Where do reformed Roma live?

Gypsies don’t have a unified religion. They generally adopt the dominant religion of their location, hence all the types of Roma living in Hungary, for example in Bulgaria both Christians and Muslims can be found.

Since the Gypsies were outside of the churches, they were beyond institutional devoutness. The churches` services were requested only at baptism and funeral. Roma are very religious, they believe in the existence of God and a transcendent world – but not necessarily according to the instructions of the Heidelberg Catechism. Most Hungarian Roma are Catholic, but there are reformed as well, especially in Northeastern Hungary and the Great Plain. Recently numerous Roma converted to Neo-Protestantism and became members of “Free Churches.” Our mission responsibility is increased since there are many disadvantaged Roma communities in Szabolcs-Szatmár and Hajdú-Bihar Counties where the rate of Reformed is higher than the national average.

According to the population census in 2011, how many Gypsies live in Hungary?

It is more about how many people consider themselves Roma or Gypsy in Hungary, and not how many people were considered Roma or Gypsy by society.

The question, who considers him or herself Roma and who does not, is not agreed upon even within one Roma settlement. Many say they are Hungarian citizens as they don`t speak other languages, celebrate the Hungarian national holidays and “Hungarian” is written on their identity cards, so why would they consider themselves as part of an ethnic group whose relationship with the majority is unsettled? Many consider themselves Gypsy in appearance but there is no other connection to Roma customs. Others are proud of their origin and preserve the traditions.

According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office`s (KSH) data in 2011, 315,583 considered themselves Gypsy, while in 2001, 200,000. However, the data found in the census is different from the estimation of sociologists. In a 1993-1994 survey, sociologists polled the non-Roma regarding who they considered Gypsy (not necessarily meaning of real Roma origin), and more than 500,000 were considered Gypsy. According to this view, currently 700,000-800,000 are estimated Hungarian Gypsy.

When did Gypsies come to Hungary and from where?

Until the 18^th century, Gypsies were thought to have come from Egypt, referencing the English word “gypsy” or Spanish “gitanos”. Then a sharp reformed theologian, István Wáli who studied in the Low Countries (Netherlands today) during the 1750s, met three Southern-Indian students and observed the similarity between their language and the language of Roma he was surrounded by at home.

After that, research on the Gypsies` Indian origins began. According to the current viewpoint, the ancestors of Roma started off in India in many groups and reached the Balkans from India by way Persia, leaving India between the 5^th and 10^th century. At the beginning of the 15^th century, they would have already been in the Kingdom of Hungary. Referring to a Brasov statement from 1416, the medieval city gave 10 denarius in cash, 2 denarius in poultry and 6 denarius in crop to the “Egyptian” (probably Gypsy) Mr. Emmaus and his associate. Not long after, settled Gypsies were registered in government records. However, most Gypsy communities continued to roam. For instance, “the Beás” Roma reached Hungary in the 18^th century.

Roma or Gypsy: which word should you use?

On our web page both labels are used, generally as synonyms. But what is the difference between the two expressions? 

In 1971, members of the First World Romani Congress, which was organized near London, reached a decision to call themselves “Roma” instead of the derogative “Gypsy” (Zigeuner, etc.) label. When the politically correct definition reached Hungary in the 1980s, Roma was used for each Roma person, despite the fact that more kinds of Roma/Gypsy groups live in Hungary whose native languages are not the same. In the language of Vlachs, the “rom” means “Vlach Gypsy man” and “roma” is the plural form. “Beás,” whose native language is different from Vlachs, say rightfully “I am Gypsy, not Roma”. Romungro (Hungarian Roma) also consider themselves “Gypsy”. Honoring part of the Vlachs`s demand, using the word “Gypsy” is also correct, since all groups living in Hungary are considered. However in the academic language, the Roma/Gypsy dual expression is written. On our webpage we will use both words synonymously.