Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Poland: Memorial

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Poland: Memorial

In 1944, the Germans murdered a group of escaping Roma in the forest between Zasów, Dąbrówka Wisłocka and Nagoszyn. Today, the place where the Roma died is commemorated by a memorial stone and a cross. It is still unknown how many people are buried in this grave. Photo.

This tragic story took place in the winter of 1943 in Dębica. A group of Roma who had been living in the town for several years were informed in March 1943 by an unknown resistance group that the Germans were planning to murder them. They were advised to leave Dębice for their own safety and move to the Mielec district. Unfortunately, that year the winter was very frosty and the Gypsies postponed their departure. In the first days of April, a sudden warming came, the snow began to melt quickly and the roads began to become impassable. Despite these unfavourable conditions, the Gypsies, fearing for their own lives, decided not to wait any longer. They prepared their camps, carriages and horses for the journey. Entire families set off – men, women, the elderly and small children. Everyone left the city with the hope of saving their lives. They were unfortunately caught and slaughtered.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Litzmannstadt Ghetto: 83rd Anniversary

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Litzmannstadt Ghetto: 83rd Anniversary

On Thursday (9 January) a commemoration for the 83rd  anniversary of the liquidation of the Roma camp in 1942, ceremonies were held in front of the so-called Roma Forge on Wojska Polskiego Street in Łódź. 5,000 Roma and Sinti from Austria were sent to the camp established in November 1941 in the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. They all died.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czechia and Roma

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Czechia and Roma

Following the controversy of the a deputy mayor who claimed that Roma are not genetically programmed for education, a blog about education and Roma. The blog’s intentions are good, as it states that “the poorer academic results of Roma children are caused by poor socio-economic background, not by their racial differences”.

Unfortunately, after noting that only 11,746 people registered as Roma in the last census, whereas estimates say there are around 300’000 Roma in Czechia, it goes on with percentages … 30% of children end up in special schools; 57% are long term unemployed, etc. How does one arrive at those numbers if one doesn’t know how many there are?

Actually, this is racist, albeit with good intentions.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, Sport, and Roma

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Slovakia, Sport, and Roma

When eighth grader Sebastián Žiga traveled to Indonesia in December for the MMA World Championships, it was an extraordinary event for the Ľ. Podjavorinská Elementary School in the Luník IX housing estate in Košice.

The fourteen-year-old Roma boy was the first student in the school’s history to reach the world championship in any sport. He finished 8th in the under 16 category.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czechia and Racism

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Czechia and Racism

Alena Pataky, the deputy mayor of Přívoz, Czechia, and member of the Moravian-Silesian Region council for the ANO movement (extreme right), made the following statement:

“The mentality of the Roma has not changed since the 13th century, because they are genetically equipped in a completely different way. They do not have an education as their life-goal. They have completely different goals. The nomadism that was planted in them somewhere in India persists in a certain way.”

Well, if that isn’t racist, what is…

She resigned from her job following the hefty criticism.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Roma Weddings in Leskovac

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Roma Weddings in Leskovac

An article about Roma weddings full of stereotypes. It says for example that “the Roma dream is not to make a big business, but a big wedding”. According to the article, weddings last a few days, there are a lot of guests, hundreds of thousands of euros are spent… But this cultural tradition of the Roma has also changed over time. Weddings used to last seven days, now “only” two to three days. Of course, there are exaggerations in these stories, because not everyone is so rich that they can afford to have their guests entertained by some real music stars. Those who are barely making ends meet have the selfless help of friends and relatives, so someone pays for the music.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia and Christmas

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Serbia and Christmas

On the Holiday Square in Kruševac, the Roma Cultural Center organized a special program “Under the Christmas Star”.

The evening brought together a large number of Roma music lovers, as well as a large number of children who enjoyed the music on the ice rink.

Autriche Bosnie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Muharem Serbezovski

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Muharem Serbezovski

in Skopje, Muharem is deeply attached to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially Sarajevo, which he often calls his “soulmate”.

His name is well-known in the former Yugoslavia, where he gained the status of one of the most famous singers, whose music, inspired by Roma and oriental styles, left an indelible mark on the art scene. He released his first album at the age of only 12. He is also an author and he published a translation of the Bible in Romanes.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Social Benefits

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Slovakia and Social Benefits

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (MPSVR) of the Slovak Republic presented a specific bill regulating the reduction of social benefits in the event that a person able to work refuses to work. The discussion on the withdrawal of social benefits began in the middle of last year.

The issue here? Roma. And the work that the ministry is proposing is very much in line to what is being done in Hungary, so called közmunka [communal / public work] meaning cheap labour based on 19th century technology.

Bad.

Italie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Bari, Italy: Integration

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Bari, Italy: Integration

The Municipality of Bari has published the call for proposals to implement an Inclusion and integration project for Roma, Sinti and Caminanti children and adolescents, funded under the National Inclusion and Fight against Poverty Program 2021-2027 with over 457 thousand euros. The specific objective is the.

Inclusion of Roma children and young people at school in Bari.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Restauration

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Slovakia: Restauration

Tuňa Castle in Slovakia is being saved after centuries of neglect. Lots of manual work, not least be cause the castle ruins cannot be accessed by vehicles. The project lead says they did a lot of work in 2024. “It helped a lot that we currently have 12 employees, ten workers, a coordinator and a foreman. It helped with carrying out the material that we need to get to the castle. At the same time, it also helped with the work on the castle, where we gradually created three Roma masonry teams and therefore work was done in two or three places at the same time.”

Well done to employ Roma here.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Roma Housing in Slovakia

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Roma Housing in Slovakia

A small town in Eastern Slovakia, Gelnice, want to build social housing in the town. This raises fears, as many of the social beneficiaries are Roma. And their housing is bad.

But then, no one wants them as neighbours.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

An article about a politician asking how much money has been spent on Roma projects in the Roma settlement of Dobruška vas, where around 350 people live in the Municipality of Škocjan. A new kindergarten was inaugurated recently after the previous one was destroyed by arson. But apparently, this is the third time, money has been spent on a kindergarten.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est North Macedonia

North Macedonia: Discrimination

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North Macedonia: Discrimination

Skopje’s public transportation is apparently discriminating against Roma, not stopping at stops in the Roma neighbourhood.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine Kalderaša

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Transcarpathian Ukraine Kalderaša

A series of photographs of Christian Baptists Kalderaša from the Transcarpathian region of the Ukraine. As usual, these kind of articles pander to stereotypes. Roma palaces, “mysterious” Roma, etc…

Bad for all.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgarian Roma Songs

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Bulgarian Roma Songs

A published Bulgarian textbook contains 99 Roma songs, collected from the territory of present-day Bulgaria between 1950 and 1975. Songs about love, family songs, songs about heroes have been preserved. The man who preserved this for generations is Mustafa Aliyev, better known by his Bulgarian name Manush Romanov. Mustafa Aliyev dedicated his life to the development of the culture of his community. He belonged to the group of Sofia “Jerli”

He participated in the anti-fascist resistance. He was the editor-in-chief of the newspapers “Romano Esi” (Romanian) and “Nevo Drom” (New Road). He was the director of the “Roma” theatre, which was closed by the communists.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Roma and Slovenes

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Roma and Slovenes

Relations between the Ribnica Roma, the municipal administration and the majority population have long been at a standstill, the state must put an end to this. On March 2, 2014, 16 Roma men and women from two Slovenian Roma settlements filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights for violation of the right to water. These are the settlements of Dobruška vas in Škocjan and Gori. They lost their case in 2022. But the situation has not improved at all…

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Elderly People

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Slovenia and Elderly People

A series in Radio entitled “A Bench Under the Free Sun” talks to Micka, a 74-year-old pensioner, who lives in a housing unit of the Public Housing Fund of the City of Ljubljana. On her father’s side, she has roots in the Roma community, where she also spent her childhood. She shares with us the challenges and trials she has faced throughout her life. She describes the discrimination she has faced as a Romni, who, despite poverty and difficult circumstances, maintains her identity and family ties. In the conversation, we learn how life has shaped her view of the world.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czechia and Racism

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Czechia and Racism

Alena Pataky, deputy mayor of the Ostrava-Přívoz municipal district and member of the Moravian-Silesian Regional Council for the ANO movement, found herself criticised for her openly racist statements about Roma in an interview with the Okraj.cz server. In the interview, Pataky suggested that the problems with the low success rate of Roma students in primary schools are due to the different genetic makeup and mentality of Roma, which she believes hinders their interest in education.

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