The Southeast Europe Association (Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft - SOG) in cooperation with Schroubek Fonds (Munich), Giessen Center for East European Studies (Gießener Zentrum Östliches Europa - GIZO) and the chair of Southeast European History at Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen invite to a conference in Giessen, Germany.

Since the 1990ies, a growing concern in both the media and academia emerged regarding the situation of Roma in Eastern Europe due to the fact that they became, in countries in transition, a target and victim of nationalism resulting in the worsening of the groups’ living conditions, especially in comparison with the majority society. This is also the case in former Yugoslavia, specifically after the wars of the Nineties. Since 1999, if one mentions Roma in Kosovo but also in Serbia and Macedonia, “Ashkali and Egyptians” has to be added for reason of specification. All three groups are referred to as “Gypsies” by the majority society and were expelled from Kosovo in 1999 and 2004.

Not only in Kosovo but also in the neighbouring countries such as Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, members of all three communities are living as refugees from Kosovo or citizens of the country. As yet, only few scholars have discussed the issue of the nation building of Egyptians and the dilemma they are facing in a society predominantly Albanian, Serbian or Macedonian.

This conference aims at discussing PhD projects regarding the history and anthropology of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians in former Yugoslavia.