Sinti

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For the Thracian people of antiquity, see Sintians.

Sinti or Sinta or Sinte (sing. masc. Sinto; sing. fem. Sintisa) is the name of a Romani or "gypsy" population in Europe.^[1] Traditionally nomadic, today only a small percentage of the group remains unsettled. In earlier times, they frequently lived on the outskirts of communities, generally in squalor.

The Sinti speak a dialect of the Romani language called "Romanes, Sintenghero Tschib(en)", which has a primarily Romani vocabulary but some grammatical differences, and exhibits strong German influence.

The origin of the name "Sinti/Sinte" is uncertain. It can be shown to have been adopted in the 18th century, possibly from a German-based secret language. It is often compared to the name of the Sindhi of southwestern Pakistan, a notion popular among the Sinti themselves, but there is "no foundation whatsoever" for this comparison.^[2]

[edit] History

Deportation of Sinti and Roma in Asperg, May 22, 1940

Memorial for murdered Sinti in Düsseldorf-Lierenfeld

Ravensburg, Memorial for Sinti murdered in Auschwitz

The Sinti arrived in Germany and Austria in the Middle Ages, eventually splitting into two groups: Eftavagarja ("the Seven Caravans") and Estraxarja ("from Austria"). These two groups then expanded, the Eftavagarja into France, where they are called "Manouches", and the Estraxarja into Italy and Eastern Europe, mainly what are now Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, eventually adopting various regional names.

In Italy they are present mainly in Piedmont region, with some communities in Veneto as well.

[edit] Other theories

Another theory holds that the Roma differ from the Sinti in that the former converted to Islam in the Seljuq Empire, thus acquiring citizenship and escaping slavery. The Sinti, on the other hand, allegedly refused to convert to Islam and thus remained in slavery. ^[3]

[edit] Notable Sinti

The Sinti have produced some number of renowned musicians, such as Drafi Deutscher or the jazz guitarists Jimmy Rosenberg and Paulus Schafer. The Sinto Häns'che Weiss produced a record in Germany in the 1970s in which he sang about the Poraimos (Romani Holocaust) in his own language. Many younger Germans first learned about this part of Holocaust history as a result of this recording. Titi Winterstein and several members of Reinhardt's clan still play traditional and modern "Gypsy jazz" all over Europe. The jazz keyboardist Joe Zawinul was also of Sinte (Sintenghero) descent.

One of the most outstanding Sinti is Johann Trollmann, the boxer-champion of Germany, 1933, who was killed by the Nazis.

Oto Pestner is an outstanding Slovenian Sinti singer. He is most famous for his involvement with the New Swing Quartet, which sung mostly jazz and swing classics. Pestner also sings gospel and Slovenian folk music.

Andrea Pirlo, a soccer player who plays for A.C. Milan and the Italian national team, is of Sinti origin.

[edit] References

^ Martha Verdorfer: Sinti & Roma (German)
^ Yaron Matras, 'The Role of Language in Mystifying and Demystifying Gypsy Identity' in: Nicholas Saul, Susan Tebbutt, The Role of the Romanies: Images and Counter-images of "Gypsies"/Romanies in European Cultures, Liverpool University Press (2004), ISBN 9780853236795, p. 70.
^ Marco D. Knudsen. "Roma Frühgeschichte (1000–1400). Freedom by joining the Islam". RomaHistory.com. http://www.romahistory.com/en/1-8.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.