Background

Julia Backer Lentini was born in a hospital in Eisern, Germany on April 15, 1926. Although she was born in Eisern, she called Biedenkopf, Germany home, where she was raised and schooled usually from October until May. Her father was a craftsman, specializing in basket weaving and cattle raising, while her mother was in charge of keeping the house and all 15 children in order. With her family she spoke mostly German, but when it was required she was able to communicate to older family members by speaking Romani. Due to her lifestyle and heritage, Lentini self identifies in her testimony as a ‘gypsy’, however, today the politically correct term would be Roma and Sinti (Lentini 1:57 [Tape 1]). Since marriage, Julia has taken on the last name ‘Lentini’, although her maiden name was ‘Backer’. 

Anlyizing her childhood from a historical perspective, it seems Lentini’s family was left alone by the Nazi regime for much longer than the majority of targeted groups. She and he family were eventually carted to Auschwitz, but the imprisonment came in 1943, nearly four years later than the first Roma and Sinti roundups (United States [“Genocide”]) . But the reason why the Backer family was left alone for so long is initially unclear. Could it be they were overlooked or undocumented? Were their neighbors protecting them? This exhibit explores their life from Lentini’s eyes, pinpointing details and relationships that support the idea that Nazis (as well as Nazi sympathizers) looked at physical attributes and social practices as basis for targeting.