Roma Struggles for the Right to Stay in the 1990s: History Told by Those Who Lived It

History changes when the people who lived it are able to tell it in their own words.

As part of Geschichten in Bewegung in Wuppertal, this conversation looks back at Roma struggles for the right to stay in Germany during the 1990s and connects that history with the situation of Roma communities today.

Many Romnja fled the wars in former Yugoslavia and encountered racism, insecure residence and exclusion in Germany. At the same time, Roma communities organized, protested and fought for the right to stay and for humane treatment. This conversation centers those experiences from the perspective of people who were part of those struggles themselves.

The discussion features Fatima Hartmann, who was involved with Rom e.V. and the movement for Roma residence rights, and Kasm Cesmedi, a teacher and longtime organizer in Roma organizations. It is moderated by Miman Jasarovski of With Wings and Roots e.V.

Watch the full conversation below.