Category Archives: Poland

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Stanisław Opocki

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Stanisław Opocki

Father Stanisław Opocki, a prominent priest and national pastor for the Romani community in Poland, died in a car accident on October 7, 2026, at the age of 73.

He dedicated much of his life to serving the Romani community, initiating significant events such as the first pilgrimage for Romani people in the 1980s, which became a tradition in southern Poland.

His funeral is scheduled for October 13, 2026, in his hometown of Rudka, with official announcements made by the Polish Bishops’ Conference and the Tarnów Diocese.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Józef Merstein Jochymczyk

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Józef Merstein Jochymczyk

Józef Merstein Jochymczyk, a Sinto musician from Poland, shares his life story, including his early experiences with music and family roots. The family moved through Switzerland, Germany, and wartime Krakow ending up in Chrzanov, where he was born.

He highlights the cultural differences and common  roots between Sinti and Roma and reflects on the historical persecution faced by his community. He continues to perform and compose music in the language he learned before Polish, emphasizing the importance of his cultural identity.

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ERIAC head on AfD

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ERIAC head on AfD

Anna Mirga, who heads ERIAC, comments on the recent victory of the AfD in Sachsen Anhalt and on some of the comments somf prominent AfD politicians have made regarding Roma. One AfD MP ordered people she identified as Roma to sweep the streets. Tino Chrupalla, the AfD deputy leader and Bundestag MP suggested that a cache of weapons found in a forest near Berlin had likely been lost by Roma people who had “gone mushroom picking.” he oldest stereotype—that Roma are criminals and backward people—served as a cheap political ploy. The crowd laughed.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Memory Camp

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Memory Camp

The XXVII International Romani Memory Camp will take place in Tarnów from October 2-4, 2026, focusing on the history, culture, and contemporary issues of the Romani community, including the Holocaust remembrance.

The event will feature various presentations and discussions by scholars on topics such as the documentation of the Romani Holocaust, language policy, discrimination in education, and the role of local media in combating exclusion.

Participants will also embark on a tour of the Małopolska Trail of Romani Martyrdom, visiting significant locations related to Romani history in the region.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Auschwitz Conference

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Auschwitz Conference

An international conference titled “Roma and Sinti – Between Historical Memory and Modernity” will take place on November 24-25 in Auschwitz, organized by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Europe.

The conference aims to reflect on the historical memory of the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II and its impact on contemporary identity and culture.

Participants will include educators and museum professionals, with discussions on the persecution of Roma and Sinti, and workshops on teaching without perpetuating stereotypes.

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Auschwitz Paintings

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Auschwitz Paintings

 Dina Gottliebova Babbitt was forced to create watercolors of Roma prisoners for Nazi physician Josef Mengele during the Holocaust, and she spent her life trying to reclaim these artworks from a museum.

Despite her efforts, the museum has refused to return the paintings, citing their historical significance and legal acquisition.

Babbitt’s daughters are now pursuing legal action to retrieve the artwork, highlighting the ongoing debate over art created under duress during the Holocaust.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Exhibition

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Exhibition

If you happen to visit Poland in the upcoming months, “Weś gilaweł / The forest Is singing”, an exhibition of works by Małgorzata Mirga-Tas dedicated to the memory of the Romani genocide, has just opened in Zakopane and will be on display until 31 January.

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Young Roma

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Young Roma

The young Roma generation is determined to overcome discrimination and stigma in areas like education, housing, and employment, seeking self-determined paths.

Antiziganism is on the rise, with historical prejudices deeply rooted in society, leading to increased racism and stigmatization of Roma children.

The article highlights individual stories of young Roma who are breaking barriers and advocating for their rights, showcasing their aspirations and the challenges they face in a society that often marginalizes them.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Racial Persecution

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Racial Persecution

Accodting to the article, the roots of Nazi persecution of the Roma can be traced back to changing perceptions of the group during the modernization of European societies, as discussed in Sławomir Kapralski’s book “Naród z popiołów”.

In the 19th century, racial theories emerged that interpreted social and cultural differences as inherent biological traits, leading to the ‘naturalization of difference’ and viewing Roma as biologically distinct and unchangeable.

This perspective shifted the view of Roma from a social problem to a biological one, resulting in their increasing exclusion and eventual persecution, including sterilization and extermination.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Łódź

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Łódź

A memorial ceremony was held at the Romani Forge in Łódź to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Romani and Sinti Genocide during the Holocaust, recalling the tragic fate of over 5,000 Romani and Sinti prisoners held in a Nazi camp in 1941.

The event highlighted the importance of remembering the extermination of Romani people during WWII, and the ongoing need for education and awareness to prevent such atrocities from happening again.

Local officials emphasized the horrific conditions in the Litzmannstadt Ghetto and the subsequent deportation and murder of survivors in extermination camps, urging reflection on the lessons learned from this dark chapter in history.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Auschwitz

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Auschwitz

Polish President Karol Nawrocki emphasized the importance of remembering the the Roma Genocide in the Holocaust during the 82nd anniversary of the liquidation of the Romani camp in Birkenau, condemning all forms of racism and extremism.

Survivors and community leaders called for the inclusion of Romani history in European school curricula to combat rising anti-Romani sentiment and discrimination.

The event highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by Romani people in Europe, including discrimination in education, healthcare, and employment, while reaffirming Poland’s commitment to remembering the victims of the Romani genocide.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Auschwitz Commemoration

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Auschwitz Commemoration

The 82nd anniversary of the liquidation of the so-called Gypsy camp at Auschwitz will be commemorated on August 2, 2024, with events organized by the Center for History and Culture of the Roma in Oświęcim. During World War II, approximately 500,000 Roma and Sinti were murdered by the Nazis, with many being exterminated at Auschwitz.

August 2 is recognized in Poland as the Day of Remembrance for the Roma Genocide and is observed in the EU as the European Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust of Roma and Sinti.

News Eastern Europe Poland

“Traditional” Home

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“Traditional” Home

Several article in the Polish press about the “traditional” Roma home of Bogdan Trojanek, a Roma singer from Poland.

No Comments …

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Auschwitz Exhibition

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Auschwitz Exhibition

The traveling exhibition “Auschwitz. Not so long ago. Not so far away” will be shown at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum next year. The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum announced this on Monday. Using original artifacts, the exhibition conveys the history and significance of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Adam Fedorowicz

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Adam Fedorowicz

He was one of the most important ambassadors of Roma culture in the region and in Poland. Through his artistic and social work, he promoted the richness of Roma music and customs. Adam Fedorowicz, president of the Hitano Roma Culture Association, musician, composer, and songwriter, has died.

Te javel I phuv lokhi.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Romani Media

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Romani Media

Grzegorz Szczepański, assistant editor-in-chief of Romano Atmo, the Roma minority newspaper published by the Polish Roma Union in Szczecinek, discusses the most important events of the last year and what is happening now in the latest issue of “Roma Magazine.”

News Eastern Europe Poland

Romani Pupils

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Romani Pupils

An article about Romani pupils in Polish schools. It says that for a Roma child, the threshold of school is often a threshold to a completely different linguistic world. In homes, especially in groups like Polska Roma, which cultivate a stronger tradition, the first language is Romani. It is an intimate, homely language, acting as a guardian of identity. At school, students must rapidly adapt to Polish grammatical structures to master reading and writing, which represents a tremendous cognitive effort.

Well most of them are bilingual… So not sure about that statement.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Zigeunerlager

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Zigeunerlager

Roma and Poles commemorated the 83rd anniversary of the establishment of the so-called Gypsy camp (Zigeunerlager) by the Germans at Auschwitz II-Birkenau on Thursday. They jointly paid tribute to the victims. Twenty-one thousand Roma and Sinti died in Auschwitz.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Clothing

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Clothing

An article about Roma cloting in the Polish press.

Classic ethnographic studies emphasize that clothing in Romani communities served a social and symbolic function.

Ethnographer Lech Mróz, author of, among others, The publication “Gypsies: Diversity and Intolerance” pointed out that dress was one of the most visible signs of cultural distinctiveness and an element in maintaining intergroup boundaries. However, it was not immutable – it evolved along with living conditions.

For women, traditional clothing – long, full skirts, covered shoulders, and expressive jewelry – was associated not only with aesthetics but also with social norms, including the rules of ritual purity (marime), present in some Romani groups.

There is no single “Roma costume”.

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