Relations Between the Peasant Population and the Romany Minority in Croatia and Slavonia, 1900-1910

Cilj je ovoga rada istražiti odnos domicilnoga, većinskog seoskog i romskog stanovništva na prostoru Hrvatske i Slavonije u razdoblju 1900. do 1910. godine. Istraživanje se temelji na analizi rukopisne zbirke Arhiva Odbora za narodni život i običaje Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti, dnevnih listova Obzor i Riječki novi list i tjednika Dom te relevantne literature, a korišteni su i podaci popisa stanovništva. Glavni je metodologijski nedostatak ovih izvora što su njihovi autori isključivo Neromi. Podrobna raščlamba lege artis omogućuje, međutim, izvođenje valjanih zaključaka. Istraživanje odnosa seoskog stanovništva i Roma dio je nužnih znanstvenih napora za upotpunjavanje spoznaja o povijesti i kulturi romske manjine na području Hrvatske. Odnos tih dviju zajednica obilježilo je međusobno nepovjerenje izazvano praznovjerjem domaćega seoskog i društvenom zatvorenošću dijela romskog stanovništva. Seosko stanovništvo doživljavalo je Rome lukavim varalicama i lopovima, a medusobno rodbinsko povezivanje društvenom sramotom (tabuom). Stalno naseljeni Romi otvorenije su komunicirali sa seoskim stanovništvom, obavljali različite obrtničke i trgovačke usluge te preuzimali dio lokalnih običaja i tradicije. Seosko stanovništvo izrazito je negativno doživljavalo i s velikim se predrasudama odnosilo prema nomadskim Romima, koje je smatralo potpunim strancima na svome području. Zbog svoje zatvorene društvene organizacije, nomadski su Romi komunikaciju s mjesnim stanovništvom svodili na najnužniju (službenu) mjeru, i najviše su sumnjičeni za nasilne prijevare i lopovluk.In this paper the author has described the relations between the Romany population and the peasant population in Croatia and Slavonia, 1900-1910. The author has analysed the manuscripts collected by archive of the Commitee for people\u27s life and customs of the Croatian academy of sciences and arts, daily newspaper Obzor and Riječki Novi list, weekly newspaper Dom and other relevant literature. He has also analized the data of census. Essential methodological insufficiency of this research is the fact that the authors of those sources were only Non-Roma. But the lege artis analyse of those sources gives valid conclusions. The research of relations between the dominant peasant population and the Romany ethnical community is one part of necessary scientific efforts for completion the knowledges about history and culture of the Romany minority in Croatia. The relations between these two communities are marked by mutual distrust and suspicion based on superstition and prejudices of domicile peasant majority and existing social boundaries of Romany minority. Peasant population has perceived the Romany population as thieves, swindlers, loafers and immoral persons and that perception is based on many cases of Romany people deceiving peasants. Mutual marriages (conjugal relations) were more than rare, and socially proscribed as tabu. Relations between the peasants and the Romany population with a more pennanent location of residence was more positive than the relations with nomadic Romany population. Romany population with a pennanent location of residence have more openly communicated with the peasants and their relations are based on economic (eg. Romany trade and handicraft) and social (eg. music and fortune telling) relations. Nomadic Romany population, due to its closed social organization, minimally communicated with the peasant population