A Gypsy In Auschwitz: How I Survived the Horrors of the ‘Forgotten Holocaust’

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This is a book that will leave its readers gasping as they struggle to understand the brutality that occurred at that time.

It is impossible to read books like A Gypsy in Auschwitz and not become overcome by anger as well as horror and still be able to give a balanced review of the book. Somehow he is able to redirect that rage and turn it into activism, addressing the "second wave of suffering on the Sinti and the Roma" including seeking the official recognition of their genocide in 1982, their racial prosecution at Berlin-Marzahn Rastplatz in 1987 and having a memorial erected in Berlin in 2012. After his release, he is terrified of the arriving Americans, British and Russians as he is the Germans.I hope Otto's mission of reintegration of the Sinti and Roma can assist in healing the wounds of previous generations, and that the lessons are not forgotten. The author, who was just a child when imprisoned in a camp, learned quickly how to do what he had to, to survive. The way they meticulously transcribed everything, and as we can see in this book those records and the use of that data, become relevant and remaining so for many years afterwards. I loved that the book used photographs as part of the story too, it really did bring Otto’s history to life. Although in recent years, there has been some recognition of this genocide, the Porajmos (the 'Devouring' in Romani) is still not widely known about.

Otto Rosenberg legacy was his bravery in telling his story to the world, to overcoming the trauma he suffered, so others don’t ever have to again. His experience as a Sinti person made it fascinating as the focus of hatred and vilification was not just confined to the Jews.Those interested in learning more about the Holocaust shouldn't miss this awful yet achingly beautiful book. One thing I really loved about this book is that it wasn’t over complex or information overload, which meant it didn’t become over whelming. There aren’t that many books I have come across with regards to gypsies and how they were treated during in the camps so I wanted to read it. The Sinti are a subgroup of the Romani people, an Indo-Aryan ethnic group often referred to with the pejorative term "Gypsy. But this is an incredible read, it was easy to read with plenty of pictures to divide up the chapters.