On the margins of democracy: The case of Romanian Roma from Wrocław

Abstract

In 2018, the House of Peace Foundation, commissioned by the Municipality of Wrocław, invited employees of the University of Wrocław, PhD students, experts, specialists in the field of cultural and sociological studies of the city, education and cultural animation to conduct research on the cultural and educational needs of Romani people who had been living in Wrocław since the 1990s. The Romani (also known as Roma) are economic migrants who do not speak Polish and usually have no literacy skills. Moreover, they often show no understanding of the rules that govern modern capitalist society. This article is not only about describing their history and current situation. It is also about more general issues related to the place and how radically marginalized or excluded groups — such as the Romani from Wrocław — function in modern democratic systems.