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

  • Italy and Settlements
    October 13, 2026
    A meeting was held at the Government Palace in Naples to address the lack of water and electricity in the...
  • Stanisław Opocki
    October 13, 2026
    Father Stanisław Opocki, a prominent priest and national pastor for the Romani community in Poland, died in a car accident...
  • Theatre
    October 13, 2026
    The theater group "Stolivud" in the multicultural neighborhood of Stolipinovo aims to promote tolerance and unity through art, featuring members...
  • Roma Music in Hungary
    October 13, 2026
    On Wednesday, October 7, educator and Roma cultural studies teacher Mrs. János Jónás delivered a lecture titled "Sounds of Two...
  • Voice of Romnja
    October 13, 2026
    A new community and advocacy program called "Voice of Roma Women in Miskolc" has been launched to enhance the public...
  • Roma Pride
    October 13, 2026
    The Roma Pride and Dignity Day will be held in Budapest on October 17, featuring a march and the presentation...
  • Cigany Telep
    October 13, 2026
    An article about a Roma setllement in the Hungarian Matra mountains. There, according to Local representative Nikolett Szomora, around 80%...
  • Condemned
    October 12, 2026
    A nine-year-old Roma boy in Serbia was assaulted by a city employee, leading to public outrage and demands for accountability,...
  • Influencer
    October 12, 2026
    Valentina, a Roma influencer in Greece, shares her experiences on social media, discussing the challenges and joys of her identity...
  • Greece and Roma
    October 12, 2026
    The FRA's "Roma Survey 2024" reveals a significant gap between Roma communities and the general population in Greece, highlighting failures...
  • Ethnic Cleansing
    October 12, 2026
    Azir Jašari, a former journalist, documents the suffering of displaced Roma after being expelled from Kosovo and Metohija, creating a...
  • Award
    October 12, 2026
    Vladimir Amzić received the October Award from the City of Leskovac for his long-term efforts in promoting education and employment...
  • Child Marriage
    October 12, 2026
    Zlatka V., a 16-year-old Romni from Plovdiv, shares her traumatic experience of being sold into marriage at 14, highlighting the...
  • French Chronicle …
    October 11, 2026
    The election of a socialist mayor in the Nantes region was contested, as several Roma registered themselves for this election....
  • Józef Merstein Jochymczyk
    October 11, 2026
    Józef Merstein Jochymczyk, a Sinto musician from Poland, shares his life story, including his early experiences with music and family...
  • Ethnic Cleansing
    October 11, 2026
    Zijo Ribić is a Roma survivor of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War. He shares his experiences in the book...
  • Youth Parliament
    October 11, 2026
    On Friday, the first Roma youth parliament was established in Slovakia. Its mission is to facilitate dialogue between Roma and...
  • Mallorca and Roma
    October 11, 2026
    Laura Jurado's new work, 'Mallorca romaní. Una historia de la comunidad gitana', explores five centuries of Romani presence in Palma...
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