The Gypsies in Poland

Curatorial Note

Jerzy Ficowski’s The Gypsies in Poland: History and Customs is a foundational survey of Romani history and culture in Poland, bringing together historical documentation, ethnographic observation, oral traditions, social organization, and customary practices. Developed from Ficowski’s long engagement with Polish Romani communities, the work became an important reference in the formation of postwar Romani studies in Poland. It is particularly valuable for diachronic research into Romani life, mobility, cultural practices, and relations with the Polish state and majority society. At the same time, the book should be read critically within the intellectual and ethnographic frameworks of its period, making it significant both as a source on Polish Roma and as a document in the historiography of Romani studies.