Roma, their History, Culture, Traditions, and News

  • The Roma
    The Roma
    Roma are variously known as Rroma, Gypsies, Tsiganes, Tsigan, Gitanos or Gitans, as well as Sinti, Cale, and many other names. They are Europeans, having arrived...
  • History
    History
    Apart from the non-controversial fact that Roma come from India, the rest of the Roma early history is a subject of controversy. When did Roma...
  • Language
    Language
    Roma have an Indian based language, a discovery of 1753.  Romanes, or Romani Čhib, is the language of the Roma. This fact is little known...
  • Traditions
    Traditions
    The Roma culture is not a written one and has kept its unity and consistency in spite of savage assaults. Traditions were one of the...
  • Music
    Music
    What is Roma music? What is Roma music? This seemingly innocuous question has fed quite an industry. From the 18th century onward, musicians, scientist have...
  • Reports
    Reports
    All reports presented here are strictly copyrighted to the Rroma Foundation Zürich. These reports were compiled by our staff while on surveys in various countries.
  • Questions & Answers
    Questions & Answers
    When hearing about Roma, when reading about them, a wealth of clichés, generally accepted “truths” and statements are always present. This summary presents the most...
  • Galleries
    Galleries
    These galleries are either the work of amateurs, documenting the situation in a specific region at a specific time (for example in Bosnia in 2001,...
  • Literature
    Literature
    Various informations and references on Rroma and on this site.

Who are Roma? Where do they come from? What is the difference between Roma, Sinti, Gypsies, Cale, Tsiganes, Zigeuner, Travellers? Do they have a language? Where do they come from? How many are there in Europe? What are their traditions?

These and many more questions are treated at length in these pages on Roma, history, language, traditions, music, but also in shorter form in the questions and answers page.

The page also has resources on literature, reports and many more items.

Recent News on Roma

  • Transit Sites
    October 26, 2026
    The only transit site for travelers in the canton of Lucerne is at risk of being eliminated by early 2027,...
  • Ilona Szabó
    October 26, 2026
    In honour of the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, a public space in Józsefváros in Budapest has been...
  • Greece and Roma
    October 26, 2026
    Aphrodite Latinopoulou, president of the "Voice of Reason" party (extreme-right), criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for failing to change the...
  • Roma and the Election
    October 26, 2026
    A 77-year-old election commission member, Mariyana Angelova, was removed from her position after alleging that the commission chairman was improperly...
  • Hate Crimes
    October 26, 2026
    Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina are more frequently exposed to potential hate crimes compared to individuals of other nationalities, yet...
  • Ustaša and Roma
    October 26, 2026
    The article discusses mass crimes committed against Roma by Ustaše and Chetniks during World War II, highlighting their genocidal intent...
  • French Chronicle …
    October 25, 2026
    No notable news about Roma this week in France, apart from a fire in one camp in Western France. It...
  • Roma Politics
    October 25, 2026
    Veljko Kajtazi, the Member of Parliament representing the Roma community and 11 other national minorities, stated on Saturday that he...
  • Brawl
    October 25, 2026
    New mass brawls and street fights occurred between two rival clans in the Roma neighborhood of Petrich, Bulgaria, resulting in...
  • Porto Film Cycle
    October 25, 2026
    The University of Porto is hosting a special edition of the CIDAAD film cycle in November, focusing on Roma and...
  • Vote Buying?
    October 25, 2026
    The article discusses the ongoing issue of vote-buying among Roma communities in Slovakia, particularly during elections, as highlighted by government...
  • Beggars
    October 24, 2026
    The Swiss Federal Court acquitted six Roma beggars fined by Geneva's justice system for begging, stating that the fines violated...
  • Exhibition
    October 24, 2026
    The exhibition season for the City Museum and City Wall Museum ends on November 8, after which both museums will...
  • Šutar Act
    October 24, 2026
    One year after Aleš Šutar's death, mayors and social services report little improvement in safety and social conditions for the...
  • Roma, School, and Romania
    October 24, 2026
    In Cluj County, there are 2,633 Roma students enrolled in schools, making up about 4.55% of the total student population,...
  • Congress
    October 24, 2026
    The Union of Roma Party (P.U.R.) is holding its first congress on October 23, 2026, to elect its leadership and...
  • Battle of Kumanovo
    October 24, 2026
    The anniversary of the 1912 Battle of Kumanovo was commemorated in Leskovac, but there is still no concrete plan to...
  • Romani Pen
    October 23, 2026
    Romani PEN has been officially recognized by PEN International, enhancing the global platform for Romani authors and literature. The initiative,...
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