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Jul 2025
40m 13s

The Roma: Resistance & Survival

History Hit
About this episode

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb welcomes Dr. Madeline Potter to unravel the rich yet tumultuous history of the Roma people. From Tudor England, where the Egyptians Act sought to expel Roma under stereotypes of robbery and deceit through to the dark corridors of Eastern Europe to understand the centuries of enslavement in Romania, to how the Ottoman Empire treated the Roma with suspicion despite their shared Islamic faith.

They discuss the allure and practicality of gold among Roma people, their cultural intersections with Irish travellers, and the survival techniques of Romani communities under oppressive regimes. A history packed with tales of adversity, culture, and survival that define the Roma legacy.


MORE

How Tudor England Treated Outsiders

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gzDwUohe2A4rAOKEeyZUR

The Tragic Travels of Fynes Moryson

https://open.spotify.com/episode/350PZX7AALbMNL4Qc2aS60


Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

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