Prize of the Museum of Romani Culture

The aim of awarding the prize of the Museum of Romani Culture (MRC) is to appreciate annually one personality, whose activity has contributed to the development, promotion and preservation of the Romani culture and also to the functioning of the MRC. The prize was for the first time awarded in 2009.

Awarded personalities

2009 – Jana Šustová. Awarded for her continuous support of the Museum and unrelentless support for the creation of collection funds of the MRC

2010 – Ján Sajko. Awarded for his exceptional work with roma students, for the international promotion of their pieces of art and for the exemplary cooperation with MRC.

2011 – Ctibor Nečas. Awarded for a long-term cooperation with MRC, giving valuable advices and consultations and for his help with spreading the collection funds.

2011 – Karel Holomek. Awarded for a long-term and relentless work for Roma ethnic and also for playing an imporant role during the founding and esthablishing of the MRC.

2012 – PhDr. Eva Davidová, CSc. Awarded for a long-term and relentless work for Roma ethnic and also for playing an imporant role during the founding and esthablishing of the MRC.

2013 – Emílie Machálková. Awarded for her long-term cooperation with MRC based mainly on passing her life experiences in working with school children and youth.

2014 – Eugen Horváth in memoriam. Awarded for his longlife dedication to roma culture, care of music tradition of Roma and its own presentation. Awarded also for his extraordinary music performance and long-term cooperation with MRC as well.

2015 – Ignác Zima. Awarded for his long-term cooperation with MRC, concerning mainly his care of preservation and development of roma language and also other spheres of traditional culture; for passing a historical knowledge to another generations.

2016 – Margita Lázoková. Awarded for her long-term cooperation with MRC, concerning mainly her care of romani emancipation based with  Gypsy-Romani association. Awarded also for her presentation on exhibitions, memorial evenings, reverent acts.

2017 – Gejza Horváth. Awarded for his longlife dedication to roma culture, concerning his contribution to music and literature of Roma, pedagogical work and his own author creation.  Awarded also for his civic posture and support of romani emancipation and long-term cooperation with MRC as well.

2018 – David Tišer. Awarded for his artworks, the organization of cultural life and the ability to create intergenerational consciousness, for persevering and brave efforts to improve the quality of coexistence of Romani people and the majority. For combating stereotypes and pioneering activities in the Romani LGBT community. For organization of the International Romani Day in the Czech Republic.

Year 2019 - Pavel Fried in memoriam. Awarded for his long-standing, tireless work to raise awareness of the Holocaust, a dark time in our modern history that must not be forgotten, as he himself always stressed. His open testimonies about the suffering he experienced are a bitter memento, but also a warning and a lesson for future generations. Through his activities, he supported the Museum of Romani Culture and the Roma as such, whose history is marked by the same fate as the history of the Jews during the Second World War.

Year 2020 - Emíli Rigová. Awarded for her reflection on Romani identity and her comprehensive critique of the stereotyping of Roma through her cutting-edge and widely acclaimed artistic work, as well as for her long-term collaboration and participation in the projects of the Museum of Romani Culture

Year 2021 - Bartoloměj Daniel in memoriam. Awarded for lifetime contribution to documentation, research, popularization and presentation of culture,
crafts, language and history of the Roma, for his persistent and long-standing efforts, undiminished by obstruction
to create a museum institution dedicated to Romani culture and history, for co-founding
Museum of Romani Culture in 1991 and for decades of work for this institution

Year 2022 - Helena Sadílková. The award was given for her long-standing scientific contribution to the knowledge, preservation and development of the Romani language, for her stimulating research results in the field of 20th century history with regard to the Romani ethnic group. For a genuine and deep interest in the Roma and Sinti, for persistent efforts to ensure that society treats their communities with dignity, including through professional work that reveals hidden perspectives to the public. Last but not least, for the tireless support of the Museum of Romani Culture 

Year 2023 Robin Stria in memoriam