Rome Bones Buried in Leipzig After 150 Years - Roma Remains Laid to Rest in Leipzig After 150 Years
Three sets of Roma remains, collected over 150 years ago for racist research, have been laid to rest in Leipzig. The remains, once part of a colonial-era skull collection, were buried with the agreement of the Roma and Sinti association.
The remains, originally collected by pathologist Rudolf Virchow in the late 19th century, were interred at the South Cemetery in Leipzig. Despite efforts, their ancestry could not be traced, preventing their repatriation to their original communities.
The burial comes after a long campaign by the Roma and Sinti community. A memorial stone has been erected on the grave site of the Leipzig Sinti family Franz to commemorate the deceased. The institute still houses around 1,200 colonial-era skulls, with the fate of many still undecided.
The burial of these remains marks a step towards acknowledging past wrongs and offering respect to the deceased. However, the issue of colonial-era remains in institutions remains a contentious one, with many more yet to be repatriated.
