Europe's Largest Minority

The Romani people of Europe are often referred to as "Gypsies". Thought they prefer to be called Roma. The Roma are descendants of the ancient warrior classes of Northern India, particularly the Punjab, and they are identifiable by their language, religion, and customs. The "Gypsies" gained there widely known name due to the fact that when they first arrived in Europe people believed that they had migrated from Egypt. Even after this was found to be untrue that name stuck to this minority group.

Because recorded history of the "Gypsies" prior to their first documented appearances in Europe in the early 15th century is non-existent, there has been much debate as to their origins and early migration. Based on linguistic evidence, it is believed that the modern day "Gypsies" of the Middle East, Europe, Asia, as well as the Americas, originated in Northwestern India. There is also a general agreement regarding the approximate timing of their immigration. It is believed that the bulk of their immigration was during the 11th century, and took place in three major trips.

Though this large group of people have been living in Europe for over ten centuries they are still not treated as equals to this day. The exact number of "gypsies" who live in Europe is unknown and guesses are inaccurate due to their nomadic life style. What is known is that population of "gypsies" is a large one that makes them the largest minority living in Europe.

Though large in population they are also largely discriminated against. This discrimination dates back almost ,if not to the of there arrival in Europe. Throughout the centuries they have faced discrimination in many different forms, for a variety of reasons. Also there have been quite a few major outbreaks of intense discrimination that took place in different areas throughout Europe.

During medieval times rumors where spread that the "Gypsies" were descended from a sexual encounter between a "Gypsies" woman and Satan. Christians believed that a conspiracy of blacksmiths, wizards and women had been organized to attack the Church. Another belief was that "Gypsies" forged the nails used in Christ's crucifixion. The "Gypsies" countered this new belief with the rumor that a "Gypsy" attempted to steal the nails so that Christ could not be crucified, but was only able to grab one. Despite there attempt to abolish this rumor and other such rumors during this time period the "Gypsies" faced horrible discrimination.

Later during the Middle Ages and Renaissance another time of intense discrimination took place. This was during the Christian genocide against Witches. The trials where directed at many groups of people especially the "Gypsies". The courts seized and imprisoned them in Witches' prisons, many times without even bothering to record the new prisoner's name.

During the early 1700's The Diet of Augsburg allowed for even more unfair treatment and discrimination when it ruled that Christians could legally kill "Gypsies". Meanwhile, the courts were closed to the "Gypsies" who were injured by Christians. This new law paved the steps for what happened in 1721. Emperor Karl VI of what is now Germany ordered total genocide of the "Gypsies". People gather to organize "Gypsy Hunts" to track down and exterminate them.

In Spain some twenty years later, in 1749 many "Gypsies" were rounded up and imprisoned. They were considered a danger to society. Finally after fourteen years of being rounded up and imprisoned for little too no reason a pardon was granted in 1763. Two years later the "Gypsies" were finally released, in 1765.

While this was going on even more terrible things where taking place in Hungry. Forty-five "Gypsies" where tortured then executed for the murder of a group of Hungarians. The Hungarians who they had supposedly murdered where alive and came to watch the executions.

Though many know little about the enslavement of the"Gypsies" it is believed that as

many as half of the "Gypsies" in Europe were enslaved, from the 14th century until "Gypsy" slavery was abolished in the mid-19th century, five centuries later. The origin of "Gypsy slavery grew out of the desire for a large unpaid work force. In order to keep the unpaid workers from fleeing laws where passed to turn the workers into property, slaves. Thought slavery had been abolished for the enslaved "Gypsies" they still faced extreme persecution, equality did not exist. Full equality still does not exist today.

In the 1920's, during the Weimar Republic, "Gypsies" were forbidden to use parks or public baths. "Gypsies"also where required to be registered with the police. Many were sent to work camps "for reasons of public security." When the Nazis took power, the "Gypsies" were further persecuted under the "Nuremberg Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor". In 1937, Heinrich Himmler issued a decree "The Struggle Against the Gypsy Plague," which helped to add an even darker lite to the "Gypsies" present and increased police monitoring of the "Gypsies"

This began what is believed to be that time of the most discrimination and blood shed for the "Gypsies", the Nazi Holocaust. This is event in history know as the forgotten Holocaust because no one

is aware of the fact that jews where not the only group effected by Hitler and his Nazi troop s. A statement by French Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld, supports thig "no French historian has really taken the time to go through the archives - French or German - to see what there is" about the Gypsy Holocaust.

During this time they were declared to be "subhumans". The instructions where given to "kill all Jews, Gypsies and mental patients." A few months later an ordered was delivered that all "Gypsies" be deported to Aushwitz-Birkenau , a death camp, for extermination. Lendvai, 65, is a Gypsy, who lives in a tiny hamlet 50 miles southwest of Budapest, who barely missed the Auschwitz transport. "Why did they do it," he kept asking. "Because I'm a Gypsy? That can't be, that's no reason," he answered his own question as he recalled what happened to him and his people.

Another man recalls his journey to as well as his life in a Nazi concentration camp. "As we were marched through villages, others joined our group, more Gypsies and more gendarmes," "Some babies died along the way and some would-be escapees