February 22, 2025 - rroma.org

Germany: Racism

February 22, 2025 Published by: Roma Foundation

In Neumünster, the shop windows of the Sinti Union Schleswig-Holstein office were smeared with a swastika and other nazi symbols. This happened, according to Kelly Laubinger, the managing director of the office during the night to Saturday.

Well, reminder: Tomorrow there are elections in Germany and the AfD candidate once stated that Roma and Sinti are alien to Germany… Does it remind you of anything?

Neumünster: Unbekannte beschmieren Büro der Sinti-Union SH mit Hakenkreuz. In: SH:Z. 21.02.2025. https://www.shz.de/lokales/neumuenster/artikel/neumuenster-buero-der-sinti-union-sh-mit-hakenkreuz-beschmiert-48390561
Hakenkreuz-Schmierereien an Büro der Sinti Union SH in Neumünster. In: NDR. 21.02.2025. https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Hakenkreuz-Schmierereien-an-Buero-der-Sinti-Union-SH-in-Neumuenster,regionkielnews2328.html

Germany News Western Europe

Germany: Unku

February 22, 2025 Published by: Roma Foundation

Erna Lauenburger (1920-1943), a Sintiza from Berlin, became known under the name Unku. In 1931, the children’s book “Ede and Unku” by the author Alex Wedding (1905-1966) was published. The story is set in the Berlin working-class milieu and deals with poverty and labour disputes in the Weimar Republic. At the centre of the story is the friendship between the two children of the title.

Together with descendants of Erna Lauenburger, Margitta and Manolito Steinbach from the Menda Yek e.V. association and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Foundation as well as the Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma, the Berlin City Museum has expanded the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition to include the biography of Erna Lauenburger.

Unku – eine Berliner Sintiza. In: Stadt Meuseum Berlin. 09.04.2025. https://www.stadtmuseum.de/veranstaltungen/unku-eine-berliner-sintiza

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland, and Roma Street Musicians

February 22, 2025 Published by: Roma Foundation

Roma bands have become an almost permanent fixture on crowded weekends in Zakopane. Eight guitars, one case and a resonance box – these are the losses of Roma bands that have been performing on Krupówki for months. The municipal guard is fighting them. And as you can see during this year’s holidays – with success. There are much fewer performances.

Kapele romskie coraz rzadziej na Krupówkach. W czasie ucieczek muzykanci zgubili już osiem gitar. In: Zakopane. 20.02.2025. https://zakopane.naszemiasto.pl/kapele-romskie-coraz-rzadziej-na-krupowkach-w-czasie-ucieczek-muzykanci-zgubili-juz-osiem-gitar/ar/c1p2-27289549

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma History

February 22, 2025 Published by: Roma Foundation

No wonder, the latest survey from the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities also indicates that Slovaks have absolutely no idea about historical milestones in the history of the country related to Roma.

This is unfortunately not only the case in Slovakia.

PRIESKUM Spojitosť Rómov s míľnikmi v histórii je málo známa. In: Regióny. 20.02.2025. https://regiony.zoznam.sk/prieskum-spojitost-romov-s-milnikmi-v-historii-je-malo-znama/
Prieskum: Spojitosť Rómov s míľnikmi v histórii je málo známa. In: Teraz. 22.02.2025. https://www.teraz.sk/spravy/prieskum-spojitost-romov-s-milnikmi/858666-clanok.html