Category Archives: Poland

News Eastern Europe Poland

Edward Dębicki

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Edward Dębicki

Edward Dębicki, a renowned Polsko Rom musician and Holocaust survivor is at the centre of a controversy in Gorzów Wiełkopolski. This is not his hometown, as he comes from former Eastern Poland, and was resettled when Poland was shifted 300 km westward.

The controversy was whether he could be granted a municipal apartment at a significant discount. Ultimately, the resolution was rejected. The vast majority of councillors voted against it.

So much for survivors …

Europe News Eastern Europe Poland

An Omission?

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An Omission?

During the August 2nd commemoration of the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust in Auschwitz, Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma gave a speech in German in which he not only spoke about the genocide of the Roma but also of human right violations, and he specifically mentioned children starving in Gaza.

The issue: the Gaza mention was not translated in English, Polish, or Czech according to the people we spoke to right after the ceremony in Auschwitz.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Edward Dȩbicki

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Edward Dȩbicki

An article about Edward Dȩbicki, a 90 year old Polska Roma who spoke at this year’s commemoration on August 2nd in Auschwitz. Dębicki, is not only a musician and composer but also a writer. He wrote the book “Birds of the Dead” about that time over two decades ago, which recounts the tragedy of Roma families during the war.

“When the Roma camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau was being liquidated in 1944, I was nine years old. We hid in the forests, lived in dugouts in constant fear, and saw death at every turn. I survived because fate had it so. But I carry within me the memory of all those who were not so fortunate,” says Edward Dębicki.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Commemoration

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Poland: Commemoration

Commemoration of the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust have been held throughout Poland on August 2nd. The main one was held on the site of the former Roma camp in the KZ Auschwitz Birkenau in the presence of many European politicians, Romani Rose, chairman of the German Council of Sinti and Roma, as well as many survivors.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Poland

Dikh i na Bistrer

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Dikh i na Bistrer

Several ROMEA Fellows are participating in the international educational event Dikh He Na Bister 2025 (“Look and Remember”), which takes place in Poland from July 29 to August 4. The gathering of young people from all over Europe commemorates the genocide of Roma and Sinti during World War II and offers education in human rights and the fight against racism.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Minorities

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Poland and Minorities

President Andrzej Duda has signed the amendment to the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and on Regional Language, his office announced on Friday.

The purpose of the amendment to the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and on Regional Language is for the Chancellery of the Sejm to provide substantive and administrative support to representatives of minorities and communities whose members speak a regional language on the Joint Committee of the Government and National and Ethnic Minorities (Joint Committee). The costs will be covered by the state budget – funds at the disposal of the Head of the Chancellery of the Sejm.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Letter to the Editor

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Letter to the Editor

A letter to the editor on a Roma musician who gave a concert below the windows of an apartment block in Sopot, a Polish town on the Baltic sea. The author of the letter takes it with humour, saying it is not Roma, it is the noise, and adds other sources of disturbance including nationalist marches…

News Eastern Europe Poland

Racism in Poland

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Racism in Poland

Izabela Jaśkowiak, president of the Harangos Romani Educational Association of Poland on her experiences with Racism against Roma in Poland.

Being ostracised in school and university, racist comments, she had to endure all.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Funerals

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Funerals

Two more article about a lavish funeral of a Polish Romni who died in the UK and was buried in Poland. Again they stress how “different” the Roma customs are from the general population.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Funeral

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Poland: Funeral

An article about the funeral of a 33 years old Polish Romni who was buried in Poland, although she lived in the UK. The article insists on the fact that the funeral rites are different from that of the Poles. They mentioned the night vigil over the coffin, and the hearth that had to be brought from Warsaw.

News Eastern Europe Poland Slovakia

Slovak Polish Concert

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Slovak Polish Concert

The House of Culture Foundation and ETP Slovensko invite you to the Romani Polish-Slovak Concert – a common space of culture in Europe. It will take place next Saturday (June 14) at the Office of Art Exhibitions in Krosno, Poland, starting at 5:00 p.m.

The programme includes: A performance by the “Sila v mladosti” band from Stara Lubovna, which will present the music of the Slovak Roma from the Prešov region (historical Spiš); a concert by the “Romano Iło” band, led by Łukasz Andrasz, representing traditional Roma music from the Podkarpacie region in a modern version; a jam session, during which musicians from Poland and Slovakia will jointly create a space for improvisation and exchange of artistic experiences; as well as dances.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Resistance Day

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Resistance Day

Roma honoured the memory of their ancestors who revolted 81 years ago in the Gypsy camp that was part of the German Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration camp. Director of the Roma History and Culture Centre Władysław Kwiatkowski emphasized that it was an act of maintaining dignity in the face of death.

Europe News Eastern Europe Poland

Roma Resistance Day

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Roma Resistance Day

April 16th, Roma Resistance Day, commemorates the resistance of Roma inmates in the Auschwitz “Zigeunerlager” when the Nazis liquidated the camp.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Krakow: Celebration

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Krakow: Celebration

The Krakow somewhat belated celebrations of International Roma Day are taking place today place at the Multicultural Center at ul. Zabłocie 20. The program includes a debate, workshops, tasting of traditional dishes and a concert by Marek Balog – an outstanding Roma artist.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Lublin on Roma Integration

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Lublin on Roma Integration

On May 5, 2025, the Municipality of Lublin concluded agreements with the Voivode of Lublin to implement tasks under the “Social and Civic Integration Program for Roma in Poland for the years 2021-2030.”

The projects plans to increase the social integration of Roma and non-Roma children through participation in a joint holiday trip to summer camps in 2025 and to purchase school materials, textbooks, and sports articles for Roma children.

Whether this is enough for integration remains to be seen…

News Eastern Europe Poland Ukraine

Ukrainian Refugees

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Ukrainian Refugees

Olena Vaidalovich, defender of Roma rights says that some Roma Don’t Admit Who They Are

In refugee shelters, Ukrainians of Roma origin were separated from other Ukrainians. Coordinators said they were trying to avoid tensions. “Better” Ukrainians had more comfortable conditions – beds, chairs. Where there were Roma, there might have been nothing. I saw children sleeping on cardboard boxes in winter.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma

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Poland and Roma

On 16 April 2025, a meeting was held at the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights between the Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights Adam Krzywoń and the Vice-President of the Central Roma Council Karol Kwiatkowski and the Director for Communication and Cooperation at the Central Roma Council Karolina Kwiatkowska.

Representatives of the Central Roma Council presented information on the organization’s activities, its initiatives to date and actions taken to support the Roma community in Poland. During the talks, the following issues were raised, among others: issues of difficult social and living conditions in Roma settlements in Małopolska and barriers faced by Roma refugees from Ukraine. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences and discuss possible directions for further cooperation.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma Settlements

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Poland and Roma Settlements

An old story, in the Polish town of Limanowsa, local Roma lived in a insalubrious building. So the municipality decided to purchase another building to house these Roam families. The catch: They did not buy the building in the town but in another one …

That town is a touristy one and did not appreciate this. Neither did Roma who were de-facto forced resettled.

Since no one moved in, the town of Limanowa needs to repay loans.

We are not going to cry here …

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and April 8th

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Poland and April 8th

A few of the many articles on April 8th in the Polish press. The university of Warsaw claim theyt have been conducting research on Roma “migration” since 2016. There they mean migration of Roma from other countries as Poland such as Ukrainian Roma.

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