Jenische, Sinti und Roma in der Schweiz

In Switzerland, about 35,000 Jenische and Sinti live, either in their own community or as our inconspicuous neighbors. Approximately 2,500 of them are still traveling as itinerants from spring to autumn. Some are engaged in traditional Jenische professions such as scissor grinders, umbrella repairers, basket weavers, or market vendors; others have established themselves as iron, clothing, furniture, or carpet traders. Around 30,000 Roma refugees from Southeast Europe are being integrated into Switzerland in a long-term process. The examination of the dark chapter of the "Children of the Road" aid operation since the 1970s has brought the long history of discrimination against the Jenische, Sinti, and Roma to the attention of the Swiss public. Several contributions in the volume address this topic: Thomas Meier summarizes the state of scientific engagement with the aid operation from the shocking articles in the Swiss Observer in 1973 to the National Research Program approved in 2000. Graziella Wenger describes the harrowing fate of a victim of the aid operation, her brother Andreas, and illustrates the case with numerous documents from the Swiss Federal Archives. In addition to reflecting on this attempt to destroy the culture of itinerants in Switzerland, the book also addresses the current situation of the Jenische, Sinti, and Roma in everyday life and society. For example, Venanz Nobel explains what "Betonjenische" are, and Cristina Kruck describes the vibrant traditions and customs of the Roma. The Jenische have politically organized themselves today in the Radgenossenschaft der Landstrasse and collaborate with representatives of the federal, cantonal, and municipal authorities within the Foundation for the Future of Swiss Travelers. The contributions are complemented and illustrated with photographs by Urs Walder, who has been photographing Jenische, Sinti, and Roma on many journeys since 1987.