A portrait and interview of the Burgenland Romni Danijela Cicvaric, the director of the Vienna Association Romano Centro. Romano Centro has been working since 1991 for helping Roma, combatting discrimination, and promoting integration.
Category Archives: Austria
Burgenland Roma and the Genocide
A reportage on the vanished Roma settlements of the Austrian Burgenland.
- Die Auslöschung der Roma-Familie Ujvari. In: ORF. 11.02.2024. https://burgenland.orf.at/stories/3244214/
Austria and Roma Recognition
Susanne Raab (ÖVP), the Austrian Minister responsible for ethnic groups, invited people to a ceremony in the Federal Chancellery on Monday evening to mark the 30th anniversary of the recognition of the Roma as an ethnic group. It is clear to her that the culture and history of the Roma is an integral and integral part of Austria’s history, she said.
- Festakt zum 30. Jahrestag der Anerkennung der Roma. In: Puls 24. 11.12.2023. https://www.puls24.at/news/politik/festakt-zum-30-jahrestag-der-anerkennung-der-roma/315446
Austria: 30 Years
30 years ago, Austria recognised Roma as a national minority. In this context, Music and Minorities Research Center in Vienna featured the 2023 MMRC Lecture “amenca ketane. Histories of Trauma, Music and Romani Empowerment”.
Also, an evening on December 16th.
- MMRC Lecture (2023). In: MDW. https://mdw.vhx.tv/videos/mmrc-lecture-2023
- 30 jahre Anerkennung Roma. In: Falter. https://www.falter.at/event/997054/30-jahre-anerkennung-roma
Austria and Travellers
The usual story that Travellers leave a mess in their camping sites. Here, near Linz.
- Sinti & Roma vermüllen Durchreiseplatz schon wieder. In: MSN. 11.10.2023. https://www.msn.com/de-at/nachrichten/other/sinti-roma-vermüllen-durchreiseplatz-schon-wieder/ar-AA1i1Z0j
Travelling Roma and Austria
Seasonal news, indeed. A few articles in the Austrian Press about Roma camping near Linz. And these are not really flattering.
- Sinti & Roma campen nicht mehr nur in Pichling. In: Krone. 04.10.2023. https://www.krone.at/3130090
- Sinti & Roma campen nicht mehr nur in Pichling. In: Linz News. 04.10.2023. https://linz.news/2023/10/sinti-roma-campen-nicht-mehr-nur-in-pichling/
Austria and Roma
Katharina Janoska, an Austrian Romni, made a movie about the struggle of the Roma for recognition in Austria. The production from the ORF regional studio in Burgenland can be seen on ORF 2 on Sunday, August 27 at 6:25 p.m.
- Neusiedlerin Katharina Janoska: „Wir sind nicht so“. In: BVZ. 22.08.2023. https://www.bvz.at/neusiedl/doku-volksgruppe-roma-neusiedlerin-katharina-janoska-wir-sind-nicht-so-382174073
Austria and Travellers
The usual story. No space for travellers, hence illegal camping, hence complaints.
- Trotz Verbot parken Roma-Wildcamper Seeareal zu. In: Kronen Zeitung. 17.08.2023. https://www.krone.at/3088033
- Trotz Verbot parken Roma-Wildcamper Seeareal zu. In: Linz News. https://linz.news/2023/08/trotz-verbot-parken-roma-wildcamper-seeareal-zu/
Salzburg: Monument Restored
The monument commemorating the Roma victims of the Holocaust on the site of the camp of Maxglan will be reopened this coming Wednesday. It was heavily damaged in February.
- Schwer beschädigtes Roma und Sinti-Mahnmal wird am Mittwoch wieder aufgestellt. In: Stadt Salzburg. 07.08.2023. https://www.stadt-salzburg.at/presseaussendungen/presseaussendungen-2023/schwer-beschaedigtes-roma-und-sinti-mahnmal-wird-am-mittwoch-wieder-aufgestellt/
- In Salzburg kehrt ein zerstörtes Antifa-Mahnmal zurück. In: Der Standart. 07.08.2023.https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000182086/ein-zerst246rtes-antifa-mahnmal-kehrt-zur252ck
Holocaust, Roma, and Remembrance
August 2nd is celebrated at the commemoration of the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust since 2015. But Roma have long been second-class victims. The interest of the public in this commemoration and this part of the suppressed history is not least thanks to people like Čeija Stojka, who broke the silence. A major show is now being dedicated to Stojka at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York.
- Die Sichtbarkeit der Verfolgung. In: ORF. 02.08.2023. https://topos.orf.at/ceija-stojka100
August 2nd – Commemoration in Oberwart
A commemoration of the genocide of the Roma in Oberwart on August 2nd. Obewart, Austria, is known for the 1995 bomb attack by right wind extremists which killed 4 Roma.
- Am 2. August: Roma-Gedenken in Oberwart. In: BVZ. 01.08.2023. https://www.bvz.at/oberwart/europaeischer-gedenktag-am-2-august-roma-gedenken-in-oberwart-378237990
Austria: Holocaust Remembrance
On the occasion of the Holocaust Remembrance Day for Sinti and Roma on August 2nd, the Diocese of Eisenstadt invites to a commemoration ceremony in Oberwart. Of the approximately 12,000 Austrian Roma and Sinti, only around 1,500 survived the Nazi terror. Of the approx. 8,000 Burgenland Roma, only 900 people, i.e. almost 11 percent, survived the Nazi terror system.
- Diözese Eisenstadt gedenkt Genozids an Roma und Sinti. In: ORF. 25.07.2023. https://religion.orf.at/stories/3220469/
Roma Graves
Austria’s National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) is looking for a solution to permanently preserve the graves of Sinti and Roma who survived the Holocaust. The German model could serve as a model, he said in the APA double interview with the chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose. The federal and state governments split the costs there. Sobotka now wants to take a closer look at this model.
- Sobotka sucht Lösung für Erhalt von Roma-Gräbern. In: Der Kurier. 21.05.2023. https://kurier.at/politik/inland/sobotka-sucht-loesung-fuer-erhalt-von-roma-graebern/402456699
- Sobotka sucht nach Lösung für Erhalt der Gräber von Roma und Sinti. In: Der Standard. 21.05.2023. https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000146588093/sobotka-sucht-nach-loesung-fuer-erhalt-der-graeber-von-roma
- Sobotka sucht Lösung für Erhalt von Roma-Gräbern. In: Die Presse. 21.05.2023. https://www.diepresse.com/6290325/sobotka-sucht-loesung-fuer-erhalt-von-roma-graebern
Camping Interdiction
The rightist party FPÖ in Linz is proposing a camping interdiction for Sinti and Roma in a site ner Linz and asking for a caution.
Reason behind this was the damages sustained recently that were the subject of several articles in the local press.
- Campierverbot und Kaution für Roma und Sinti. In: Kronen Zeitung. 19.05.2023. https://www.krone.at/3010535
30 years
Sinti and Roma have been recognized as an autochthonous ethnic group in Austria for 30 years. At a celebratory event in Parliament, the chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, acknowledged the progress made towards equality for the minority, but at the same time warned against anti-Semitism becoming stronger again.
- 30-Jahr-Jubiläum der Anerkennung von Sinti und Roma gefeiert. In: ORF. 17.05.2023. https://orf.at/stories/3317145/
Čeija Stojka
An article in the Czech press about Čeija Stojka, who survived the Holocaust, and went to write a book about it and paint.
She was a great woman.
- Ceija Stojka: Po návratu z koncentračního tábora se naučila psát, aby mohla předat své vzpomínky. In: What News. 03.04.2023. https://www.whatnews.cz/enjoy/ceija-stojka-po-navratu-z-koncentracniho-tabora-se-naucila-psat-aby-mohla-predat-sve-vzpominky/
8th of April in Vienna
An impressive program in Vienna for the International Roma day and the 30th anniversary of the recognition of Roma in Austria. Podium discussion with Dieter Halwachs, Emmerich Gartner-Horvath, Erika Thurner, Mirjam Karoly, and Ursula Hemetek; Roma Tales and concert, and an after party.
- International Roma Day: 30 years of recognition of the Roma as an ethnic group in Austria – mica. In: Breking Latest News. 17.03.2023. https://www.breakinglatest.news/entertainment/international-roma-day-30-years-of-recognition-of-the-roma-as-an-ethnic-group-in-austria-mica/
Austria: Vandalism
The monument commemorating the Roma victims of the Holocaust in Salzburg, Austria, was again damaged by vandals over the weekend. This is unfortunately not the first time.
- NS-Mahnmal in Leopoldskron erneut beschädigt. In: Salzburger Nachrichten. 11.02.2023. https://www.sn.at/salzburg/chronik/kriminalitaet-ns-mahnmal-in-leopoldskron-erneut-beschaedigt-133894543
- Leopoldskron: Schwer beschädigtes Roma und Sinti-Mahnmal wird vom Hochbauamt der Stadt rasch wieder aufgestellt. In: Stadt Salzburg. 11.02.2023. https://www.stadt-salzburg.at/presseaussendungen/presseaussendungen-2023/leopoldskron-schwer-beschaedigtes-roma-und-sinti-mahnmal-wird-vom-hochbauamt-der-stadt-rasch-wieder-aufgestellt/
Bibi Sara Kali
The three sisters Snezana (Simonida Selimović), Tanja (Jasmin Behnawa) and Melisa (Zeynep Alan) travel to their mother’s Serbian home village and thus begin to confront their own identity. Jelena, the mother of the siblings, who could hardly be more different, went to Boljevac to celebrate Bibijako Dive (“Aunt’s Day”) and died shortly afterwards. The festival is celebrated every year on January 31st, the same day on which the play in WERK X was first performed in Vienna.
In “Bibi Sara Kali” the confrontation with the alienated Roma culture and its customs is brought to the stage in a self-deprecating, humorous and authentic way.
“It’s always wonderful to see the audience so enthusiastic. Being able to tell our stories is of course something special,” says director Simonida Selimović in an interview with KURIER. She herself was born in Serbia, but came to Vienna at the age of seven. Growing up in two cultures, I can identify with my siblings’ struggle for identity.
- “Bibi Sara Kali”: Auf den Spuren der eigenen Identität. In: der Kurier. 10.02.2023. https://kurier.at/mehr-platz/theater-roma-sinti-romano-svato-simonida-selimovic/402324348
Austria’s Burgenland
Austrian TV Station ORF Burgenland will start a new series on Sunday, February 12, 2023 as part of the TV folk group program “Romano Dikipe”. “In the footsteps of vanished Roma settlements” is the title of the series that investigates the situation of the Roma in Burgenland today. In each program, a different location is visited in order to talk to Burgenland Roma and Romnja about their lives, but also about the past. The reports are in Burgenland Romani, the language of the Roma in Burgenland, and have German subtitles throughout. The new series is based on the comprehensive historical work of the two Burgenland historians Herbert Brettl and Gerhard Baumgartner. The latter is also a studio guest on “Burgenland heute” on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
- ORF Burgenland: Neue Serie über verschwundene Roma-Siedlungen im TV-Volksgruppenmagazin “Romano Dikipe”. In: OTS. 11.02.2023. https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20230210_OTS0012/orf-burgenland-neue-serie-ueber-verschwundene-roma-siedlungen-im-tv-volksgruppenmagazin-romano-dikipe
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