And the Violins Stopped Playing: A Story of the Gypsy Holocaust

Roman Mirga and his family leave the city to return to their family clan when they discover that Gypsies are being rounded up and relocated to camps for extermination. At first the clan does not believe him but the relocation of a nearby gypsy group convinces the group to flee. As they travel to the Hungarian border, many gypsies are lost along the way. Upon reaching Hungary, they are able to spend nearly a year wandering up and down the country. However, when Germany invades Hungary, the gypsies are rounded up and sent to Auschwitz. Once in Auschwitz, Roman becomes a translator for Dr. Josef Mengele while his father plays the violin to calm the Jews as they enter the crematoriums. Moving, this is an interesting look at an often show more overlooked group targeted during the Holocaust. show less

This is fiction based on fact, but it is not autobiographical. Ramati lived his early life in the area of Poland this story takes place, but he fled to Russia with the German occupation and served as a war correspondent.

He takes young Roman Mirga and his family through the occupation. They and their kumpania stay one step ahead of the Germans for a while, but end up at Auschwitz, where his father plays in the band that plays as prisoners file into the crematorium.

The gypsies were a part of the holocaust story too, and here is a little bit of it.