Comunitatea Roma: între iertare și afirmarea conștiinței istorice. Repere istoriografice: de la istoriografia romantică la istoria orală
The Roma Community: Between Forgiveness and the Affirmation of Historical Consciousness

Summary/Abstract: The present article examines part of the historiographical evolution of the Roma community in Romania. It starts from narratives based in the Romantic era and extends to contemporary oral history approaches. The paper argues that scholars' interest in Roma populations increased alongside state modernization and social regulation. It can also be linked to the rise of national consciousness during the 18th and 19th centuries. Initial work, such as that of Mihail Kogălniceanu, shared perspectives on humanitarian activism with scholarly inquiry. It focused on slavery and emancipation while highlighting cultural distinctiveness. In the interwar period, studies expanded in sociological, ethnographical, and even sociolinguistic directions. These were often shaped by racial theories. Under the communist regime, research narrowed to class exploitation and legal status, ignoring ethnic identity. After 1989, Roma history re-emerged as a major academic field, partly due to democratic reforms and increased attention to minority rights. Historical injustices, such as slavery and deportation to Transnistria during World War II, were addressed. Recent scholarship incorporates imagology, anthropology, and memory studies, emphasizing stereotypes, identity construction, and representation. Oral history has become especially significant in recovering marginalized voices and personal experiences excluded from official archives. The study concludes that Roma historiography reflects broader transformations in Romanian society.

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