Dumitru Miclescu addresses the Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights ceremony at the UN Holocaust Memorial Ceremony
Dumitru Miclescu
Dumitru Miclescu, Roma survivor of the Holocaust, flew from Budapest to participate at the ceremony in General Assembly Hall on Monday, January 27, 2025.
Supported by his niece Izabela Tiberiade, he told his story: “I am here not just for myself, but for all the Roma who suffered during the Holocaust and did not have the chance to be heard.”
A survivor of the terror camps in Transnistria, he was forced into trains and deported when he was just an eight-year-old boy in Romania, along with his family.
Building a world without racism
“I will never forget those moments when we were gathered into the trains. Many people died on the trains before we even arrived. Those who reached the concentration camps suffered even more: forced labor, starvation, disease, and constant terror. Death was a daily presence,” he said.
Acknowledging the lack of support for the few Roma who survived and returned home, Mr. Miclescu said that being at the UN was “an important step toward recognizing history” but there was still much to be done.
“Allow me to say to all the young people listening to my story: I ask you to learn about your history. I hope you will build a world without racism,” he concluded.
