Sinti or Cinti is a d´une ethnicity left wandering, l´autre left sedentary, which lives in the German-speaking area and which was gathered traditionally under the name aujourd´hui discussed " Gypsy ". Their ancestors are probably d´origine Indian. They cultivate their own habits and language and distiguent Rroms, a branch esteuropéenne of their ethnos group.

Origin and language

It is supposed that the name comes from the province Sindh, or d´une old connotation of the river Indus, “Sindhu”. In the place of Sinti one uses often also the words Rom or Romni (man, woman). The group of alive Sinti in France is called the Manouche S.

Like Romas, which is later immigrant in the German-speaking area, Sinti speak Romance, which comes d´un north-western dialect d´un old popular speech Indian and not like often supposed Sanskrit, which it was a cultivated language of the Brahmanes.

Sinti are not to confuse with the Jenische N, which belong to another ethnicity, nevertheless can one gather both, especially in the past, the same social pot as being “people of voyages”.

The name of Gypsy is regarded especially since time d´après war mainly as an insult, but is found in old sources also in a neutral way when the word Sinti did not n´était yet running.

The first indices d´une presence of this Indian group, from Sinti, in German-speaking area date from the 15th century. It s´agissait refugees of l´esclavage of l´Europe South-east, who settled in many European countries because of l´invasion Othoman E with the Balkans. They were caused by l´esclavage sedentary, they developed a wandering life now.

L´histoire of Sinti in the German areas

Sinti, Roma and of the similar groups are d´origine Indian and immigrants by l´ Africa of North and the balkans towards Europe and the German-speaking area.

At the beginning of the 15th century still tolerated, one should not have waited a long time so that their living conditions s´endurcissent especially by the Reichstage of Linda (1496) and Freiburg (1498). Starting from Augsburger Reichstag in 1551 l´assassinat and the flight of Gypsy was legitimated. With one tested sédentariser Sinti and Roma. For this same period their children were taken to the parents in order to force the Assimilation.

A second Indian group, Roma, came at the 19th century when slavery was abolished in Romania. In 1939 lived about: 13000 Sinti in l´ German Empire; in the German République of the years 1990 one counted approximately: 50000.

For the period Nazi, Sinti and Roma were continued on racial bases. In 1935 within the framework of the Lois of Nuremberg the participation in the elections was prohibited not just the Juifs, but also Sinti and Roma and the marriage and the sexual intercourse with Aryens strictly prohibited. Sinti became an object of the biology of races of the Nazis and were defined by the scientists Nazis like asocial and lazy. As from 1938, approximately 85% of the population of Sinti were off-set in Camps of work or concentration, of which just a minority survived.

Culture of Sinti

Sinti acquired a considerable cultural autonomy, in spite of an immense pressure of adaptation since centuries. They often speak still their own language, the Rromani. With beyond there are many habits and legal standards, which are partly originating in their Indian northern root.

Traditionally, the life of Sinti is regulated by a very strict law. Oldest of each clan (family) the role of the judge carries and especially because in the culture of Sinti, the family takes a very important place, the old ones have a very important and recognized weight. Certain standards of cleanliness result also from ritual monks of their Indian northern fatherland.

This cultural group left many musicians and bands, which sticks to Django Reinhardt and the Hungarian folk music, with the Swing, Bossa Nova and with the waltz haversack. Become famous are inter alia Schnuckenack Reinhardt and Bireli Lagrene.

See too

• Rroms

• Tsiganophobie

External bonds

• Alliance of Sinti German

• the Council of German Roma and Sinti