution their parents endured, and the consequences of exclusion to this day.
The touring exhibition can currently be seen at the Gedenkstätte SS-Sonderlager/KZ Hinzert [Hinzert SS Special Camp / Concentration Camp Memorial Site] and at the Gesichtsort Adlerwerke [Adlerwerke Memorial and Educational Site] in Frankfurt am Main.
|
| |
|
Read now
|
| |
| |
|
|
AUGUST 21, GÖTTINGEN
|
| |
|
Unveiling of the MemoRails memorial in Göttingen
|
| |
|
On August 21, as part of the BKM-funded MemoRails program, the memorial to victims of National Socialist persecution will be inaugurated at the train station in Göttingen. On July 21, 1942, a group of 50 people set out from Albaniplatz for the train station. With a few exceptions, these were the last Jews from Göttingen who had remained in the city and were deported via Hildesheim and Hanover to Theresienstadt. One of them was 84-year-old Anna Rosenberg. With the project “Nineteen Forty-Two,” the Deutsches Theater Göttingen has developed a play that commemorates the deportations of people persecuted under National Socialism. At the heart of this artistic exploration is an audio walk tracing Anna Rosenberg’s final journey. The play will premiere on August 29.
|
| |
|
Learn more
|
| |
| |
|
|
AUGUST 26, COTTBUS
|
| |
|
Unveiling of the MemoRails memorial at Cottbus Hauptbahnhof
|
| |
|
On August 26, as part of MemoRails, a program funded by the BKM, a memorial for the project “Cottbus: A Station of Remembrance. Deportations and Forced Labor under National Socialism” will be unveiled at Cottbus Central Station. It commemorates the railway station as a site of National Socialist persecution and the culmination of the regime’s public persecution and terror measures. During the Nazi era, the Cottbus railway station served as a departure point for deportations, as well as an arrival and transit hub for forced laborers. Alongside this, a lecture by the historian Andreas Engwert on the role of the Deutsche Reichsbahn [German Imperial Railway] under National Socialism and its involvement in deportations of Jews and Sinti and Roma will take place at the Cottbus City Museum on the same day.
|
| |
|
Learn more
|
| |
| |
|
|
AUGUST 29 and 30, WEIMAR
|
| |
|
Documentary theater about the Jewish history of Thessaloniki: “96 %” at the Kunstfest Weimar
|
| |
The documentary play “96 %” by Prodromos Tsinikoris, which is funded as part of the Education Agenda, will be shown at the Kunstfest Weimar on August 29 and 30, 2026. The play sheds light on the near-total destruction of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki during the Nazi occupation of Greece. In the process, 96% of the Jewish population were deported to concentration camps and murdered. Using archival material and personal memories, the play examines the appropriation of Jewish property, the erasure of historical memory, and the transformation of the urban space in the period that followed.
Prodromos Tsinikoris was awarded the Goethe-Medaille [Goethe Medal] this year for his artistic work. The award ceremony will take place in Weimar on August 28, 2026.
|
| |
|
Learn more
|
| |
| |
|
| Issue 09/2026 |
|
| Our next issue comes out at the beginning of September! |
|
|
| |
| Once again, the upcoming issue will present the themes and content of the Education Agenda NS-Injustice: dates, updates, and outcomes of EVZ projects. |
|
| All issues at a glance
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stiftung Erinnerung,
Verantwortung und Zukunft
Friedrichstraße 200
10117 Berlin, Germany
T +49 (30) 25 92 97-0
F +49 (30) 25 92 97-11
Website
|
| |
|
Responsible:
Dr. Andrea Despot and Jakob Meyer
Editorial:
Sophie Ziegler, Katrin Kowark, Jana Bültge, Meret Aupperle, Nina Kraus
Image Credits:
Antonina Polukhina, Łukasz Patryk Ueberhuber/Luka Iberov, Zeev Reichard, Katarzyna Mazur, Maciek Zygmunt
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Follow us
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The editorial team welcomes your opinion on the newsletter and will be happy to answer any questions. We also help with any issues you might encounter: newsletter@stiftung-evz.de
You are receiving this e-mail because you have subscribed to the newsletter of the EVZ Foundation. You can unsubscribe from this information service at any time. To unsubscribe, click here
|
|
|
If you are unable to click the link, please forward this newsletter to newsletter@stiftung-evz.de with the subject line "Unsubscribe".
|
|
|
|
|
|
