Category Archives: News Western Europe

France Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

French Chronicle …

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Unfortunately, more news on Roma this week in France. Near Nantes, Romanian Roma families who were expulsed twice in 24 hours on July 6 and 7th have finally found a place where they can stay. The town of Rezé together with the city of Nantes has set a location aside where the Roma can put up their camp. Also In Nantes, Roma lost everything last week in a fire and the commune is appealing for help. Other news are a fire in a garbage dump in a Roma camp in Marseilles; a squat closed near Paris; and finally, two young Roma arrested near Paris for burglary in several houses.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Ursula Heilig

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Ursula Heilig, born Hartmann, died at the age of 85. She was born on February 28, 1937, in Frankenstein into a Silesian Sinti family. Her family ran a circus company. From 1940 to 1945, as a small child, she lived in hiding in Upper Silesia with her mother Auguste Sperlich and other relatives under inhumane conditions. She suffered severe damage to her health as a result of escaping and living in hiding. Large parts of her relatives were murdered in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp.

May she rest in peace.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Espagne

Spain, Attacks, and Roma

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The Spanish Gitana Society and the Federation of Gitana Women have filed a complaint against the mayor of Íllora (Granada), Antonio Salazar, for alleged incitement to hatred after the violent death of a 19-year-old boy at the town festivals. The incitement concerns acts by citizen who have detained a 23-year-old Gitano, and for the damage to Roma homes the municipality of Poniente de Granada.

Specifically, the Federation of Gitana Women considers the alderman “promoter and instigator” of the assaults registered in the town against several Gitana families and has even requested his arrest.

According to the Spanish Gitana Society, these are “serious crimes”, which “have been generated against Gitana families”, for which they ask that the mayor be “immediately arrested”.

These attacks are becoming more frequent is Spain.

Italie News Americas Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

International Romnja Congress

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The University of Southern Patagonia of Argentina – UNPA which has been involved for years in spreading the Romani culture and above all it deals with the condition of women Romani women is organising an International Congress of Romani Women from the 17th to the 19th of August.

In addition to Argentina, Romani women from Brazil, the USA, Spain, Romania, Ukraine, Italy will attend. For Italy, Giulia Di Rocco has been called for the second time to take part and will talk about the situation of Romani women between discrimination and struggles for gender equality.

Grèce Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Interview with Paul Hagouel

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Dr. Paul Isaac Hagouel, president of the Roma Genocide Committee at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) spoke to APE-MPE on the occasion of the Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day on August 2nd. Himself the son of an Auschwitz survivor, explained that “the oblivion of the Roma and Sinti Genocide perpetuated prejudices and stereotypes about the Roma which, in turn, fostered discrimination and unfounded and at the same time harmful hatred of the ‘other’ – Anti-Gypsyism”.

Thus, the IHRA, a transnational organization, constituted by a combination of experts and top diplomats from the member states, recommended the creation of the Commission on the Genocide of the Roma in 2007. This interdisciplinary IHRA Committee aims to raise awareness of prejudice against Roma and Sinti and highlight the link between the history of persecution and the current situation in Roma communities which, continue to experience the manifestations of stereotypes, prejudices and, quite often, (racial) hatred.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Espagne Ukraine

Spain and Ukraine

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An editorial by Juan de Dios Ramirez Heredia, a lawyer, former EU MP, and a Rom activist on the unbearable situation of Roma in the Ukraine. He states: “It is dramatic to know that the situation of the Roma people in Ukraine is unbearable and that the war has greatly increased their exclusion. Conditions in the settlements are unacceptable and Roma are being discriminated against during aid distribution in the context of war.”

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Espagne

Spain and Racism

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The little Catalan town of la Seu d’Urgell was the scene of racist incident between a group of local residents who wanted to dance a Sardana on a square and a group of Roma evangelical Christians. The municipality apparently had made an error and scheduled both events on the same square on the same day. The result was that Roma were insulted and confronted with racist shouts and were asked to leave.

The municipality excused itself and deplored the racist overtones of its residents.

France Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

French Chronicle …

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After a week without news on Roma in France, they are back in the news. An interview and overview of the travels of a French Gitan in Europe to preserve the memory of those who were killed during the Holocaust. A book and a movie will apparently follow. Other than that, a major fire started in Nantes, in Western France,  in the vicinity of a Roma camp. Apparently, several caravans were burnt, and the Roma were evacuated. Finally, a new camp in the South East will be closed, as it is situated in a forest that could easily burn.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Fact Check

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A video has been circulating on social media since July 31. It is shared with the claim: “150 extended Roma families from Ukraine are given apartments in Sömmerda, Thuringia and the shops have been informed not to call the police for every crime.”

Well, nothing is true here. The only truth is that this is racist propaganda.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Roma Literature

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Their literature is almost unknown: Only in 2019 for the first time were Sinti and Roma represented with their own stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time. A look at literary alternatives to a world of intolerance and ignorance. This give a nice overview of Roma literature.

Autriche Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Roma Holocaust Remembrance: Austria

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The Austrian President Van der Bellen commemorated the Roma Holocaust on August 2nd.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Roma Holocaust Remembrance: German Press

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Some extracts of the numerous articles in the German Press on the August 2nd commemorations and on the speech of Bodo Ramelow, the president of the German Parliament in Auschwitz.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Roma and Sinti in the German Democratic Republic

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After the war, around 600 Sinti lived in the GDR. While they continued to be discriminated against in the West even after the Holocaust, in the socialist state they should have had equal rights as citizens. But that was only partially true. In the GDR, little was known about this minority. Sinti from the GDR have only recently begun to speak publicly about their history.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Pologne

Roma Holocaust

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Commemorations of the Roma Holocaust are being held in many places in Europe. One of the main is being held today in Auschwitz in the presence of the President of the German Parliament Bodo Ramelow.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Pologne Slovaquie

Auschwitz and Roma

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In connection with the upcoming Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day (August 2), the ethnographer, historian and currently advisor to the Slovak Minister of Justice in the field of human rights, Zuzana Kumanová stated that about 22,000 European Roma passed through the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, and about 19,000 of them never returned.

As usual, this is factually right, but effectively wrong. There were 22’000 REGISTERED Roma in Auschwitz. But by the same token, “only” roughly 300 thousand Jews. People who were immediately killed were not registered.

France Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

French Chronicle …

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A movie about Roma in Romania, a camp on military land ordered to be closed; a closure of a camp near Paris; and a house that was squatted by Roma returned to its owner. Not much this week in France.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Dortmund: Festival

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Sinti and Roma belong to Dortmund – and the city will celebrate their culture from August 3 to 21, 2022 at Djelem Djelem. For the ninth time, the festival invites you to workshop, lectures and family celebrations.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Germany Commemorations

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Several cities in Germany are organising commemorations for the Holocaust Remembrance Day for Roma. For example Frankfurt, Augsburg, Darmstadt.

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