Association of German Sinti and Roma State Association of Baden-Württemberg

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The Association of German Sinti and Roma, Landesverband Baden-Württemberg eV (VDSR BW) is a regional association of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma for Baden-Württemberg with its seat in Mannheim . It has its origins in the commitment of civil rights activists of the German Sinti and Roma who vehemently pointed out their exclusion and unequal treatment in the 1970s. The non-profit association was founded in 1986. The CEO has been Daniel Strauss since 1995 . At the end of 2013, the association concluded the first state treaty for the national minority in Germany with a federal state. Part of the treaty was the establishment of a council for the affairs of German Sinti and Roma. Six representatives of the state (parties, ministries, municipalities) and six representatives of the minority exchange ideas in this meeting in order to discuss matters, to discuss common tasks and goals of the treaty and to make appropriate recommendations to the state government and parliament. The State Treaty placed the protection and promotion of the minority on a reliable, legal and financial basis.

Background of the need for an association and a state treaty

Memorial for the Mannheim Sinti

Around 12,000 members of the minority live in Baden-Württemberg. Sinti and Roma have been at home in Germany and Baden-Württemberg for 600 years. In addition to German, the minority language Romani is usually spoken. In the course of history, Sinti and Roma were repeatedly exposed to discrimination and displacement. During the National Socialist regime, Sinti and Roma were persecuted in the areas occupied by Germany with the aim of planned and final extermination. Up to 500,000 Sinti and Roma fell victim to this genocide . Their cultural heritage has been largely destroyed.

History of the national association

The regional association of German Sinti and Roma Baden-Württemberg eV has its origins in the civil rights work of the German Sinti and Roma, who vehemently pointed out their exclusion and unequal treatment in the 1970s. The non-profit association was founded in 1986.

The regional association has already aligned itself more towards Mannheim in recent years and would like to set new accents in the areas of education and culture in particular. With its focus on content, its concept and its work areas, the regional association tries to live up to the claim to comprehensively represent the civil affairs of Sinti and Roma in the country. The state association is funded by the state government of Baden-Württemberg. As a civil law advisory office, the regional association is also a dialogue partner for the institutions of public life in the majority society.

With the contract between the state of Baden-Württemberg and the VDSR BW signed on November 28, 2013, the state's relationship with the national minority of the German Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg was placed on a reliable, legal and financial basis. The contract was concluded for a period of five years. A new state treaty is expected to be concluded at the end of 2018.

Germany is regularly asked to report on the protection and promotion of minorities in the context of progress reports on the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe , the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and the EU Framework for National Strategies for the Integration of the Roma. Part of these reports is Baden-Württemberg's minority policy.

Fields of activity of the regional association

The tasks set by the regional association consist, on the one hand, of the processing and documentation of the historical events of the history of persecution of Sinti and Roma at local and regional level and in memorial work.

The public relations work of the association against discrimination and disadvantage of Sinti and Roma, information work against antigypsy prejudices and cultural work relates to the present and the future. It consists primarily in the reconstruction and preservation of the culture of Sinti and Roma, which was destroyed during the Nazi era, as well as in the promotion and development of independent cultural identity and promotion of the Romani language. An important goal is to promote and create equal opportunities in education and work. The association holds information events in various cities in Baden-Württemberg and initiates certain conferences and training courses. He is also involved in further training and advice for teachers, students and pupils.

Research and documentation of the various social and civic topics of the minority are another topic. Projects in the field of education, youth and living are initiated.

Specific individual case processing in all social and civil life situations of the minority (work, existence, education, living, social affairs, citizenship, military service, etc.) is carried out primarily in the association's advice center. Sinti and Roma NGOs are also given advice if necessary.

Advice center for equal participation

The conclusion of the state treaty between the state of Baden-Württemberg and the Association of German Sinti and Roma Baden-Württemberg in 2013 made it possible for the first time in Germany to set up a continuously operated counseling center from the minority, especially for the topic of Roma who are entitled to stay.

The advice center for equal participation is a contact point for German Sinti and Roma as well as for non-German Roma in Baden-Württemberg. The clients are supported and advised in their individual concerns. The advice center acts politically independently. In 2016, an increasing number of Roma from south-eastern Europe and organizations entrusted with the care and counseling of Roma came to the advice center. The topic of “safe countries of origin” became visible in everyday consultancy through specific cases of deportation.

In order to get a better picture of the conditions in the countries of origin, the advice center is in contact with organizations from Serbia and Macedonia .

Information days take place annually in the premises of the advice center. Those affected and interested are informed about the current topics of the counseling center. The counseling center also offers lectures on the following topics: Roma immigrants from EU countries, the current situation of refugee Roma from the Western Balkans, realities of integration and life for Roma in Germany who are entitled to stay.

The first treaty in Germany for the national minority

The minority of the German Sinti and Roma is one of a total of four recognized national minorities due to the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities. It was recognized by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1997. The protection and promotion of the German Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg is based on the awareness of historical responsibility and the recognition of the obligations under the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter of Regional and minority languages. The contract was signed on November 28, 2013 by Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and Daniel Strauss, Chairman of the Association of German Sinti and Roma, Baden-Württemberg State Association.

The state supports:

  • the operation of the office of the VDSR BW
  • the advice center for equal participation in the areas of social affairs, work, education; with a focus on the integration of Roma who are entitled to stay
  • the establishment and expansion of new structural tasks and goals that are anchored in the contract

In order to guarantee the work of the VDSR BW, the state provides annual funding.

Background of the concluded State Treaty

Sinti and Roma have been part of the culture and society of today's state of Baden-Württemberg for more than 600 years. You are a recognized national minority in the Federal Republic of Germany. Their language and culture are protected by German and European law. The exclusion and disadvantage of the Sinti and Roma go back to the Middle Ages. The cruel persecution and genocide by the National Socialist regime brought immeasurable suffering to the Sinti and Roma in our country and have had consequences to this day. This injustice was politically recognized at a shamefully late stage and has not yet been adequately dealt with. Antigypsyism also still exists and has not been overcome.

The State Treaty was concluded with the awareness of meeting this special historical responsibility towards Sinti and Roma as citizens of our country. It is guided by the desire and will to promote friendly coexistence. The common goal of the state and the VDSR BW is to counteract all forms of discrimination against members of the minority and to effectively combat social antiziganism. Together, social togetherness is to be continuously improved while respecting the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of the Sinti and Roma. The obligations from the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ​​resulted in the State Treaty.

Tasks and objectives of the first State Treaty (valid until the end of 2018)

  • a) Promotion of cultural identity
  • b) Promotion of remembrance work
  • c) educational counseling
  • d) Advice center for equal participation with a focus on advice for Roma who have the right to stay
  • e) Preservation and care of graves of those Sinti and Roma who were persecuted under National Socialism and who only died after 1952 and thus do not fall under the provisions of the War Graves Act
  • f) Integration of the issue of Sinti and Roma in the new educational plans
  • g) The development and establishment of a research center on antiziganism / strategies against antiziganism
  • h) The development and establishment of a research center on the history and culture of the Sinti and Roma
  • i) Intensification of the cooperation with the educational institutions of the state, as well as the state center for political education
  • j) Representation of the Sinti and Roma in the media sector
  • k) Establishment and cooperation with the Council for the Affairs of German Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg

Council for the Affairs of German Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg

The Council for the Affairs of German Sinti and Roma has the task of discussing the affairs of the Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg, advising on common tasks and goals of the treaty and making appropriate recommendations to the state government and parliament. The council consists of six representatives from the country. These include two representatives from the state parliament, a representative from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, a representative from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration and a representative from the municipal state associations as well as a deputy member from the Ministry of Interior and Digitization and the Ministry of Science, among others , Research and art, as well as six representatives of the Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg. The Ministry of State takes on the coordination. State Secretary Theresa Schopper has held this position since January 17, 2017 . Once a year a report on the work of the council is submitted to the state parliament.

Future prospects

The state government and the VDSR BW are striving to further develop the State Treaty. Examples are the preservation and care of gravesites of Nazi persecuted Sinti or Roma, an integration of the topic Sinti and Roma in the educational plans as well as the development of the Antiziganism research center.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://zentralrat.sintiundroma.de/zentralrat/trägersverbaende/
  2. ^ Council of Europe: Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Retrieved February 21, 2018 .
  3. ^ Council of Europe: European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Retrieved February 21, 2018 .
  4. ^ State Ministry Ba-Wü: State contract signed with Sinti and Roma. Retrieved February 21, 2018 .
  5. ^ State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg: Cooperation with the German Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved February 21, 2018 .
  6. ^ Ministry of State: State Treaty. Retrieved February 21, 2018 .
  7. ^ Ministry of State: Council for the Affairs of German Sinti and Roma. Retrieved February 21, 2018 .
  8. ^ State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg: Council for the Affairs of the German Sinti and Roma in Baden-Württemberg. In: https://stm.baden-wuerttemberg.de/fileadmin/redaktion/daten/PDF/170901_Liste_Ratsträger_Angelektiven-d-Sinti-u-Roma.pdf . State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg, September 2017, accessed on March 25, 2018 .