Cities & Culture
Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma Heidelberg
A permanent exhibition about the fate of the Sinti and Roma, and the Nazi acts of genocide against this minority, has been on display at the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma since 1997.
The Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma is a place of meeting and discussion at the heart of Heidelberg's Old Town that brings to life the rich culture of the Sinti and Roma people. There is a focus on their persecution and systematic extermination by the Nazis, which was not really discussed publicly for decades. Interviews with Holocaust survivors are a priority at the centre, with their memories being audio or video recorded and archives being researched in Germany and further afield.
The centre also systematically collects private testimonies from survivors and their relatives and is particularly interested in old family photos. Documents of this nature have been used to create an archive that is the only one of its kind. The Nazi acts of genocide against the Sinti and Roma are presented in the permanent exhibition, making the centre an important museum of contemporary history and a place of remembrance to ensure that this chapter of history is never forgotten. Opening times Tuesday: 9.30 am–7.45 pm, Wednesday to Friday: 9.30 am–4.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday: 11 am–4.30 pm