By: HISTORY.com Editors

1943

Himmler orders Roma to concentration camps

Published: November 05, 2009Last Updated: November 10, 2026

On November 15, 1943, Heinrich Himmler makes public an order that Romani people (often referred to by the derogatory term Gypsies) are to be put on “the same level as Jews and placed in concentration camps.”

Himmler was determined to prosecute Nazism racial policies, which dictated the elimination from Germany and German-controlled territories all races deemed “inferior,” as well as “asocial” types, such as hardcore criminals. Roma fell into both categories according to the thinking of Nazi ideologues. They had already been executed in droves both in Poland and the Soviet Union by the time of the November 15 order. Himmler’s directive marked a more comprehensive program, as it included the deportation to Auschwitz of Roma already in labor camps.

That Himmler would promulgate such a program should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his resume. As head of the Waffen-Schutzstaffel (“Armed Black Shirts”), the SS, the military arm of the Nazi Party, and assistant chief of the Gestapo (the secret police), Himmler was able over time to consolidate control over all police forces of the Reich. This power grab would prove highly effective in carrying out the Fuhrer’s Final Solution. It was Himmler who organized the creation of death camps throughout Eastern Europe and the creation of a pool of enslaved laborers.

Timeline

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Citation Information

Article Title: Himmler orders Roma to concentration camps
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-15/himmler-orders-gypsies-to-concentration-camps

Date Accessed: November 10, 2026
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: November 10, 2026
Original Published Date: November 05, 2009

Himmler orders Roma to concentration camps

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