hrvatski

Stradanje Roma u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj, 1941–1945.

The Roma population have livedfor more than six centuries in the Croatian areas and now they constitute one of the oldest minority groups in Croatia. Their coexistence with non-Roma population in those six centuries in this area was marked by frequent repressive and assimilationist efforts, and the implementation was marked by the failure of state and local authorities. Such repressive attitude of the Croatian authorities is mainly based on the centuries of stereotypical perception of Roma as a hardened anti-socials, slackers prone to crime (stealing, cheating, kidnapping Christian children), etc. Despite such assimilation oppression and the overall negative perceptions of Roma there are still numerous examples of good coexistence between Roma and non-Roma, where the Roma have become an integral part of the ethnic mosaic of the Croatian people and its traditions. But the hardest repressive - assimilation policy of the Croatian authorities towards Roma in Croatia happened during the Second World War. Most of the then officially listed 15 000 Roma in Croatia on the eve of the Second World War were almost completely uneducated as a result of exclusion from the then educational system, and at the same time they were not politically, economically, culturally or otherwise organized. In such a socio - political context the marginal Roma population faced a hitherto harshest assimilation pressure that came from the pro-fascist Ustasha movement, which in April 1941 with the support of the Nazi and fascist government managed to take power in the Croatian areas and declare the Independent State of Croatia. In the next four years, the Ustasha authorities on the basis of racial laws started the persecution of minority groups, and among them there were the Roma, who were regarded as “parasites” and “vermins” that needed to be removed as soon as possible in order create a racially pure Croatian society. The final showdown with Roma followed in mid-1942, when most of them were deported and murdered in the Jasenovac concentration camp. Part of the Roma was saved by fleeing and joining the partisan anti-fascist movement, while some of them were rescued by the non-Roma, who were hiding them or demanding from the authorities to protect them from persecution. Nevertheless, the result of the policies of the Ustasha government was almost extinct Roma pre-war population.

Romi, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, Drugi svjetski rat, progon, stradanje

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