A commemoration marking 170 years since the abolition of Roma slavery in the Romanian Principalities will take place in Paris on February 20, bringing renewed attention to one of Europe’s longest and least acknowledged forms of slavery. The event is organized by La Voix des Rroms in partnership with INALCO and is part of a broader European remembrance initiative.

The Paris gathering brings together researchers, diplomats, institutional representatives, and civil society actors from several European countries to examine the historical legacy of Roma slavery and its links to contemporary forms of anti-Gypsyism, according to the press release.

A key moment of the event will be the public presentation of the Paris Roma Declaration 2026, a 22-point document calling for stronger historical recognition, memory policies, education measures, and anti-discrimination efforts at national and European levels.

The program also includes the opening of Roma Slavery - Five Centuries of an Obscured History, a documentary exhibition tracing the enslavement of Roma communities in the Romanian territories from medieval times to the abolition laws of the 19th century. The exhibition is curated by Petre Petcuț, lecturer at the University of Bucharest and INALCO, and is based on archival documents, legal records, and recent academic research. 

The Paris event is part of the international project 170 Years Since the Abolition of Roma Slavery: Anti-Gypsyism as a Legacy, which will continue with regional events and conclude in Bucharest on November 5, marking Romani Language Day.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/La voix des Rroms)