IV.
J. The Roma in the Former Yugoslavia
ACTON, T.A. “Resettlement.” Migrationworld 24, no. 4
(1996): pp. 21-6.
The author describes a group of 3,000 Kalderas
people from Banja Luka, displaced by war, now trying to settle in Great
Britain, and asks for tolerance from their new English hosts.
BARANY, Zoltan D. “The Roma in Macedonia: Ethnic Politics and the Marginal
Condition in a Balkan State.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol.18
(July 1995): pp. 515-31.
While Macedonia is considered by some to be a
Romany haven, this article dispels this myth and shows that Macedonian
Roma suffer from the same deep impoverishment and discrimination as do
many other Roma in other parts of the Balkans. This article also explores
the whole question of the Roma in the broader world of Macedonian ethnic
politics.
GJORGJEVIC, Tihomir R. Die Zigeuner in Serbien. Budapest: Buchdruckerei
Thalia, 1903.
Originally the author’s doctoral dissertation
at the University of Munich, this classic study traces the history, life,
and culture of the Roma in what would become the future Yugoslavia’s most
important state. He uses ample demographic information to detail the breadth
of Romany life in Serbia, and includes a wide range of sources to bring
the history of this community to life.
GJORGJEVIC, Tihomir R. “Die Zigeuner im Vlasenicaer Bezirke in Bosnien.”
Journal
of the Gypsy Lore Society. New Series, Vol. I, No. 2 (October 1907),
pp. 146-149.
This excellent article by one of the Balkan’s
foremost Romany specialists details the history and culture of the white,
black (Karavlasi), and Guberti (Kotlari) Roma groups in Bosnia.
GJORGJEVIC, Tihomir R. “Rumanian Gypsies in Serbia.” Journal of the
Gypsy Lore Society. Third Series, Vol. VIII, No. 1 (1929), pp. 7-25.
This excellent article provides unique insight
into the history of migrations of Romanian Roma, particularly after their
emancipation in 1864. He divides Romanian Roma into four categories for
the purposes of his study and describes the lifestyle and traditions of
each group. He also briefly discusses the plight of the Roma as slaves
in Romania. The latter part of the article, which is essential reading
for anyone interested in Serbian or Romanian Roma, deals with the life
and customs of Romanian Roma in Serbia.
GJORGJEVIC, Tihomir R. “Von der Zigeunern in Serbien.” Journal of the
Gypsy Lore Society. New Series, Vol. I, No. 3 (January 1908), pp. 219-227.
An extensive look at the Roma in Serbia, this
survey begins with a detailed population analysis of the Romany presence
in this Balkan state. The author follows with a discussion of Romany language
usage, lifestyle, and professional activities.
KOMAC, Miran. Romi na Slovenskem. Ljubljana: Institute for Ethnic
Studies, 1991.
This edited collection, which is anchored by
a collection of documents, looks at the historical and contemporary life
of the Roma in Slovenia. It discusses Romany ethnology as well as questions
of demography and integration and assimilation.
PETROVIC, Alexander. “Contribution to the Study of the Serbian Gypsies.”
Journal
of the Gypsy Lore Society. Third Series, Vol. XIV, No. 1 (1935), pp.
21-25; Vol. XIV, No. 2 (1935,), pp. 86-94; Vol. XIV, No. 3 (1935), pp.
156-159; Vol. XIV, No. 34 (1935), pp. 185-185; Vol. XV, No. 1 (1936), pp.
21-33; Vol. XV, No. 2 (1936), pp. 63-71; Vol. XV, No. 3 (1936), pp. 107-196;
Vol. XVI, Nos. 1-2 (1937), pp. 9-26; Vol. XVI, No. 3 (1937), pp. 111-137;
Vol. XVIII, No. 1 (January 1939), pp. 24-34; Vol. XVIII, Nos. 2-3 (April-July
1939), pp. 122-139; Vol. XVIII, No. 4 (October 1939), pp. 175-184; Vol.
XIX, Nos. 1-2 (1940), pp. 34-42; Vol. XIX, Nos. 3 (July 1940), pp. 87-100.
This extensive 15-part series on Serbian Roma
is essential reading for anyone interested in the various Romany groups
that dot the Serbian countryside and cities. While some of these articles
could be put into the category of folklore, the author brings in much valuable
background information.
PUXON, Grattan. “Roma in Macedonia.” Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society.
Fourth Series, Vol. I, No. 2 (1976): pp. 128-33.
This article describes the socio-economic position
of the Roma, particularly in Macedonia.
PUXON, Grattan. “Tito and the Future of Roma.” Roma 5 (July 1980).
This analysis emphasizes what the author describes
as the gap between the reality of Romany life and the falsehoods supporting
Tito’s policy towards the Roma.
RAMET, Pedro. “From Strossmayer to Stepinac: Croatian National Ideology
and Catholicism.” Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism 12 (spring
1985): pp. 123-39.
This article presents the effects of religious
nationalism upon the Roma in this profoundly Catholic country.
RULLMANN, Hans P. “Child Slave-Trade in Yugoslavia: Gypsies (Romas) Oppression.”
That’s
Yugoslavia 5 (1986): pp. 5-8.
This article reveals the organized kidnapping
of Romany children from what was then Yugoslavia, either for sale to Italians
and Americans, or for training in crime.
STRUKELJ, Pavla. Romi na Slovenskem. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva Zablozba
v Ljubljani, 1980.
This is the most complete history of the Roma
in Slovenia. What differentiated Romany traditions and life in this former
Yugoslavian state was the heritage of Austrian rule. Though there was never
a large Romany presence in Slovenia, it suffered from all of the prejudices
and mistreatment suffered by other Roma in other southern Slavic states.
The work contains a bibliographic selection of very useful works for further
study of Slovenian Roma.
VUKANOVIC, T.P. “The Gypsy Population in Yugoslavia.” Journal of the
Gypsy Lore Society. Third Series, Vol. XLII, Nos. 1-2 (January-April
1963), pp. 10-27.
In this important look at the Romany demographics
throughout Yugoslavia, the author reveals that many Roma tried to hide
their ethnic background, and often referred to themselves as Serbian or
Yugoslavian. He carefully examines Romany movements in Croatia and Serbia
in the 19th century, and discusses the impact of such activities on 20th
century settlement patterns. He also explores the question of the Romany
use of Romani at the end of the 19th century, and uses considerable data
to evaluate the status of the Roma in mid-20th century Yugoslavia. He uses
a number of charts and graphs to break down the Romany population according
to social structure, professions, and age.
VUKANOVIC, T.P. Killing of Old People Among Gypsies on the Balkan Peninsular.
VI Congres International des Sociences Anthropologiques et Ethnologiques
(Paris, 30 July-6 August 1960), Vol. II . Paris: Musee de l’Homme, 1964.
This look at the Romany practice in Serbia and
Montenegro in the 1930s of allowing the elderly to go off to die with dignity
provides some interesting insight into the interaction of Romany nomadic
traditions vis-à-vis those of their non-Romany neighbors.
VUKANOVIC, T.P. “The Manufacture of Pots and Pans Among the Gypsies of
the Region of Kosovo and Methohija.” Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society.
Third Series, Vol. XL, Nos. 1-2 (January-April, 1961), pp. 35-44.
This study discusses the influence of Romany
nomadism on the development and spread of pot manufacturing on Roma not
only in Kosovo, Methohija, but also in other parts of Macedonia and Montenegro.
It traces the spread of this craft among various Romany groups throughout
the region, and discusses the complex impact of this trade upon the Roma.
VUKANOVIC, T.P. “Part Taken by Gypsies in the Peasant Rebellion in Srem
(Syrmium) in 1807.” Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society. Third Series,
Vol. XLVIII, Nos. 1-2 (January-April 1969), pp. 77-79.
This article provides an important look at the
active role played by nomadic Roma in the Serbian national revolution in
Vojvodina in 1807.
VUKANOVIC, T.P. “The Position of Women Among Gypsies in the Kosovo-Methohija
Region.” Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society. Third Series, Vol. XL,
Nos. 3-4 (July-October 1961), pp. 81-100.
This detailed look at the status of Romany women
in Serbian Kosovo-Methohija begins with the spread of the Roma into this
part of Yugoslavia. It provides ample demographic evidence to document
the Romany presence there, and uses similar information to evaluate the
professional status of Romany women in the region. The article is anchored
by a strong endnote section.
VUKANOVIC, Tatomir. Romi (Tsigani u Jugoslavji). Nova Jugoslavija,
1983.
A masterful study of the Romany presence in the
southern Slavic lands from the Middle Ages through the last third of the
20th century, this article blends a traditional historical overview with
an insightful look at Romany lifestyle, culture, religion, and nomadic-sedentary
traditions. This work is greatly enhanced by artwork and photographs, and
has a strong bibliography.
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