History

The Roma have lived, where Croatia is now, for more than six centuries. The first written document in which the Roma are mentioned dates from 1362, from Dubrovnik. In the Middle Ages, the Roma population was tied to the cities. The Roma at that time belonged to the middle and lower classes, and they lived together as equal groups with the general public; the migrant Roma groups received the right to their own leaders and to independently resolve disputes within the tribe. The Regulation of Emperor Joseph II. from 1783 talks about the organization of the everyday life of the Roma. With the ban on nomadic migration (except fairs), the Roma must accept the village costumes, the official language, a personal name and house numbers in the settlements. They are given the freedom to engage in blacksmithing and music (limited). The Roma are prohibited from begging, mutual marriage, and abandoned nomad children have to be disposed of as orphans (Matasović, 1928). According to the statistics, the number of Roma in the late 18th century in Croatia ranged from 1,323 in the year 1781, and up to 657 in 1783.

 

After 1783 there is no data on the census of Roma. Large groups of the Roma arrived in Croatia in the 19th century from Romania. They belonged to the Roma Koritari group, and they processed wood. They inhabited the area of Međimurje and Podravina, and form the core of today's Roma population in Croatia (Hrvatić, 1994).

 

An example of Roma nomads

 

It is significant that the Roma, after coming to Croatia, were well received and successfully adapted to the opportunities that they found, but that caused the process of assimilation through personal names and adoption of life environment.

 

References:

HRVATIĆ, N. i IVANČIĆ, S. (2000). »Povijesno-socijalna obilježja Roma u Hrvatskoj«,
Društvena istraživanja, Zagreb, god. 9, br. 2-3(46-47), str. 251–266.

ŠTAMBUK, M. (2000). »Romi u Hrvatskoj devedesetih«, Društvena istraživanja, Zagreb, god.
9, br. 2-3(46-47), str. 291–315.