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Roma/Gypsies

 
Author Solivagant
Partaker
#1 | Posted: 24 Nov 2008 06:20 | Edited by: Solivagant 
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.pdf

PS 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.do
How 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!

Author elsslots
Admin
#2 | Posted: 24 Nov 2008 12:53 | Edited by: elsslots 
Solivagant:
How 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"?

1. Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd - he was crowned Prince of Wales in Caernarfon Castle (one of the castles part of this WHS)
2. Mount Athos - "The Prince of Wales also travels each year to Mount Athos to spend time in the Orthodox monasteries there"

Author meltwaterfalls
Partaker
#3 | Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:34 
I wouldn't be the biggest Royal hunter so I am just going on loose associations I can think of in the UK.
I would guess we could include Westminster as he has been to a fair few family occasions there. Would this go to the Tower of London as well?
Cornwall and Devon Mines, I am guessing some part would be owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and thus by HRH.
Kew, It was formerly owned by his predecessors at Prince of Wales he also re-opened the Royal Palace.

Author elsslots
Admin
#4 | Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:48 
After going through some online biographies (I now know more of the man than I ever wanted), I also stumbled upon the Cornwall link ("The Duchy of Cornwall consists of around 54,521 hectares of land in 23 counties, mostly in the South West of England, and includes agricultural, residential and commercial property holdings.") But I can't find any evidence that one of his lands indeed is part of the Cornwall Mining landscape.

Could you give us a clue, Mr. Solivagant? Is the WHS located in the UK or outside?

P.S. I even researched the following possible link: :"The Prince keeps a number of Indian Runner Ducks .."

Author elsslots
Admin
#5 | Posted: 25 Nov 2008 12:12 
Is it indeed Cornwall & Devon Mining landscape, and then the subsite "Tamar Valley Mining District"? In the nomination dossier the following are attributed to the Duchy of Cornwall – Drakewalls Mine, Prince of Wales Mine, Gunnislake Clitters Mine

Author Solivagant
Partaker
#6 | Posted: 27 Nov 2008 16:00 | Edited by: Solivagant 
As a once rather vociferous republican, albeit now lapsed (particularly as a result of cynicism about the morals and intentions of non-Royals worldwide who aspire to positions of power and influence!), I would not like to give the impression that I am very knowledgeable about "things royal" but the subject can provide an interesting lens through which to view society.

Yes for sure the Prince of Wales will have visited all the UK WHS and many of those abroad but we were trying to identify "connections" of more significance than a mere visit. I wonder anyway if we should also have a "Connections rule" that at least 2 different states parties should be involved in order to avoid connections which are too incestuous to 1 country. You got most of the ones I had identified - my list stands at

Westminster - Prince Charles took his seat in the House of Lords (Palace of Westminster) in Feb 1970 -he wanted to play an active part but was warned not to and, to the best of my knowledge, has never spoken. Interestingly, such ceremonies as his christening and marriage(s) have NOT taken place at the Abbey.
Taj Mahal - Famously he was NOT present (he was meeting businessmen in Bangalore!) when in Feb 1992 his wife "Princess Diana" had "that photo" taken of her all alone at this monument to "love" and thus announced to the world her emotional "separation" from him (Charles had visited some years earlier and said that one day he would like to bring his wife there - thus unwisely making himself a hostage to fortune!!)
Cornwall and Devon mining Landscape - As identified by Els and Meltwaterfalls, he "owns" various parts of this site as a result of his "position" as Duke of Cornwall. Representatives of the Duchy were on the committee which developed the proposal so it must have had his active support.
Castles and towns of King Edward in Gwynedd - As identified by Els he was "invested" as "Prince of Wales" at Caernarfon Castle in 1969
Mt Athos - Els got this one. His trips are rather more than a holiday - The Prince visits Vatopedi monastery fairly regularly for spiritual reasons and has contributed to its restoration (His father had been Greek Orthodox but switched in 1947 to Anglicanism before marrying Princess Elizabeth - thus opening the possiblity of his son's clandestine and atavistic connection to that faith - UK law requires that Charles be CofE to be monarch! Both he and his father are Patrons of the "Friends of Mt Athos")
Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania. He owns a house in the village of Viscri and,in line with his interest in preservation and the natural environment, he is a patron of the Mihai Eminescu Trust (a UK charity set up to restore the cultural heritage and skills of the area's Saxon villages). He believes that Viscri can serve as a model for other threatened rural communities.

PS Meltwaterfalls - I am not sure about Kew Gardens - he has visited and is a "patron" but then in UK he is a "patron" of so much!! The Tower of London is just a "visited place" I think and i haven't been able to find any deeper connection with Greenwich as part of his "naval career"

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 Roma/Gypsies

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