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

by Alexander Ramati

An biographical novel about a group of Romani people who were forced to flee from persecution by the Nazi regime at the height of the Porajmos (Romani holocaust), during World War II.

Genres: History, Holocaust, Nonfiction, World War II, Biography, War, Poland

236 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1985

Reviews

[Heavenlypeachgarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

[close] An ultra rare book but one anyone who loves literature should read.
It is the true story of Roman Mirga and his family, Polish Gypsies who have to suffer the affects of the Holocaust.
This amazing unique book gives an insight of how the Gypsies were treated under Hitler and the Nazi regime.
UNMISSABLE
ROMAN YOU ARE MY HERO

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9LLw...

This is the true story about a group of Romani's (gypsy) in occupied Poland during World War II as they confront the atrocities and tragedies of a forgotten holocaust.

[Fliss Blanch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me ages to track down this book which is a shame as it is well worth reading. The Roma are often referred to as the forgotten victims of the Holocaust ( or porajmos as the Roma refer to it)

And the violins stopped playing by Alexander Ramati is about a Polish Gypsy family who live a rather comfortable life in Warsaw at the beginning of World War II. Believing themselves to be safe from Nazi persecution because they are Aryans they can't see the writing on the wall that soon their time will be up. Roman Mirga - who is the narrator of this book is very shrewd and realises very quickly that they are in danger and need to flee Poland. He is able to convince his family of the danger they are in and decide to go to Brest Litovsk where the rest of their people are living in a semi nomadic existence.

When they arrive at the Gypsy camp the majority of them refuse to believe that the Nazis will persecute them as they are Aryans. It's not until some Gypsies are killed that they realise that they do need to flee. It's decided that they will go to Hungary as it's still a free country. They arrive in Hungary on the day the Nazis invade the country and they are then arrested...


I won't give anymore away...

[Amalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romani holocaust is one of the less known atrocities of World War II. This is the first book I came across that provides a lot history on how genocide acts were commited against these people. While the Jewish survivors had given enough accounts of their stories, Romani survivors' tales were rarely told probably because they had a lower literacy levels compared with the Jewish survivors.

Roman Migra's story (produced by Alexander Ramati using Migra's diary writing) is very touching and sad, especially because the occurrences are true. After being sent to Auschwitz, Roman becomes a translator for Dr. Josef Mengele while his father plays the violin to calm the Jews as they enter the gas chambers. Despite the subject being what it is, this was an easy read, well-written, and is not as depressing as one might think. I was listening to the audio book, I only paused at listening when I read about Dr. Mengele's treatment/experimentation on twins. I couldn't listen to the audio about them. Other than that, this was a great book to read.

*Recommend it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biographical novel tells the story of Roman Mirga a Polish Lowland Gypsy, and his tribe who fled Poland and the Nazis for what they believed was the safety of Hungary. The journey over mountain and through snow blizzard was harrowing and many were caught and killed. The tribe enjoyed several months freedom until the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1944. Captured and incarcerated they suffered and died like millions of others in Auschwitz. Mirga escaped from this death camp before liberation. But he bore witness to the little known, or since reported, Gypsy holocaust there. The prejudice towards these noble people continues to this day.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is reminiscent of Night by Elie Wiesel, and while it speaks to and honors the horrors faced by the Jewish population, this book importantly highlights the simultaneous suffering of the Gypsy population. Especially when discussing the Holocaust, or any event fueled by hatred of "the other", underscoring the multi-faceted nature is imperative. This book, while brief, vividly uplifted the beliefs, traditions, and resiliency of Gypsies, particularly within the context of massive pain and danger. It also reminds us, as I said, that rarely ever is it one people targeting one people; more often, it is multiple targets, perhaps just in fewer numbers or targeted differently, but the net of hatred is wide and not naming that brings oppressive silence to those who suffer. I read Night my freshman year of high school; I would love to see these books be taught alongside each other.

[Xberny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow i can't believe i forgot i had read this one, but o well, i read it when i was like 12 years old in one of the Reader's Digest compilations.

Truth be told, this one is a hidden jewel, should be considered one of the greatest WWII books ever written], but it's sad that a lot of people have never heard of this book, i have never seen it as an standalone book.

What makes the book so five starish? I think its the ability that the book has to keep you reading, no matter how harsh or sad the history gets, it gives you yet another view on WWII, it reminds you that it wasnt just the jews that suffered.

Just gotta say it again, this is a must read.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Roma/Sinto holocaust is rarely told, the Jewish survivors were literate and gave us some great works but those "gypsies" who survived were often illiterate and their tales were rarely told. This is one of those rare books, telling us about what happened to the gypsies under nazism. There was a gypsy orchestra in Auschwitz whose music was often the last heard by the victims of the Nazi genocide as they were marched to the gas chambers. Even today there is still what some call a gypsy problem in Eastern Europe and the guides at Auschwitz are reluctant to dwell on the sufferings of these people. This is a part of history which shouldn't be forgotten.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is difficult to find...but I searched and found it, at last, in a small second-hand bookstore. It is an important book, and the novel is written in a way that is easy to read, even though it is a troubling, painful story that few people know about. I won’t ever forget it. It is a horrific part of history. I really appreciated the way the author presented Roman Mirga’s story, first telling about the lives of the Romany people, ensuring that the reader understood the beauty of their culture, and how brave his people were, first escaping to Hungary, reestablishing their lives, only to be captured by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz. This story of the gypsy holocaust is shocking, and incredible, and I highly recommend this novel to everyone.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful story that should be required reading alongside the usual Holocaust literature canon. I didn't give it five stars for two reasons, the first being the writing wasn't the best at times (understandable because English was not Ramati's first language). Second, Ramati claimed that this book was largely based on the memoirs of the real Roman Migra, but it was unclear how many of the characters and events were real or embellished or invented -- a historical note outlining the fictional and non-fictional aspects really would have strengthened the book's impact rather than detracted from it.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking and breathtaking book that chronicles the early life of a Polish Sinti, Roman, during the Holocaust- flight, resistance, marriage, loss, suffering, Auschwitz, death- and the monumental price he and his people paid simply for being a "Gypsy". I admire Roman's courage and strength and you can see him growing into a mature young man throughout his terrifying odyssey. Although this is a true story, it reads like an epic of old and I devoured this book in several hours. I learned so much about the Sinti and Roma culture as well as the tragedies that he faced and the horrifying end of many of his tribespeople.

[Tom Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little harsh giving this 3 stars as It is an important story of an aspect of the holocaust that is often overlooked and barely written about. It horrifying and eye opening and more accounts of what happened to the European gypsies need to be written.

However, it is not as well written as some of the first hand holocaust accounts I have read from Primo Levi and others. The characters are somewhat predictable and one dimensional and it feels obvious that this is a story based on true events rather then the recounting of true events themselves.

It is still worth reading, of course.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramati takes the diary of Roman Migra and writes the account of the Gypsy Holocaust during WWII.
It is not a well known story but it very important to the historical writing of this time period when 500,000 Gypsies lost their lives under Hitler's orders. Migra looses his entire family except his young sister who was taken in by woman in an isolated farm area and raised as her granddaughter which if found out they both would have been killed. A book telling of courage, inner strength and of the horrors of Hitler's world.

[Cat .classics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encontrei este livrinho encaixado num daqueles volumes condensados da Readers Digest e apercebi-me de que se tratava de uma história "verídica" sobre uma família cigana polaca e de como os ciganos também foram vítimas da política de pureza de sangue dos nazis.
Muito cinematográfico, não fosse o autor, Alexander Ramati, um argumentista/produtor de cinema, que emigrou da Polónia para os EUA.
Muito curto, com menos de 150 páginas, é, por isso, uma história resumida, cheia de ação e diálogos, mas pouco espaço para o aprofundamento das personagens.
Recomendado.

[Neesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a rare account of a life through the eyes of Roma people.
The book reads and feels quite fictional but it's based on real events and real Romani tribe during WWII.
The novel feels like a side by side account of the Tattooist of Auschwitz story.
The author gives us a glimpse of a Romani lifestyle and some of their traditions and rituals but also of the unhumane treatment of gypsies by Nazis.
It feels like a theme that's not being brought to light enough and that needs much more attention.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. What a powerful first person memoir about the holocaust of gypsies in Poland and Hungary during WWII. I really appreciate better understanding the culture of Gypsies and the little known atrocities they suffered. 4 1/2 stars.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed story about the harsh reality of the Porajmos-the Roma Holocaust. The narrative is well-done and tells a story that is often left out when people talk on the Holocaust and Nazi persecution. I definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to read a Holocaust story centered around a Roma voice

[Caroljeanholmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never knew about the impact WW2 had on the Gypsies of Eastern Europe. A very interesting read on a subject I knew nothing about.

[Ana Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leído en 2017

[Luke Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book. An absolutely gut wrenching story of a clan of Polish Gypsies and their horrific story of the holocaust told by a survivor that made it out of Auschwitz.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing about the fate of Gypsies during the Holocaust. This book is gripping and heart rending all the way through.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book a moving story of a gypsey family during the second world war. A shame the book is out of print since these stories need to be told.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that got me reading historical fiction especially those of the Holocaust.

I read this 10 years ago. Suffering from lack of reading materials, I obligingly picked up Reader's Digest condensed books and chose the last story, having read the first book, Mary Higgins Clark's Remember Me. The title piqued my interest enough. I was expecting a boring read just to pass the time. I was very surprised that once I started I could not put it down. I was drawn into Roman's world. I finished this book in 2 days and still feels it resonating after all these years.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by so much in this memoir. I loved learning about the gypsy culture - their love of celebration, their lack of materialism, and their desire to honor tradition. Stories about the holocaust are always painful, but the triumph that comes with this man's story makes this feel almost happy in the end. Just as when I finished reading Night, I am amazed by the sheer power that a person's will to live can create.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives insight to the plight of the Romani or "Gypsy" people during the Holocaust. It is very informative, though some chapters may be a bit disturbing due to the details given about some of Dr. Mengele's experiments, among other things.

[Ashlee Draper Galyean · Rating 5 out of 5]

From what I remember of this book it haunted me so much that I had to buy it all these years later. It was the first time I thought about the holocaust affecting others besides the Jews. It was a heavy read for an eighth grader but it was incredibly powerful.

[Joss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read the abridged version in a readers digest compilation when I was about 10 or so, and the story stayed with me so much that when I saw a stand-alone copy I had to buy it to read the full story.

[penelopewanders]

Read this for my upcoming class on the Romany people. Quite good, but I was disappointed to see at the end it is purely fictional. Nonetheless it seems to be close enough to give an idea of what it was like.

[Sandra Uribe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que lastima, como todos los del holocausto, para que nunca se nos olvide ni se nos borre , pero desde la perspectiva de un gitano, que de ser un hombre enamorado y lleno de ilusión descubre que la Alemania nazi es para los gitanos es igual o peor que para los judios

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sad tale, but very worth reading.