"This ground-breaking book is an impressively extensive collection of primary historical sources in various languages that reflect the history of the Roma (formerly referred to as 'Gypsies' in local languages). The selection of the included materials reflects the authentic voice of the Roma themselves, and presents their visions and the specific goals pursued by the Roma civic emancipation movement. The source materials are published in original and translated in English, and are accompanied by explanatory notes and summarising comments discussing the specific historical realities and their interrelation to the Romani emancipatory movement in Central and Eastern Europe, thus presenting a comprehensive picture of the historical processes."--
The article offers a correction of the widespread approach in which in the studies of Romani movement for civic emancipation are examined only its international dimensions, leaving behind its origin and first stages, which occurred in individual countries. Based on the research of historical sources we will show the commencement and roots of the Romani movement. The departing point of the research presented in this article is the circumstance that Roma are not a hermetic social and cultural system. They exist in two dimensions, both as separate ethnic communities and as a part of the macro-society in which they live within the respective nation-states. Together with members of the macro-society they experienced breakdowns of old Empires and the establishment of national states. Under the conditions of historical turbulences in the period between two World Wars, Roma developed aspirations for civil emancipation, started to be civically engaged and politically institutionalised. On the basis of archival and media sources the article introduces the first manifestation of civic activities of Roma in an attempt to pursue their ethnic and community rights and their visions about their place in society and the future of their nation.Acknowledgements: This article is written as a part of the research project 'RomaInterbellum - Roma Civic Emancipation between the Two World Wars' which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 694656). It reflects only the authors' view, and the agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Central Asian Gypsies: identities and migrationsDuring recent years the topic of Gypsy/Roma migration and identities became burning topic of pan-EUropean public discourse. Much less attention is paid to the Gypsy migrations outside the borders of European Union. The present article has ambitious goal to fulfill this gap and to present contemporary Gypsy migrations in Post-soviet Central Asian in order to see how this "burning" topic looks outside European space. After breakdown of Soviet Union and establishing of new independent republics in Central Asia and in connection to economical difficulties, wars and social unrest, in order to make their living, the communities of Central Asian 'Gypsies' revitalised their former nomadic traditions and migrate towards Russian Federation and in frames of Central Asia towards Kazakhstan. There they are earning their living through begging and sporadic work in construction and scrap collection.A central point of this article is the impact of these contemporary migrations on the development of identities and well being of Central Asian 'Gypsies'. The multilevel, hierarchically structured identities of Central-Asian 'Gypsies' are analysed as demonstrated in different historical contexts – as former "Soviet people", member of former ruling class of agricultural proletariat, and as declassed community today; as Central-Asian 'Gypsies' or as citizens of respective Central Asian Republics during migrations in Russian Federation in front of Russian majority society and in front of Roma; and in context of the Central Asian region during the migrations to Kazakhstan and in their home countries. Cyganie środkowoazjatyccy – tożsamości i migracje W ostatnich latach tematyka migracji i tożsamości Cyganów (Romów) stała się tematem palącym w unijnoeuropejskim dyskursie publicznym. O wiele mniej uwagi poświęca się w nim migracjom Cyganów, które mają miejsce poza granicami Unii Europejskiej. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest wypełnienie tej luki i ukazanie współczesnych migracji Cyganów w posowieckiej Azji Środkowej, po to by móc spojrzeć, jak ów "palący" problem przedstawia się poza obszarem europejskim. Po rozpadzie Związku Sowieckiego i ustanowieniu w Azji Środkowej nowych niepodległych republik, a także wobec trudności gospodarczych, wojen i niepokojów społecznych, w dążeniu do uzyskania środków do życia, wspólnoty "Cyganów" środkowoazjatyckich powróciły do swych dawnych tradycji nomadycznych i migrują na teren Federacji Rosyjskiej jak też w obrębie Azji Środowej do Kazachstanu. Zarabiają tu na życie żebraniem, okazjonalnie podejmują pracę na budowach, zajmują się też zbieraniem surowców wtórnych.Zasadniczą kwestią rozpatrywaną w niniejszym artykule jest ukazanie, jak te współczesne migracje wpływają na budowanie tożsamości i dobrobytu środkowoazjatyckich "Cyganów". Przedstawiona została analiza wielopoziomowych hierarchicznie ustrukturyzowanych tożsamości "Cyganów" środkowoazjatyckich, przejawiających się w różnych kontekstach historycznych: jako "ludzi sowieckich", członków dawnej klasy przewodniej – wiejskiego proletariatu, i jako zdeklasowanej dziś wspólnoty; jako "Cyganie" środkowoazjatyccy lub jako obywatele odnośnych republik środkowoazjatyckich podczas migracji na terenie Federacji Rosyjskiej vis a vis dominującej wspólnoty społeczeństwa rosyjskiego, jak też vis a vis Romów; a także w kontekście regionu środkowoazjatyckiego podczas migracji do Kazachstanu oraz w ich krajach ojczystych.
Central Asian Gypsies: identities and migrationsDuring recent years the topic of Gypsy/Roma migration and identities became burning topic of pan-EUropean public discourse. Much less attention is paid to the Gypsy migrations outside the borders of European Union. The present article has ambitious goal to fulfill this gap and to present contemporary Gypsy migrations in Post-soviet Central Asian in order to see how this "burning" topic looks outside European space. After breakdown of Soviet Union and establishing of new independent republics in Central Asia and in connection to economical difficulties, wars and social unrest, in order to make their living, the communities of Central Asian 'Gypsies' revitalised their former nomadic traditions and migrate towards Russian Federation and in frames of Central Asia towards Kazakhstan. There they are earning their living through begging and sporadic work in construction and scrap collection.A central point of this article is the impact of these contemporary migrations on the development of identities and well being of Central Asian 'Gypsies'. The multilevel, hierarchically structured identities of Central-Asian 'Gypsies' are analysed as demonstrated in different historical contexts – as former "Soviet people", member of former ruling class of agricultural proletariat, and as declassed community today; as Central-Asian 'Gypsies' or as citizens of respective Central Asian Republics during migrations in Russian Federation in front of Russian majority society and in front of Roma; and in context of the Central Asian region during the migrations to Kazakhstan and in their home countries. Cyganie środkowoazjatyccy – tożsamości i migracje W ostatnich latach tematyka migracji i tożsamości Cyganów (Romów) stała się tematem palącym w unijnoeuropejskim dyskursie publicznym. O wiele mniej uwagi poświęca się w nim migracjom Cyganów, które mają miejsce poza granicami Unii Europejskiej. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest wypełnienie tej luki i ukazanie współczesnych migracji Cyganów w posowieckiej Azji Środkowej, po to by móc spojrzeć, jak ów "palący" problem przedstawia się poza obszarem europejskim. Po rozpadzie Związku Sowieckiego i ustanowieniu w Azji Środkowej nowych niepodległych republik, a także wobec trudności gospodarczych, wojen i niepokojów społecznych, w dążeniu do uzyskania środków do życia, wspólnoty "Cyganów" środkowoazjatyckich powróciły do swych dawnych tradycji nomadycznych i migrują na teren Federacji Rosyjskiej jak też w obrębie Azji Środowej do Kazachstanu. Zarabiają tu na życie żebraniem, okazjonalnie podejmują pracę na budowach, zajmują się też zbieraniem surowców wtórnych.Zasadniczą kwestią rozpatrywaną w niniejszym artykule jest ukazanie, jak te współczesne migracje wpływają na budowanie tożsamości i dobrobytu środkowoazjatyckich "Cyganów". Przedstawiona została analiza wielopoziomowych hierarchicznie ustrukturyzowanych tożsamości "Cyganów" środkowoazjatyckich, przejawiających się w różnych kontekstach historycznych: jako "ludzi sowieckich", członków dawnej klasy przewodniej – wiejskiego proletariatu, i jako zdeklasowanej dziś wspólnoty; jako "Cyganie" środkowoazjatyccy lub jako obywatele odnośnych republik środkowoazjatyckich podczas migracji na terenie Federacji Rosyjskiej vis a vis dominującej wspólnoty społeczeństwa rosyjskiego, jak też vis a vis Romów; a także w kontekście regionu środkowoazjatyckiego podczas migracji do Kazachstanu oraz w ich krajach ojczystych.
Funding: 'RomaInterbellum. Roma Civic Emancipation between the Two World Wars' which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No 694656). ; The processes of identity development and identity changes in the Roma communities living in the Balkans observed nowadays have their old historical roots. These processes are documented as early as in the time of the Ottoman Empire, they acquired new dimensions and directions in the new independent states, and today in the conditions of post-socialism, their controversial development is activated once again. The main trends in the identity development among the Roma in the Balkans can be summarized as follows: a) internal development of the community; b) development of the community as part of the respective nation; c) development of preferred ethnic identity; d) the construction of a new ethnic identity. These trends are constantly intersecting, moving from one to another, sometimes even going in reverse direction. They are influenced by a number of "external" factors related to the specific situation in the region and in the individual countries framed by historical and geopolitical circumstances, and nowadays also by the common processes of pan-European integration and globalization. The processes of identity development and identity change in the Roma communities are constantly flowing and it is impossible to predict now which direction they will acquire in more near or distant future. ; Publisher PDF ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
Gypsies are not an isolated group, they have a multifaceted identity and national individuality. In order to identify the nature and determinants of Roma migrations, they should be given attention as an ethnically specific community. Roma migration in the past and in the present are determined by the collective strategies in response to current political and economic changes. Deceptive inconsistency of Gypsy migrations is explained by the heterogeneity of the Roma communities themselves and is manifested in various ways in different countries. Currently, the main participants of the migration are not a community of nomads, but the representatives of the settled Roma communities. The reason for this situation is the significant increase of integration of Roma in the countries of Eastern Europe. This leads to the inclusion of Roma in global migration processes. ; Publisher PDF ; Non peer reviewed
This article is written as a part of the research project 'RomaInterbellum. Roma Civic Emancipation between the Two World Wars' which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 694656). ; This article presents the history of the politics of multilingualism (or lack thereof) in regard to Roma (formerly known as "Gypsies"). In the 1920s and 1930s in the newly established Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, against a backdrop of proclaimed principles of full equality of all peoples living in the new state, commenced a rapid creation of schools for Roma children with instruction in Romani mother-tongue along with special training of Roma teachers. The results achieved were impressive in regard to the general literacy of Roma communities, but nevertheless in 1938 the "Gypsy schools" have been closed and Roma children were enrolled into mainstream schools lacking any elements of multilingualism. After World War II individual countries of Eastern Europe implemented various forms of special education for Roma children, neither of which however with elements of multilingualism. Only after the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, in the conditions of transition and the subsequent Euro-integration, various singular countries in the region have developed individual elements of multilingualism and educational policies targeting Roma children (e.g. introducing under various forms a Romani language instruction). Sporadically there even appeared proposals for teaching instruction conducted entirely in Roma mother-tongue, which were debated and rejected (including by Roma themselves). ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
This article is written as a part of the research project 'RomaInterbellum. Roma Civic Emancipation between the Two World Wars' which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 694656). ; The article offers a revision of the widespread belief that Romani movement was born only during the second half of 20th century. Based on the research of historical sources we will show that it has much older roots. The departing point of the research presented in this article is the circumstance that Roma are not a hermetic social and cultural system. They exist in two dimensions, both as separate ethnic communities and as a part of the macro-society in which they live within the respective nation-states. Together with members of the macro-society they experienced breakdowns of old Empires and the establishment of national states. Under the conditions of historical turbulences in the period between two World Wars, Roma developed aspirations for civil emancipation, started to be civically engaged and politically institutionalized. On the basis of archival and media sources the article introduces the first manifestation of civic activities of Roma in an attempt to pursue their ethnic and community rights and their visions about their place in society and the future of their nation. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
Romani NGOs, movements and political parties in Bulgaria: Competing forms of organization and definitions of group interests The Romani community has become involved in politics and in NGOs, which have grown quickly since 1989. Given international funding and "expertise", a "Gypsy industry" emerged during the 1990. Though supposedly providing answers to the problems of Roma in Bulgaria, it has had an ambiguous impact on defining common interests for Romani communities and defending them. Political representation has not always been a worthwhile alternative to NGOs, which have multiplied thanks to international funding. Since 1990, the strategies of Romani political "entrepreneurs" have fluctuated. Some of them have wanted to run on the tickets of the so-called "generalist" parties, while others have tried to form a pact with the Movement of Rights and Freedom (which represents the Turkish minority's interests), and still others are supporting an alliance among Romani political formations that would reach beyond cleavages within the community. Given the visibility of the "Romani social problem" on the international and European levels, articulating the internal and external (international organizations, Western foundations, Europeans, etc.) definitions of the issues involved represents a major challenge.
The book presents the life, visions and activities of the nascent Roma civic elite who initiated the movement for Roma civic emancipation. The book Roma Portraits in History, in the form of individual portraits, presents the life trajectory, visions and specific actions put forward by the nascent Roma elite and its leading representatives concerning the present and future of their community. The book is based on a rich source base of key original archival documents, in multiple languages, including Romani language, discovered in countries across the region of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, all of which showcase 'Roma elite' visions and action. To fulfil the general picture case studies of representatives from Spain and the US are also included.
The new collection of articles, dealing with the Roma issues is dedicated to the anniversary of Dr. Adam Bartosz. For more than 40 years Dr. Bartosz - a Polish ethnologist, historian and museum worker was doing research and publishing scientific articles on Roma in Poland. From 1980 until 2012 he was the Director of the Regional Museum in Tarnow, Poland and he established the permanent Roma Museum in Poland one of the few Museums on Roma in Europe. He was the organizer of many cultural and social events strengthening the sense of identity of Polish Roma and promoting cultural diversity, including the "International Roma Remembrance Rolling Stock". All his activities throughout the years were also object of his publications. In 2008 he established the journal Studia Romologica , and he is the editor in chief. His contribution to the field of Romani ethnography and ethnology is especially important.
