On the international Holocaust remembrance day - the 27th of January - the Galeria Centralis (1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 32.) opens an exhibition titled "The Holocaust against the sinti and roma and present-day racism in europe". The exhibition is organized by The Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma (Heidelberg) and the Holocaust Documentation Center and Memorial Collection Public Foundation.

The spectacular exhibition occupying approximately 150 square meters in the exhibition hall seeks to attract attention not only visually, but also through the information it conveys. The 72m long panels are equipped with Hungarian audio tapes to help local audiences. The exhibition seeks to confront visitors with a horrible chapter of the Second World War that has received very little public attention: the attempt to deport and eliminate the Roma people. The exhibition does not only depict the death camps but examines the historical events leading up to the genocide. Besides recalling this terrible phase in history, the exhibition also puts a particular emphasis on current forms of discrimination against the Roma and Sinti minorities, paying special attention to Central and Eastern Europe.

This travelling exhibition was on display in Strasbourg, in the European Parliament and Budapest is the first of many stops including the exhibition halls of the cities and countries of Pécs, Prague, Brno, Poland and the Netherlands.

During the 1,5 months of the exhibitions run, both the Holocaust Documentation Center and Memorial Collection Public Foundation, and the OSA Archivum, the mother institution of the Galeria Centralis, are organizing various programs in relation to this event, such as film screenings and public round table discussions.

The programs can be followed on these web sites: www.archivum.ws, www.hdke.hu

Opening: January 27, 2006 - 7 p.m.

Welcome address by Gábor Székely, Chairman of the Board, Holocaust Documentation Center and Memorial Collection Public Foundation

Opening address by Kinga Göncz, Minister for Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Keynote speaker: Romani Rose, Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma

Guest: Aladár Pege, Kossuth prize winner double-bass artist