Legacies of the Roma Genocide in Europe Since 1945

This AHRC-funded research network explores the legacies of the Romani genocide in Europe since 1945. Roma are the
largest transnational European minority, but Romani history is neglected in studies of postwar Europe. As many as 500,000 Roma and Sinti lost their lives as a direct result of racial policies implemented by Germany, its allies, and other European states between 1933 and 1945. Yet far too little is known about the impact of mass murder and persecution of 'Gypsies' within Romani families after the war was over, and across ensuing generations.

Our research seeks to integrate Roma into larger historical debates about the legacies of genocide in postwar Europe. We will thereby advance a timely research agenda for future scholarship on the history and politics of Roma in contemporary Europe. We will also explore the relationship between current discrimination and genocidal histories.

The network brings together historians, policy makers, community groups and the general public to explore the social, economic, and political consequences of the Roma genocide for individuals, families, social movements and states from 1945 until the present day. Comparative and transnational in scope, our research community includes participants from eastern, western and southern Europe as well as the US. We have held conferences at the University of Liverpool, the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, the Museum for the History of Immigration in Paris, and the Wiener Holocaust Library in London.