Hermann Höllenreiner, Auschwitz survivor and Sinti witness, dies at 92

Hermann ‘Mano’ Höllenreiner, a prominent survivor of the Nazi genocide against the Sinti and Roma and a dedicated historical witness, has died at the age of 92. He passed away on October 16 in Mettenheim, Bavaria, surrounded by his family.

Deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau at the age of nine, Höllenreiner survived several concentration camps, including Ravensbrück and Sachsenhausen. During the final stages of the war, he escaped from a death march and eventually found refuge with a family in France, where he initially hid his German origins.

For many decades following his liberation, Höllenreiner remained silent about his childhood trauma. He later became a significant voice in German remembrance culture, speaking publicly about the horrors of the Holocaust and the ongoing discrimination faced by Sinti and Roma communities in Europe. He was honored with the Federal Cross of Merit in 2013.