Author: Jan Horváth, Sr.Location: StudenkaOn April 23 a Romany boy was walking down a street in the little town of Bílovec, not far from Ostrava. A police car stopped, the policemen slapped and kicked the boy, and threw him into the car. Only when they got to the police station did they explain why he […]
John Erwin
The heart of Prague had been ripped out
John ShattuckU.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republicin conversation withJohn W. ErwinDirectorThe Stories Exchange ProjectU.S. Ambassador’s ResidencePrague28 November 2000John ErwinWhen we were in Terezin together in September – on that day of course one dark-skinned member of our group, Kumar Vishwanathan from India who works with Roms in this country was detained by the local police because he […]
Aunt Margita hasn’t forgotten who she is
Emilie HorackovaMimonJuly 2000My aunt Margita grew up in the Slovak village of Dubrava. She and her family were the only Roma in the village, and were very poor. But they lived in harmony with the other villagers.Like other Roma, Aunt Margita came from Slovakia to Bohemia to find work. Workers were needed in the Czech […]
I’m laughing or crying
Author: Helena JavurkovaNational Project CoordinatorLocation: Stories Exchange Project Workshop #4EastWest InstitutePragueI spend a lot of time in the office here, calling people, receiving e-mails, calling the Mayor’s office in Brno asking when would be a good time to put the computer in and what type of cable we should use, and I feel like an […]
But why should the others be denied entry?
Author: Iveta DirdováLocation: Brno[recorded by Katka Holubová]I’m Romany, twenty-eight years old, and I have two daughters. I also run a group of dancers called Red Rose. A year ago this summer my grandmother registered us at Drom, the Romany cultural center. They were interested in starting a folk dancing group, and because I’m interested in […]
It’s very close to us, the past
Zuzana PodmelovaTerezin survivorLecturer, Jewish Museum, PragueHelga Weissova-HoskovaTerezin survivorPainter, Prague [during "Arts of Tolerance” a series of workshops, performances and discussions organized by the Stories Exchange Project, 18-19 September 2000]TerezinCzech RepublicZuzana PodmelovaHelga has so many duties in her family but she always finds time to do something for the community, and I really—Helga Weissova-HoskovaWe spent twenty […]
We must never lose our Romany spirit, language and culture
Jan Horváth Sr.August 2000StudénkaMrs. Elena Lacková is one of our most important Romany personalities and one of the most important Romany writers. She was born in March 1921 in a Romany community in eastern Slovakia to the family of a Romany first violinist and vaida – mayor of the community. She was the only girl in the […]
A Rom here would rather do something for gadjos than for other Roma
Jan Horvath Jr.KolinA Romany woman – I won’t name her – asked us to play at a party in her restaurant. We said we would, and agreed on a fee. The party was supposed to be in exactly a week.That day we came home from work, bathed, dressed and went to rehearse. At seven in the evening people started […]
Problems should be solved where they occur
Author: Jan Horvath Sr.Location: StudenkaIf he were alive today, Jan Amos Komensky – Comenius – would be horrified to see the havoc in our Czech school system. The pupils are exposed every day to the stress and arrogance of teachers. It’s the price of living in these times. Money decides everything, and everyone runs after profit – no matter what the […]
Why people try to make decisions about other people’s lives
Author: Lucie ConkováLocation: Usti nad LabemThough we have the same last name, I am not related to the Conkova in this story.I work in Predlice, a neighborhood in which the population is ninety-eight per cent Romany. When you go there, you are struck by the legacy of the past Communist regime. But recently things have […]
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