Romanian Gypsies


Figure 1.--This photo was taken by Queen Mary of Romania who was interested in photography. It was used in her 18916 book, "My Country". It shows a Gypsy mother with her children.

Romania has a substantial Gypsey or Roma population. The modern term for gypsey is Roma, a derivation showing the Romanian origins of many European gypsies. Gypes were able to move within the Byzantine Empire and it is during this period that the first gypsies reached the Balkans. Gypsies reached Wallachia (1385) and Moldavia (1370) even before the Ottoman Turks. The first gyopsies secured letters of protection from the King of Hungary. This provided legal status. Gradually the situation for gypsies deteriorted. Cultural differences soon gave rise to disputes between gysies and local residents. Gypsies in Romania as in other countries gradually adopted Christianity as well as took on Romanian names, and learned Roomanian. They have not lost the Rom language and use it when speaking among themselves. They also maintain their Rom music and customs in often tight-knit communities. As a result, a substantial Rom population did not integrate within Romanian society. The Rom arrived in Romania during the feudal era. As a result they became slaves or serfs to the landowners with few rights. An estimated 250,000 Roma were enslaved in the various regions which now make up Romania. They were required to work in Orthodox monasteries and for both landowners and local princes. The Rom were not emancipated until Romania began moving toward indeopendence (1851-56). Mant Romanian Rom speak a version of Romanian called Bayesh. An estimated 40 percent Romanian Gypsies still speak Romany. Some still live in traditional carts which can still be seen on Romanian roads. Most Romanian gypsies now live in urban areas, towns and villages. Some are The majority live in the towns and villages. Some are fully integrated into the life of the towns and villages. Some gypies have decorated their homes in destinctive ornate styles. Others live in shacks or decrepit houses on the perifery of the village. Romania currently has the largest Roma minority in Europe. We have seen varying estimates with numbers rngeing from 0.5-2.0 million. I'm unsure why there is such a substantial desperity. Many Romanians complain about their "disruptive" behavior Government statistics show an usually high involvement with crime. Roma spokesmen attribute this to poverty and the prejudice of Romaiabns which mkes it difficult for tem to find decent paying jobs. Many Romanian gypsies have moved to other European coutries, a migration facilitated by the EU open borders policies. The migration of Romanian Roma began with the fall of Comminist governments in Eastern Europe. Because of the prejudice toward Roma in Romania, many found that begging was un prductive. Romanian gypsies found that the take from begging was far greater in other countries (Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany). The Roma have helped give Romania a bad name throughout Europe. Many Europeans associate Romanians with the Roma. Varying national regulations has affected the migration and as a result, large numbers of Romanian Roma have moved to Czechoslovakia (Slovakia and the Czech Republic).

Historical Background

Gyypsy people are believed to have origunated in northern Europe. The region now making up Romania has a substantial Gypsey or Roma population. In fact Romania had and coninues to have the largest Gypsy population in Europe. The modern term for Gypsey is Roma, a derivation showing the Romanian origins of many European gypsies. Gypsies were able to move within the Byzantine Empire and it is during this period that the first Gypsies reached the Balkans. Gypsies reached Wallachia (1385) and Moldavia (1370) even before the Ottoman Turks. The first Gypsies secured letters of protection from the King of Hungary. This provided legal status. Gradually the situation for Gypsies deteriorted. Cultural differences soon gave rise to disputes between Gypsies and local residents. Gypsies in Romania as in other countries gradually adopted Christianity as well as took on Romanian names, and learned Romanian. They have not lost the Rom language and use it when speaking among themselves. They also maintain their Rom music and customs in often tight-knit communities. As a result, a substantial Rom population did not integrate within Romanian society. The Rom arrived in Romania during the medieval feudal era. As a result they became slaves or serfs to the landowners (boyars) with few rights. Romania attempted to remain neutral after the outbreak of World War II (1939). Soviet seizure of northeastern Romania (1940), forced the Romanians to seek protection from the NAZIs. The Germans forced the country into the Axis (1941). Romanian participated in the Batbarossa invasion of the Soviet Union as a German ally. The Romnian Army was committed in the Ukraine. Romanian Gypsyes were targeted during World War II, but not to the same extent as the Jews. There was never any anti-Gypsey laws passed. The major Romanian action targeting the Gypsies was ordered by Marshal Ion Antonescu on his own initiative. He personally ordered the deportation of Gypsies to the Romanian-occupied Ukranine (1942). This was a Romanian operation and not carried out under German pressure. The Romanians who killed Jews in occupied territories appeared to be also willing to carry out Gypsey killing operations. Most Gypsies lived in Eastern Europe. After World War II, this mean that most European Gypsies came under the control of Communist regimes. The largest populations were in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia. Romania had the highest concentration of Gypsies. Communist authorities fully establishged ciontrol over the country (1948). From that point, Gypsies simply disappeared in official public documents. The primary Communist approach to Gypsies was forced assimilation. Gypsies in each Communist country were forced to speak required to speak the country's national language outside the home. They had to settle towns and work in new industrial jobs. The Romanian Government for the first three decadeds did not adopt policies specuficallt targetting Gypsies. But other policies such as requirements that people have settled addresses and formal jobs affected Gypsies more than other group because of their itinerate life styles and self employment. The Romanian authorities finally decided to address the social situation of the Gypsies and took policy actions specically targetting Gypies (late-1970s). It was, however, a secret decision. The forced assimilation essentially destroyed the Gypsy culture without replacing it with a new culture. Thr Gypsies did not truly integrate well into the national culture and were reviled by the local population to an extent that did nor exist before Communism. There were many forms of state sabctioned decrimination. The Gypsy population became prone to sexual, alcohol, and drug abuse as well as criminal behavior. A special problem was the number iof infants and todlers left at Government orphanages. The poorly funded Romanian orphnages. This was not the case before Communism. Gypsys before Communism raised almost all of their children. And the Romnian opphnages became notorious hell holes for the ungortunte children entrusted to their care. The fall of Communism meant the obligation and work assignments disappeared (1989). The lack of education an rampany bias meant that high unemployment and dependence on welfare became part of Gypsey life. People in Romania and other Eastern European counries had troublke adjusting to the economic changes. Many turned on the Gypsies as scapegoats. It is an old story in human behavior. State-sanctioned persecution continued, perhaps increasing. Many Gypsies resist further assimilation. They often live in segregated neigborhoods, essentially modern ghettos. Others live in small, remote, self-contained villages. Often located a long walk up a dirt road and isolated from the mainstream sociuety. Polygamy can be found in Gypsey communities. Both boys and girls commonly marry earlier and start having children at a very early age. Most Gypsy children enter school along ith other children. Tragically a high percentage of Gypsey children leave school early and drop out.

Language

Many Romanian Rom speak a version of Romanian called Bayesh. An estimated 40 percent Romanian Gypsies still speak Romany.

Demographics

Romania currently has the largest Roma minority in Europe. We have seen varying estimates with numbers rngeing from 0.5-2.0 million. I'm unsure why there is such a substantial desperity. Some Rom still live in traditional carts which can still be seen on Romanian roads. Most Romanian gypsies now live in urban areas, towns and villages. Some are The majority live in the towns and villages. Some are fully integrated into the life of the towns and villages. Some gypies have decorated their homes in destinctive ornate styles. Others live in shacks or decrepit houses on the perifery of the village.

Social Conditions

Many Romanians complain about their "disruptive" behavior Government statistics show an usually high involvement with crime. Roma spokesmen attribute this to poverty and the prejudice of Romaiabns which mkes it difficult for tem to find decent paying jobs. Many Romanian gypsies have moved to other European coutries, a migration facilitated by the EU open borders policies. The migration of Romanian Roma began with the fall of Comminist governments in Eastern Europe. Because of the prejudice toward Roma in Romania, many found that begging was un prductive,. Romaniian gypsies found that the take from begging was far greater in other countries (Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany). The Roma have helped give Romania a bad name throughout Europe. Many Eropeans associate Romanians with the Roma. Varying national regulations has affected the migration and as aresult, large numbers of Romanian Roma haved moved to Czechoslovakia (Slovakia and the Czech Republic).

Reader Comments

A reader tells us, "When I was in Romania during 2005 I saw many gypsies, the women often in long colorful dresses. Many live in Transylvania in villages with names like Stolzenburg and Frauendorf where they now occupy the former houses of the German Saxons who had left for Germany. I shall not forget the young gypsy woman walking home from the market carrying a live chicken by the feet with the head down, nearly touching the ground. Primitive and cruel. In Bucarest I saw the palace of the gypsy king and these people had some celebrities among them, especially their musicians like the guitarist Django Reinhardt who became world famous. I have heard that Charley Chaplin and Elvis Presley also had gypsy blood."

Movies

Many movies have gypsey characters in them. One of the most famous is the Gypsey camp in the Bond film, 'From Russia with love'. This includes both European films and American films about Europe. Films which deal specifiucally with gypseys are rare. And we know of only one film specifically about Romanian gypseys. This was a Romanian film about a runaway Gypsey slave--Aferim! (2000).

Sources

Achim, Viorel. "Chapter Six: The Roma in Romanian History," The Roma in Romanian History (Central European Press: Budapest, Hungary, 2018).

[Queen] Mary of Romania. My Country (Hodder and Stoughton: London - New York - Toronto, 1916).

Nistor, Ior. "Istoria Basarabiei," Humanitas (Bucuresti: 1991).

Steves, Rick and Cameron Hewitt . "Eastern Europe's 'Gypsy question'".

Ungewitter, Dr. F.H. Neueste Erdbeschreibung und Staatenkunde (Zweiter Band: Dresden, 1848).

Meyers Konversationslexikon. Autorenkollektiv, Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts (Leipzig und Wien, Vierte Auflage, 1885-92).





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Created: 1:34 AM 2/7/2008
Last updated: 7:46 PM 6/16/2018