Permanent exhibition – The Story of the Roma

The permanent exhibition called “The Story of the Roma” will introduce you to the history of the Roma people. It will guide you from the times of their ancestors in the ancient India through the arrival of the Roma in Europe in the 11th century over to the events of the Second World War and present days.

 

At the exhibition you will see original exhibits as well as faithful replicas, which complement impressive audiovisual elements and dioramas (life-size models copying the real situation).

 

Hall 1

India – Original Home of the Roma/ Khatar sam?

This section familiarizes visitors with India, the original home of the Roma. It explains the cultural, historical and linguistic research related to the very earliest history of the Romani people. The explanatory texts are augmented by many original exhibits: Artisanal products, jewellery, clothing and interior furnishings.

 

HALL 2

On the Road/ Bare dromeha

This section outlines the arrival of Romani people in Europe throughout history. It describes the crafts and professions that medieval Romani people performed on the road. The central motif of Hall 2 is a fully-equipped wagon and a reconstructed Romani campsite. The archival documents exhibited in Hall 2 also outline how the Romani inhabitants of Europe were persecuted in those days.

 

 

HALL 3

Finding a Home / Kaj amaro than?

This section familiarizes visitors with the historical process of Romani settlement from the mid-18th century until 1938 in the context of Czechoslovakia (1918-1939). It introduces the crafts and professions performed by Romani people, both those living on the road and those who were sedentary. Special attention is paid to music here. Visitors have the opportunity to look inside a circus tent or a dwelling with a traditional interior.

 

HALL 4

The Holocaust of the Roma/ Romengro murdaripen

This section tells the stories of Romani people during the Second World War, especially on the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-1945), in the Slovak State (1939-1945), and in Germany. The Holocaust of the Roma, as a subject, is presented through detailed explanatory texts, period photographs, eyewitness memories and some official documents of the time. The documentary film “…these are painful memories” (“…to jsou těžké vzpomínky”) is permanently projected as a supplement to the exhibition and features eyewitness testimonies.

 

HALL 5

Romani Lifeways after WWII/ Romipen pal o mariben

The next-to-last hall focuses on the postwar history of Romani people in Czechoslovakia until the year 1989. This section familiarizes visitors with the output of Romani fine artists and Romani authors of literary works. It introduces the inner world of the Romani community and how it changed over the course of 40 years. It also describes the influence of Romani culture on the culture of the majority society. Audiovisual recordings of contemporary Romani culture are available for viewing.

 

HALL 6

Roma in the media, 1989-2005

This final section is a mosaic, without commentary, of the contemporary image in the Czech and Slovak media as to the development of relations between the majority society and the Romani minority from 1989 to 2005. The central element in the hall is a revolving wheel with newspaper headlines suggesting the constant motion of contemporary events surrounding each of us.

 

This part of the exhibit is also accompanied by Romani voices, i.e., quotes from Romani people commenting on certain historical events or on displays of their cultural uniqueness. The exhibition as a whole was produced in two phases. In 2006, the part dedicated to the years 1939 – 2005 was completed and installed according to a design by the architect Daniel Pospíšil. In 2011, the remaining parts of the exhibition were opened to the public, designed by architect Jan Konečný of Brno. The entire exhibition was installed thanks to collaborations and enthusiastic support from many figures as well as financial contributions from the Anne Frank Foundation; the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research; the Czech Culture Ministry; and the City of Brno. The exhibition is located on the first floor of the museum and occupies 351 m2.

 

The new bilingual Czech and English catalogue for “The Story of the Roma” has been conceived in the spirit of the exhibition. Its readers have an opportunity to “pass through” each hall of the exhibition and learn both basic facts about Romani culture and history and the widest possible range of interesting information about life in the Romani community.

 

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