Romani Studies

Romani Studies was established as early as 1991 as a separate study programme at the Faculty of Arts. It started out under Indian Studies, then in 2000 it became a centre within the Department of South and Central Asia, and since 2015 it has been part of the Department of Central European Studies. It was founded by Professor Milena Hübschmannová (1933–2005), who designed it as a highly multidisciplinary centre focusing especially on field-work through long-term contact with members of Romani communities. The scope of interest within Romani Studies is fairly broad: our staff work on anthropological and ethnological questions, history, language, Romani politics and policies, questions of religion, Romani folklore and original art, social work in Romani communities etc. A basic requirement for teachers and students alike is a good knowledge of spoken Romani. Romani Studies programme at the Faculty of Arts is offered both at the Bachelor and the Master’s level, and its scope makes it a unique study programme in the Czech Republic.

Research

Researchers at the Romani Studies Section have participated in research activities including sociolinguistic research of the Romani language; language atlases and dictionaries; editions and translations of Romani literature and personal narratives; research on war and post-war history of the Romani community in Czechoslovakia; anthropological research in Czechia and Slovakia; developing Romani language study materials; and providing training for Romani language teachers.

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