East Central European Historical Studies

Introduction

Andrew Ryder — 2025-09-10

East Central European Historical Studies

2025-10-09

The Survival and the Identity of Ethnic Roma

János Bársony — 2025-10-09

New Perspectives in East Central European Historiography on Roma History

György Majtényi — 2025-10-09

Families on the Move

Gergely Guszmann — 2025-10-09

Kelderari Roma in Russia

Ekaterina Vystoropets — 2025-10-09

Romani People in the Context of Urban Belonging in Turkey

Afide Cansu Şimşek — 2025-10-09

Scholarship on Ottoman Gypsies/Roma

Burak Akin — 2025-10-09

The Ottoman Empire, governing a diverse multi-ethnic realm for over six centuries, left a substantial archival legacy that enables a deeper, more nuanced exploration of Roma history beyond externally produced accounts. This study conducts a historiographical review of Turkish-language scholarship on Ottoman Roma, emphasising the diverse archival sources—such as tax registers, court records, and kanunnames—and methodological approaches employed by researchers. It highlights how earlier works offered general overviews, whereas later studies like Altınöz’s 2013 monograph integrate systematic primary-source analysis, particularly of Ottoman defter entries. By mapping the trajectory from marginal mentions to in-depth archival monographs and doctoral dissertations, the review illustrates both scholarly progress and persistent gaps in coverage, especially regarding chronological cohesion and Roma self-representation. The findings underline the transformative potential of Ottoman archival research in revealing the social, economic, and legal dimensions of Roma life under imperial governance. Ultimately, the study advocates for further comparative and interdisciplinary investigations that foreground marginalised voices and critically engage with source limitations.

The Situation of Migrant Roma Groups in State Socialist Hungary in the 1950s

Zsuzsanna Mikó — 2025-10-09

This study explores the situation of migrant Roma groups in socialist Hungary during the 1950s, with a focus on a major criminal case that culminated in 1961. It examines recent interpretations of state socialist Roma policies, emphasising the persistent marginalization of Roma communities despite official rhetoric promoting integration. Drawing on court documents, the paper analyses how the authorities constructed the image of Roma lifestyle and criminality, often blending ethnic and social prejudices. Through micro-historical investigation, the study presents the everyday life, social relations, and hardships of a large Roma family, as seen through the lens of the authorities’ discriminatory practices. The research highlights the value and limitations of judicial sources in reconstructing Roma history, revealing both the oppressive structures of the state and the fragmented voices of Roma individuals during the period.

Roma Colonies in Pécs in the State Socialist Era, 1950–1990

Attila Márfi — 2025-10-09

This study examines the evolution of Roma colonies in Pécs, Hungary, during the state socialist period (1950–1990). It situates these developments within broader historical attempts to address the “Roma question” through resettlement, employment initiatives, and forced assimilation policies. Drawing on archival and oral sources, the research traces the establishment, transformation, and liquidation of Roma settlements, highlighting the persistent instability caused by state interventions and internal migration patterns. It reveals how official policies often exacerbated marginalization and contributed to deteriorating living conditions. Through a micro-historical approach, the study provides insight into the everyday lives of Roma communities, the nature of their housing, employment opportunities, and the contradictory responses of local authorities to their presence. The findings underscore the challenges of reconstructing Roma history from fragmentary and often biased sources.

Cultural Shock, Trauma, and the Resilience of Roma Academics in Higher Education

Diana Aburas — 2025-10-09

In recent years, a growing phenomenon has emerged, minorities worldwide are voicing their long-silenced narratives. These narratives include systemic racism, colonial legacies, and cultural erasure which will be explored in more detail later. This research aims to amplify the voices of an under-researched minority that faces significant marginalization in higher education and across broader society. Roma communities form Europe’s largest ethnic minority, are estimated to be between 10-12 million. However, they are also one of the most marginalised groups and face similar challenges in all countries, including: racism; poverty; precarious housing; underemployment, and poor health. One important facet of marginalization is educational exclusion including segregation and low attainment; it is estimated that less than one percent graduate from a higher education institute. This suggests there are approximately 100.000 Roma students in higher education in Europe. However, gaps in ethnic monitoring make it difficult to give precise numbers and some would argue the estimate of 100,000 could be an overestimate. An inability to access higher education accentuates Roma exclusion and the ability to attain prominent decision-making positions that might have a significant impact on Roma communities. Roma’s participation in higher education is essential for social justice, economic growth, cultural diversity, and the development of a more equal and inclusive society where everyone has a fair chance to succeed.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s Enlightened Historical Narrative

Éva Antal — 2025-10-09

In A Vindication of the Rights of Man (1790), Mary Wollstonecraft ardently justified the French Revolution, reacting to Edmund Burke’s criticism of the event in his Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). However, having visited France in the 1790s, she rationalised her previous zeal about her radicalism in An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution; and the Effect it has produced in Europe (1794). In the View, history is presented as a coherent narrative of progress, and the event of the revolution, despite its inevitable causes, is criticised in the moral-philosophical framework. Being an Enlightened thinker, Wollstonecraft re-evaluated her previous ideas, examining them on a large scale in the process of (hu)man development towards virtue. In my paper, I will trace the recurrent characteristics of the narrative, focussing on theatricality, immaturity, and the clash of conflicting forces, while presenting the utopian (female) voice of a philosophical historian.