Roma people in Lithuania. Past, present and future perspectives Cover Image

Romowie na Litwie. Przeszłość, teraźniejszość, perspektywy
Roma people in Lithuania. Past, present and future perspectives

Author(s): Agneska Avin, Anna Pilarczyk-Palaitis
Subject(s): History, Social Sciences, Sociology, Culture and social structure
Published by: Muzeum Okręgowe w Tarnowie
Keywords: Roma and Sinti; Lithuania; groups; community; history; Polish Roma; Polska Roma

Summary/Abstract: Roma living in Lithuania belong to three different groups: Lithuanian Roma (litovska Romá) Latvian Roma, (lotfítka Roma) and Kotlari (kotliárai). Not fully explainedis the affiliation of the Roma who live on the border with Kaliningrad callingthemselves as Fluks (Fliúki). The first Roma arrived to the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania probably from Poland. Until the last partition of Poland mild policy towards this minority clearly stood out against the background of contemporaryEurope. In the then Lithuania evolved even the institution of “Gypsy superior”, whose representative, in contrast to the “gypsy king”, came from the Roma community. The Partitions ended a period of relative freedom, and the subsequenthistorical events more and more tragically experienced Lithuanian Roma. As a resultof World War II was killed about 1/3 of the entire Roma population living in areas of Lithuania. Soviet forced settlement, as well as the experience of occupation, greatly weakened the Roma community – has broken the continuity of the tradition passed, it has been weakened adherence to internal orders and hierarchies. At themoment, Lithuanian Roma are among the worst-educated, most marginalized, theleast integrated and one of the most criminalized social group in Lithuania

  • Issue Year: 9/2016
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 185-200
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English, Polish, Romany