(19 Dec 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Mid of top of German parliament, the Reichstag, with German flag flying, pan down to guests at the memorial site for the Sinti and Roma (Gypsy) victims of the Nazi dictatorship during the Second World War
2. Mid of guests at the memorial
3. Wide of guests at memorial opening service
4. Mid of guests at memorial opening service
5. SOUNDBITE (German) Bernd Neumann, Minister for Culture:
"The Federal Republic (meaning Germany) admits its historical responsibilities towards the people who, during nazism, were followed as they were gypsies."
6. Close of members of the Sinti and Roma communities
7. Wide of memorial service
8. SOUNDBITE: (German) Romani Rose, Head of the Central Committee for Sinti and Roma:
"The memorial that is being placed here, means that the Holocaust that our minority lost, that is five hundred thousand Sinti and Roma in Europe, in the middle of Europe; in Germany has arrived and that means that democracy and the European community has taken over its responsibilities."
9. Mid of Culture Minister Bernd Neumann (left in picture) and the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit (right in picture), at the wreath service at the new memorial site for murdered Sinti and Roma or "Zigeuner" (Gypsies) in Berlin.
10. Pan from wreath down to ribbon
11. SOUNDBITE: (German) Natascha Winter, Head of the Alliance of Sinti and Roma in Germany:
"I think that this has a positive effect because the government of today is clearing itself from this evil event and to recognise us not only as a part of the population but also to give us the feeling of trust, that we have belonged to the population over the last several hundred years, because we define ourselves as German gypsies and now we have feeling that we really belong."
12. Wide pan from the Reichstag down to a wreath at the new memorial site for Sinti and Roma victims of the Nazi dictatorship
STORYLINE:
Germany started building a memorial on Friday to the Sinti and Roma, commonly referred to as Gypsies, persecuted by the Nazis during the Second World War.
Construction on the square-shaped well in Berlin's central Tiergarten park comes after 16 years of debate among leading groups representing Germany's Sinti and Roma.
It is to be completed in 2009.
Germany's Central Council for Sinti and Roma leader Romani Rose praised the government for "recognising its historical responsibility for those Gypsies who were persecuted under the Nazis" at the Friday ground-breaking ceremony.
Some 220-thousand to 500-thousand Sinti and Roma, or Gypsies, were killed during the Holocaust.
On Friday in Berlin a commemoration to mark the official start of the building process took place.
About 80 people were present, including the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, and the Culture Minister, Bernd Neumann.
Leading representatives from the Sinti and Roma communities were also present, including Rose, and Natascha Winter; chairperson of the Alliance of Sinti and Roma in Germany.
The memorial for the murdered Sinti and Roma during the third Reich is to be funded by the German government. The memorial will be designed by the Israel Artist, Dani Karavan, and will cost two (m) million Euros (2.8 (m) million US Dollars).
The location of the memorial is to the south of the Reichstag, the German parliament building in Tiergarten Park, in the centre of Berlin.
The memorial should be completed in 2009.
Berlin also hosts memorials to Jews killed in the Holocaust and gay victims of the Nazis Dictatorship.
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