Abstract
Slovak Roma did not face any mass deportations like in the case of Roma in the 'Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia'. However, the period of the Slovak State was characterized by the introduction of various discriminatory measures against the Jewish and Romani communities.
Moreover, since August 1944, when the Slovak National Uprising started, Roma became victims of various atrocities and mass executions committed by Einsatzgruppe H der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD, Emergency Units of Hlinka's guard, Edelweiss and other units. Only a few months later, Roma from former South Slovakia became victims of mass shootings organized by German troops and Arrow cross members.
Nevertheless, their situation differed from their Slovakian counterparts because many Roma from South Slovakia were deported to Star Fortress in Komárom or various Nazi concentration camps. This paper aims to focus on killing sites in the former Slovak state and territory of South Slovakia (which was awarded in November 1938 to Hungary), and put them into a broader context.
At the forefront stand the questions of guilt, politics of memory and commemoration acts. We attempt to answer the following questions: Who does take responsibility for those mass shootings? How and by whom are those violent acts commemorated? How far are these sufferings known to the public audience? How often do mentions of wartime mass shootings appear in public debates? Were victims of racial violence recognized by state authorities after the Second World War? Were their voices heard? Did their relatives and survivors, who were lucky and managed to escape, receive any compensation?