Genocide of Romani during WWII

[TubbaBlubba]

I've previously only read about this tangentially, and I've seen numbers of around 150 000 to 200 000 victims, with widely varying proportions of the population in various areas, the Romani within Germany being the worst off. This is thought to have comprised around 15-25% of the population.

However I encountered mentions of numbers as high as 2 million, which surprised me, with someone mentioning that it's very uncertain how many were actually killed. I found the number widely implausible, as such widespread killings ought ot have left a big mark logistically and bureaucratically. As far as I can tell they mainly originate from the studies of Ian Hancock, who seems to have a methodology of his own when it comes to counting victims.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Is there really a serious debate about whether the number could be that high?

 

[Aepervius]

There were 1 million romani estimated at the time in europe. Follow the links to the citation sources. Ian Hancock seem an outliers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porajmos#Persecution_and_Genocide

 

[TubbaBlubba]

There were 1 million romani estimated at the time in europe. Follow the links to the citation sources. Ian Hancock seem an outliers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porajmos#Persecution_and_Genocide

Sure, I've seen various estimates; I'm interested in whether there is any actual debate about the numbers over an order of magnitude.

 

[Mark6]

Gypsies/Romani were one of three groups which Stalin persecuted with the same zeal as Hitler. The other two were homosexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses.

 

[skeptichaggis]

I come from a Scottish highland travelling family and while we are not remotely Romani in any way, neither genetically, linguistically, culturally etc after the fall of communism we extended a hand toward the Romani as fellow "nomads" if you like.
In the early to mid 1990's numbers of their young men would come over and live alongside Scottish travellers including with my uncle. They were decent hard working folk who wouldn't really talk about ww2 at all. The word they use translates roughly into "the devouring". I think that says it all.

 

[skeptichaggis]

If its numbers you want my uncle(same one mentioned above)is a part of a European wide organisation that helps European traveller folk of all cultures. I can ask him to find out if you want.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

Gypsies/Romani were one of three groups which Stalin persecuted with the same zeal as Hitler. The other two were homosexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Gypsies and JWs kind of make sense as not fitting into the party/class organization. As for homosexuals, Stalin was remarkably conservative for his time and place, outlawing same-sex relations and abortion, IIRC. Perhaps his extremely religious mother had some influence.