The political turbulence of postwar policies concerning the Roma

The socialist politics concerning the Roma was not homogeneous in terms of its main pathos and practicalities. During the first decade of socialism (1948-1958), not only official discourse but also the initiatives of Roma intellectuals and some activists helped with the “renaissance” of the Roma culture and language in contrast to previous policies of surveillance and extermination. This trend survived till the end of the socialist period – but within a narrow range of studies conducted by Emilia Horváthová and Milena Hübschmannová, two anthropologists who remained devoted to the interests of the Roma and preserving their identity. Although Horváthová and Hübschmannová reinforced the cooperation between academia and the Roma activists, especially during the short but bright period of operating the Gypsy-Roma Association (Svaz Cikánů-Romů, 1969-1973), the impact of these scholars remained limited, particularly in the realm of emancipating the Roma from surveillance.

Until the second half of the 1950s, the main thrust of the policies was the struggle against previous injustices experienced by the Roma. Benevolent paternalism toward the Roma resulted in an intensive struggle against illiteracy and attempts to reestablish ethnic minority status for them. The headlines of newspaper articles called for action: “Let's Face the Injustice of the Past: On the Elimination of the Backwardness of Gypsy citizens” or “Eliminating an Unfair Legacy of the Past: The Agenda of Gypsy Settlement.”