Sinti and Roma, also referred to as Gypsies, like the Jews, were looked upon as inferior. In 1940 roughly 400 Sinti and 3 Roma families resided in the Netherlands. They lived in caravans and stayed in trailer camps together with more than 11,000 regular Dutch caravan dwellers.

Three pictures of Sinti youth in front of their mobile homes during war-time
Pictures courtecy: Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork

       Toward the end of the war, on 16 May 1944, the Nazis arrested 578 caravan dwellers and identified 245 as Sinti. Initially they were shipped to camp Westerbork, but only three days later all 245 were forced to board cattle cars that would bring them to Auschwitz II/Birkenau to be included in Hitler's Final Solution. Only 30 Sinti survived the hell of Birkenau. It is an indictment to the free world that so little is known about the plight of all European Sinti and Roma. Their fate often is referred to as the O Parrojmos - the Holocaust or rather, the Forgotten Holocaust and indeed that seems to be the case. I would have done an injustice to the Sinti and Roma people had I neglected to include the history of the predominant Dutch Sinti in this report. Figures indicate that throughout Europe the number of Sinti and Roma killed by the Nazis varies between 200,000 and 500,000. The discrepancy in numbers comes from two sources. First and foremost, many Gypsies were not registered upon arrival in Birkenau. Second, many were killed or died in transit. No record was kept of their graves.

       Settela (her Sinti name may have been Blieta) Steinbach was one of the 245 Dutch Sinti who perished in Auschwitz/Birkenau. Settela was killed less than three months after her arrival in one the five gas chambers of Birkenau on either the 31st of July or the 1st of August of 1944, the date of the liquidation of Birkenau's Zigeunerlager - Gypsy Camp. Settela and the other Sinti had been incarcerated in Camp Westerbork less than three days before being deported to Birkenau. Settela's last, and world renowned picture was taken on 19 May 1944 moments before the door on her was bolted and locked.

Aad Wagenaar

The history of the Holocaust has several faces. One of these is the story of Anne Frank. Her diary became one of the most read stories of the century. Another girl was until recently 'the girl without a name.' I speak of the face of the girl, approximately ten years old at the time of deportation. She wore a white head-scarf. While standing in the dooropening of the freightcarriage she is filmed, curiously staring ahead. She looked straight into the lens of the camera. Final destination: Auschwitz/Birkenau.

       Like so many others, journalist Aad Wagenaar had seen the picture of the young girl in the door opening of the cattle car many times. The girl had become synonymous with the Holocaust. She was pictured on several Holocaust related WebSites, often referred to as a Dutch Jewish girl. He was intrigued by her anonymity. Almost everyone knew the story of Anne Frank, but this sad little girl remained nameless. Until December 1992. The day when Aad Wagenaar decided to give it his very best to find out. He was driven by the desire to give that little girl her name back. His research took him well over a year. After many set-backs and often finding himself going the wrong way, he finally met up with a Sinti woman who had survived the horrors of Birkenau. She had shared the very uncomfortable and unaccommodating box-car with the anonymous girl and her family. Wagenaar shares his amazingly moving discovery in his book which is pictured on the left. For more information about Settela and the plight of the deported 245 Dutch Sinti I urge all my readers to obtain a copy of this well-written, well-documented book "Settela," by Aad Wagenaar. It was published in Dutch by "De Arbeiderspers, Singel 262, in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, ISBN # 90-295-5612-9." Some time ago I was informed by Mr. Aad Wagenaar that his book is now translated from Dutch into English. It may be ordered from: Five Leaves Publications, P.O. Box 81, Nottingham, NG5 4ER in England, ISBN # 09-0712-3708.