Leipzig Holds Dignified Funeral for Roma Men Used in Racist Research
A solemn funeral service was held at Leipzig's South Cemetery for three Roma men whose remains were subjected to racist research over a century and a half ago. The memorial, organized by the Saxon Association of Roma and Sinti, aimed to afford the men the dignity in death that was denied them in life.
The service, conducted in the Romanian Orthodox tradition, saw the coffins of the unidentified men lowered into the earth after the ceremony. While their names remain unknown, their story has been pieced together by Martin Gericke, deputy director of the Institute of Anatomy. Gericke reconstructed the history of the human remains, which were stored at the University of Leipzig and used as research objects by so-called 'race researchers' in the past.
Jens Eilers, deputy rector of the University of Leipzig, apologized on behalf of the institution for the past misuse of the remains. Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of Sinti and Roma, described the funeral as a dignified memorial service. He also criticized ongoing research on the remains after the Nazi era and called for universities to scrutinize their collections. Michael Brand, Federal Commissioner against Antiziganism and for the Life of Sinti and Roma in Germany, expressed respect for the men and support for human dignity.
The funeral service at South Cemetery marked a poignant moment for the Roma community, bringing long-overdue dignity to the three men whose remains were once used for racist research. The apology from the University of Leipzig and the calls for further scrutiny of such collections serve as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging and learning from past wrongs.
