In addition to the Jewish population that was decimated by Hitler's Final Solution, the gypsy population was a targeted victim. According to the Jewish Virtual Library (JVL), "it is known that perhaps 250,000 Gypsies were killed, and that proportionately they suffered losses greater than any other group of victims except Jews." (JVL, p. 1)

The Jewish Virtual Library goes on to explain that because of their nomadic lifestyle and their preservation of a distinctive culture, they were often seen as strangers and social other in the countries of Europe where they made their homes. The result was a set of prejudices stemming from fear, suspicious and misunderstanding. These would all help to feed into the victimization of this group during the Holocaust. This shows a startling continuity from the time of Esmerelda and Quasimodo in the medieval era to the time of Hugo's writing and directly up to the time...
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