The persecution of the Slovak Roma peaked in the years 1944 and 1945. For the Roma, this was the most difficult period of the War. The Gypsy Detention Camp was created in place of the former labour crew in Dubnica nad Váhom. The camp was established by the Ministry of National Defense and was a part of its structures. This Gypsy Detention Camp was one of its kinds in Slovakia. It was a de facto concentration camp -- the Roma were sent there from across the entire country with their whole families.

The Vienna Arbitral Award in November 1938 adjudicated southern and eastern parts of Slovakia, an area of 10.400 km² and 860.000 inhabitants, to the Horthy Hungary (Miklós Horthy was the Hungarian Prime Minister until 1944). In March 1939, Hungarian soldiers began the occupation of these territories, which significantly influenced the living conditions of all residents in this area. Among other things, the Hungarian officials started registering “enemy elements”. Members of other ethnic groups, especially all the Jews and the Roma, were considered such “enemy elements”.