Can anyone identify ( or agree/disagree with my suggestion!) a 3rd good "Connection" for "Roma" (or Romani or Gypsies or whatever the grammatically and politically correct word is)?
2 are pretty easy
Auschwitz - where over 20,000 were murdered
Granada - The addition of the Albayzin district to this site incorporated their quarter
Romania seemed likely to provide a good opportunity as the European country with the largest "Roma" minority but the only "connection" I have been able to find is for the Transylvanian Villages. These have had a significant Roma population for centuries but, apparently have become virtual "Roma villages" particularly following the collapse of Communism and the departure of most Saxons to Germany :-
"In 1990 the ethnic mix in the Saxon villages area was thought to be 70% Saxon, 25% Romanian and 5% Roma, with a Saxon population of 90,000. Today that population stands at less than 20,000 with a dramatic change in ethnic mix: 5% Saxon, 35% Romanian and 60% Roma"
perhaps a 60% Roma population
DOES justify a "Connection" for that site??
The following links provide an interesting insight into the position of the Roma in the area both historically and today - many actually speak Saxon dialect and the site relies on them for its continued maintenance. See
http://www.eurotopics.net/en/magazin/gesellschaft-verteilerseite/roma_in_europa_2007_ 09/weilau-unger-artikel/and
http://www.kimwilkie.com/images/projects/ovs/transylv/transylvania_prt1.pdfPS Interesting to see from this latter link that UK's own "dear" Prince of Wales has "connections" with this WHS - indeed he actually owns a house in Viscri (One of the UNESCO inscribed villages) - see
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23369777-details/Will%20Prince%20Charles%2 0find%20peace%20in%20his%20new%20home%20in%20Transylvania/article.doHow many other WHS are connected with "Prince Charles" - now there's a challenge! Who will be the first person to come up with the magic "3"? But don't just count ones he has visited. His count will be quite high I would think after his life travelling the world "promoting UK interests" and generally "doing good"! Perhaps also he has even put his own WHS "visited count" on this Web site and is masquarading under a pseudonym - not me honest!
PPS - Re the "Prince Charles Connection" (excluding places he has merely visited!) - I will put the answer up in 3 days if no one else does!