Romanies Subject Guide

Not many documents by the Roma exist, so research has been conducted and outcomes written and presented based on what non-Romani researchers have found on the Roma. Bibliographies on Gypsies, as Roma are still often called, appeared at the turn of the 20th century, reflecting the scientific approaches popular at the time and collecting previous available literature. Biology and eugenics, popular studies at the time, researched the physical aspects of the Roma. In the 1920s and 1930s, historians, ethnographers, and linguists studied Romany language, music and culture, mostly with the emphasis on the exotic and secretive aspects of this group.

During WWII, the Roma were among the most persecuted groups by the Nazis and other collaborators. The Roma Holocaust has not received yet the proper attention.

After WWII, Romanies had a period of prosperity, which nevertheless consisted also of forced assimilation. The communist regimes, while providing for the Roma's basic needs, also banned many of the more traditional expressions of Romani culture. Nevertheless, studies from this period cover a new array of fields and approaches: education, social groups and movements, race and ethnicity, genocide, social justice, political and civil rights, legal issues, and everyday life.

In the 1990s, during the wars in Former Yugoslavia and the rise of nationally based governments in Eastern Europe, a not often discussed group of victims at the time was Romani. Although lately Roma have been more prominent in the media and a number of civic initiatives have been addressing Roma issues (displacement, race, minority rights, discrimination in housing, employment and education) (see Romadecade.org ), it appears that much more needs to be explored and addressed in order to see substantial progress in Romani communities. A number of departments now include Romani studies, so hopefully a more comprehensive analysis of Roma history, especially during WWII, and language, as well as of Roma everyday life and needs, can help find solutions regarding housing needs, employment, and access to education.

One of the difficulties in searching the Roma, especially electronically, is the name. There are many different terms for them, as well as periods and geographical locations when one term was more in usage than other terms: Gypsy, Tsigani, Romanies, Romany, Romani, Travellers, Manouches...Sinti.

Websites

B92 TV Produkcija :: Romi Beogradjani
http://www.b92.net/tv/produkcija/images/tvprodukcija.swf
A TV production by B92, downloadable, on the exhibition at the Rex Theater on Roma, citizens of Belgrade.

Council Of Europe
http://www.coe.int/t/e/general/search.asp
Considering the intent of various European offices for improving conditions of Roma, it is important to check this site for news and information on projects and studies.

Council of Europe :: Roma and Travellers
http://www.coe.int/T/DG3/RomaTravellers/Default_en.asp
Found in the A-Z Index of the Council of Europe site, the information presented offers excellent background points for researching Romani issues. Important site to monitor European initiatives regarding Romas.

Decade of Roma Inclusion
http://www.romadecade.org/itentcms/www/roma/index.php
"The Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005–2015 is an unprecedented political commitment by governments in Central and Southeastern Europe to improve the socio-economic status and social inclusion of Roma within a regional framework."

European Commission :: Roma
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/roma/index_en.htm

Patrin: The Patrin Web Journal Romani Culture and History
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5121/patrin.htm
"Online journal dedicated to the culture and history of the Romani (Gypsy) people. Information covers their distinct identity, traditions, customs and beliefs, and their experience of the holocaust. Articles from around the world form a picture of their nomadic culture, and material is available in English, German, and French."(SOSIG)

Roma History
http://www.romahistory.com/
The site is in three languages--German, English, and Romani.

Roma-Kosovoinfo
http://www.roma-kosovoinfo.com/index.php?lang=en
"This website is designed to provide information on the state of human rights for the Roma people in Kosovo. You can find the latest news and background information on the deportations of Kosovo-Roma from European Union member states. In addition, we present inquiries and analyses pertaining to the expulsion of Roma from the Kosovo in the aftermath of the Kosovo War in 1999. Currently, most articles are available in German only. Texts in the "latest news" section are posted in English as well, and many reports by international human rights organisations are published in English (see section "Downloads")". Dirk Auer

Romani.org
http://www.romani.org/local/../index.html
A beginning point for researching the Roma. The focus is on the origin and history of Roma.

RomaPage
http://www.romapage.hu/
The website is in Hungarian, but some news are posted in English as well.

RomNews Society
http://www.romnews.com/
Operated from Germany, the Rom News Network (RNN) publishes news regarding Roma issues.

Roma Information Center/ Romski Informativni Centar
Founded in 1999, RIC consists of "young enthusiasts, not satisfied with position of Roma youth and children and we have a great desire to make changes in that field with our hard work." This group from Kragujevac has a good list of relevant contacts regarding the Roma.

Tarnow Museum, Poland :: THE GYPSY CARAVAN OF MEMORY AND ROMA NATIONAL IDENTITY/ Adam Bartosz
http://www.muzeum.tarnow.pl/cyganie/cyganie_prawyang.htm
Adam Bartosz, Director of the Regional Museum in Tarnow, describes the Caravan of Memory, a project about the past, the Gypsy Holocaust, in order to bring closer the Roma and non-Roma population of the present.

Virtual Finland :: National Minorities of Finland, The Roma
href="http://virtual.finland.fi/
The approach by the government of Finland to integrate the Roma minority, which has lived in the area for centuries.

World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/
By searching the World Bank website, the section on the Roma has information on many world-wide initiatives. Excellent list of web resources.

Romanies Pathfinder

Researching and Representing the Romanies

Websites