(dedicated to the Roma and Jewish of Auschwitz, May 1944)
by Prodromos Martinis
The night of the fire
The night felt heavy,
the air had the essence of death
The boots were approaching slowly ,
the guards were standing still.
“Stand up. Quiet . Don’t be scared.”
But we know..
We could sense it in the children’s eyes, in the wrinkles of the elderly,
to all the shadows that were leaving every night and never coming back
Nobody was speaking. Nobody was moving forward. Someone clenched once fist, someone help once childer tighter.
And then.. someone screamed
No name, no prayer.
Once a scream covering the night’s silence. Once scream that made once still.
And then another one. And then all together .
We didn’t have guns.we didn’t have anything. Only our hands, only with our voices, only having the certainty of death.
Gunshots broke the silence, bodies were falling one by one. Mothers, children, elderly. Death was fast. But not in silence.
They told us they will forget about us . They told us nothing will be left. But that night we didn’t leave like shadows. We left like fire.
Forgotten Stars is a year-long program (Jan–Dec 2025) in Thessaloniki that engages Roma and non-Roma youth aged 18–35 to strengthen historical memory and identity and to empower them as ambassadors of diversity. Delivered by United Societies of Balkans and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Hellenic-German Fund for the Future, it blends interactive workshops on Roma history and remembrance, city walks and site visits on Holocaust memory, storytelling, creative expression and community projects. By remembering and reconnecting with their cultural histories and identities, participants gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their multifaceted heritage which in turn empowers them to embrace and promote an inclusive, multi-diverse identity.
