Roma, their History, Culture, Traditions, and News

  • The Roma
    The Roma
    Roma are variously known as Rroma, Gypsies, Tsiganes, Tsigan, Gitanos or Gitans, as well as Sinti, Cale, and many other names. They are Europeans, having arrived...
  • History
    History
    Apart from the non-controversial fact that Roma come from India, the rest of the Roma early history is a subject of controversy. When did Roma...
  • Language
    Language
    Roma have an Indian based language, a discovery of 1753.  Romanes, or Romani Čhib, is the language of the Roma. This fact is little known...
  • Traditions
    Traditions
    The Roma culture is not a written one and has kept its unity and consistency in spite of savage assaults. Traditions were one of the...
  • Music
    Music
    What is Roma music? What is Roma music? This seemingly innocuous question has fed quite an industry. From the 18th century onward, musicians, scientist have...
  • Reports
    Reports
    All reports presented here are strictly copyrighted to the Rroma Foundation Zürich. These reports were compiled by our staff while on surveys in various countries.
  • Questions & Answers
    Questions & Answers
    When hearing about Roma, when reading about them, a wealth of clichés, generally accepted “truths” and statements are always present. This summary presents the most...
  • Galleries
    Galleries
    These galleries are either the work of amateurs, documenting the situation in a specific region at a specific time (for example in Bosnia in 2001,...
  • Literature
    Literature
    Various informations and references on Rroma and on this site.

Who are Roma? Where do they come from? What is the difference between Roma, Sinti, Gypsies, Cale, Tsiganes, Zigeuner, Travellers? Do they have a language? Where do they come from? How many are there in Europe? What are their traditions?

These and many more questions are treated at length in these pages on Roma, history, language, traditions, music, but also in shorter form in the questions and answers page.

The page also has resources on literature, reports and many more items.

Recent News on Roma

  • Romani Pen
    October 23, 2026
    Romani PEN has been officially recognized by PEN International, enhancing the global platform for Romani authors and literature. The initiative,...
  • Poetry Book
    October 23, 2026
    Luminiţa Mihai Cioabă's trilingual poetry collection, published in 2026, explores themes of time, nature, and human existence, emphasizing the interconnectedness...
  • Electoral Corruption?
    October 23, 2026
    wo men and one woman have been charged with electoral corruption related to upcoming municipal elections in Martin, Slovakia, involving...
  • Roma Employment
    October 23, 2026
    Employment of Roma in regions like Dolenjska, Bela Krajina, and Kočevje in Slovenia remains a significant challenge, with discussions on...
  • Counting Roma …
    October 23, 2026
    A project, proposed by the Office for Nationalities of Slovenia, aims to develop and test a methodology for a pilot...
  • Roma Rise
    October 23, 2026
    The ARSIS organization is hosting the second National Round Table in Thessaloniki as part of the Roma Rise program, focusing...
  • Minorities and Serbian Elections
    October 23, 2026
    Two articles on the role of minorities in the upcoming Serbian elections. Minority parties will play a crucial role in...
  • Work and Roma in Slovenia
    October 22, 2026
    Adis Hudorovac, a resident of a Roma settlement in Slovenia, struggles to find employment despite working public jobs and facing...
  • Šutar Act
    October 22, 2026
    Nearly a year after the death of a pub owner, Aleš Šutar, and the subsequent implementation of the Šutar Act...
  • Who are We?
    October 22, 2026
    A community program titled "Who Are We, Roma?" was held to showcase the diverse values of Roma communities and promote...
  • CoE on Ukraine
    October 22, 2026
    The Council of Europe emphasizes that Ukraine must enhance protections for Roma and LGBTQ+ communities despite progress in combating discrimination...
  • Odesa Recruitment Office
    October 22, 2026
    A group of Roma attempted to storm a military recruitment center in Odesa after a man, referred to as a...
  • Health Checks
    October 22, 2026
    A national initiative by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health aims to improve access to medical care in the Dobrich region...
  • How (not) to Count Children
    October 21, 2026
    The Czech government has issued a set of guidelines on how to identify Roma children in schools. These are: Appearance,...
  • Education Campaign
    October 21, 2026
    A campaign aims to promote inclusive education in Hungary, focusing on integrating Roma and non-Roma children in schools to combat...
  • MOPS Patrols
    October 21, 2026
    After a forced six-month hiatus, MOPS (Local Civic and Support Services) patrols are returning to the streets of Fiľakovo, Slovakia....
  • Integration Meeting
    October 21, 2026
    A three-day meeting was held in Metlika to discuss coexistence between the majority and Roma communities in southeastern Slovenia, resulting...
  • Minority Culture Fund
    October 21, 2026
    The Minority Cultural Fund (Kultminor) has announced its first call for applications for 2027, allowing Hungarian, Roma, and Rusyn minority...
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