“Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes

In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and during the Horthy era in the 1930s, the “wandering Gypsies” and later the inhabitants of Gypsy settlements were often labelled “parasites” by the journalists, officials, and the gendarmes. For decades, Gypsy musicians were treated differently, enjoying a...

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Main Author: Hajnaczky Tamas Attila
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Institute of Musicology of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts 2025-01-01
Series:Muzikologija
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-9814/2025/1450-98142538099H.pdf
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author Hajnaczky Tamas Attila
author_facet Hajnaczky Tamas Attila
author_sort Hajnaczky Tamas Attila
collection DOAJ
description In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and during the Horthy era in the 1930s, the “wandering Gypsies” and later the inhabitants of Gypsy settlements were often labelled “parasites” by the journalists, officials, and the gendarmes. For decades, Gypsy musicians were treated differently, enjoying a certain privileged role in relation to the rest of the Gypsy community. However, by the 1930s, Gypsy musicians too often found themselves categorized as “parasitic Gypsies.” In other words, being a Gypsy musician and having a profession was not in itself a guarantee of social esteem, despite self-help associations being set up and pension, funeral, sickness, and emergency benefits being planned; these factors and much more have been highlighted by the Roma Interbellum international research. The present article focuses on the activities of the aforementioned organizations and examines their limited impact on the improvement of the social status of Romani musicians in Hungary.
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publisher Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Institute of Musicology of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
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spelling doaj-art-ca4980367ef340de9abbd52761625b8b2025-08-20T03:58:44ZengSerbian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Institute of Musicology of Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsMuzikologija1450-98142406-09762025-01-012025389911510.2298/MUZ2538099H1450-98142538099H“Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypesHajnaczky Tamas Attila0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5024-3789Karoli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Archiepiscopal College of Veszprem, HungaryIn the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and during the Horthy era in the 1930s, the “wandering Gypsies” and later the inhabitants of Gypsy settlements were often labelled “parasites” by the journalists, officials, and the gendarmes. For decades, Gypsy musicians were treated differently, enjoying a certain privileged role in relation to the rest of the Gypsy community. However, by the 1930s, Gypsy musicians too often found themselves categorized as “parasitic Gypsies.” In other words, being a Gypsy musician and having a profession was not in itself a guarantee of social esteem, despite self-help associations being set up and pension, funeral, sickness, and emergency benefits being planned; these factors and much more have been highlighted by the Roma Interbellum international research. The present article focuses on the activities of the aforementioned organizations and examines their limited impact on the improvement of the social status of Romani musicians in Hungary.https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-9814/2025/1450-98142538099H.pdfhungaryromani musicians’ associationspensionmedical assistancefuneral aid
spellingShingle Hajnaczky Tamas Attila
“Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
Muzikologija
hungary
romani musicians’ associations
pension
medical assistance
funeral aid
title “Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
title_full “Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
title_fullStr “Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
title_full_unstemmed “Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
title_short “Parasitic Gypsies” versus self-helping Gypsy musicians: Historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
title_sort parasitic gypsies versus self helping gypsy musicians historical facts and moving beyond stereotypes
topic hungary
romani musicians’ associations
pension
medical assistance
funeral aid
url https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-9814/2025/1450-98142538099H.pdf
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