On Memory, Research, and the Need for Roma Remembrance

How do we preserve what was silenced?

In an interview for the ROMDIEM project, Ljuan Koko — political scientist and author of the documentary “And You, God, Survive” — speaks about decades of silence surrounding the Roma Holocaust and the urgent need to reclaim Roma historical memory.

As one of the first to record living Roma survivors from Jasenovac, Koko captured rare testimonies that reveal both tragedy and resilience.

“Roma were killed just because they were Roma. The intent was to leave them without even a grave — to disappear without a trace.”

He recalls how his film was banned, and how the topic itself was long considered taboo. “It was all covered by brotherhood and unity,” he says, describing the institutional silence that erased Roma victims from collective memory.

Today, Koko calls for international research, education, and memorial spaces to restore dignity to Roma victims. Among his proposals is planting a Tree of Remembrance at the former Staro Sajmište camp — “a living monument, where the strength of memory lies in the roots of our people.”

“We have neither names, nor numbers, nor evidence. We have silence. And now, when we try to speak, many still do not hear us.”

Interview by Una Beriša, June 12, 2025, Belgrade

Learn more about the project here: https://romdiem.eu/