''Self-Articulation and the history of European Persecution''
9–11 November 2026 | International Academic Forum Heidelberg
The DFG Research Unit “Antigypsyism and Ambivalence in Europe (1850–1950)” invites scholars
and interested participants to its second international conference,which will take place in Heidelberg
from 9 to 11 November 2026. Under the title “Self-Articulation and European Histories of Persecution,”
the conference explores the tension between forms of self-representation by Sinti and Roma and
the mechanisms of persecution and exclusion that shaped European societies from the late
nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century.
The conference is jointly organized by Subproject 5, “Roma Journalism in the Interwar Period (1918–1939),”
led by Prof. Dr. Iulia-Karin Patrut at the European University of Flensburg, and Subproject 6,
“Transformations of Anti-Gypsy Policing Discourse: From the ‘Racial’ Paradigm to Genocidal Practice (1850–1950),”
led by Prof. Dr. Tanja Penter and Dr. Frank Reuter at the Research Center on Antigypsyism at Heidelberg University.
The conference focuses on questions of journalistic, political, and cultural forms of self-articulation, counter-knowledge
and resistance, as well as the entanglement of antigypsyist systems of knowledge with institutional power structures.
The conference program brings the perspectives of various subprojects within the DFG Research Unit into dialogue.
Discussions are structured around three thematic focal points:1.Media, forms, and contexts of self-articulation
2.Processes of narrativization 3.Knowledge production, institutionalized power relations, and forms of resistance
In addition to members of the DFG Research Unit, international guests from academia and cultural practice
will contribute their expertise. These diverse perspectives will facilitate an interdisciplinary discussion of
current research questions concerning the relationship between self-representation and external representation,
while situating them within a broader scholarly and societal dialogue.
On the evening of 10 November, the conference will also open its doors to the public with a
film screening and discussion event. The film Unbroken – The Song of Survivors will be screened
at Gloria Kino Heidelberg, followed by a panel discussion on the emancipatory power of film.
The event is organised by the Critical Film & Image Hub of the Research Centre on Antigypsyism
in cooperation with the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma and the
“Upre Kethane! Action Weeks for Sinti and Roma.”
“How Science Works – The Rules of the Scientific Community”
Empowerment Workshop for Students from the Sinti and Roma Communities
11 November 2026 9:00-12:00| International Academic Forum Heidelberg
An important part of the programme is an Empowerment Workshop, which will take place on 11 November 2026,
following the academic panels, and will be led by Atide Jasarova (RomAnity e.V.). The format aims to strengthen
exchange between academic research, community perspectives, and the promotion of early-career researchers.
In light of the continued underrepresentation of Sinti and Roma in academia, the workshop is aimed in particular at
students and early-career researchers from the community who are at a stage of orientation between their studies and
doctoral research. Participants in the workshop are explicitly invited to attend the conference panels and discussions beforehand.
Interested guests are warmly welcome to attend the conference. As places are limited, prior registration for both the conference
and the Empowerment Workshop is required.
Please register by email with the Research Unit’s coordinator, Dr. Svea Taubert, at s.taubert-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de.
Further information about the Empowerment Workshop and the full conference program can be found on our website.