In Prague, a Center for Roma and Sinti is being established, which will open in 2023

Prague - A new Center for Roma and Sinti is being established in Prague. The Museum of Romani Culture (MRK) is building it in a first-republic villa in Dejvice. It plans to host exhibitions of Romani artists, concerts, lectures, and film screenings. It aims to bring closer Romani history, while also focusing on the current position of the minority and coexistence with the majority. The MRK leadership presented the future institution today in Prague. The center is expected to open on March 1, 2023.

"The center will offer a space for meetings for Roma from across the country and various groups. However, it is not only for Roma; it is for the general public. We anticipate that there will be intercultural events and discussions about contemporary coexistence. This is one of the important things. We hope to establish a dialogue with the public here. We hope for a shift in relationships," said Jana Horváthová, the museum director, to ČTK.

The leadership of MRK expects an influx of domestic visitors as well as foreign tourists. From the center, they could also access the memorial to the Romani Holocaust being built in Lety near Písek.

The establishment of the Prague center is part of a four-year project that began in March this year and will last until the end of February 2024. It is funded by Norwegian funds. The total cost is expected to be around 44.6 million crowns. Of this, 28 million is to be used for the reconstruction of the villa and its equipment. According to the center’s head, Olga Vlčková, a condition for Norwegian financial support was the five-year sustainability of the project.

The house in Dejvice was built between 1936 and 1937 by textile industrialist Leo František Perutz, who perished in Auschwitz in 1944. The villa was designed by architects Arnošt Mühlstein and Victor Fürth. It has been empty in recent years, occasionally used by filmmakers. Last year, the museum acquired it from the state.

"Despite its age, the building is in relatively good technical condition. The original elements, including some built-in furniture, have been preserved. We want to maintain all these elements to keep the original atmosphere," said Vít Benda from Rujbr Architects, who prepared the center's design.

A reception, café, and a hall for 50 visitors will be created in the extension. In addition to another hall, there will be a meeting room, offices, and clubs on the lower floor. A gallery will be placed in the attic. The building will be accessible. The garden will be renovated and opened to the public. Work is set to begin this autumn and finish in two years. As its first event, the center will host an exhibition of Romani artists from MRK's collections before its official opening. It is scheduled to start in June 2022 at the Kinsky Summer Palace.

Norwegian Ambassador Robert Kvile believes that the center will function as an "educational arena and meeting place" and will contribute to inclusion and the prevention of hate speech. "I see superiority in society towards Roma, which bothers me terribly. I fear that anti-Romani sentiment could become an ideology. We need institutions that will showcase traditional Romani culture," said Čeněk Růžička, chairman of the Committee for the Compensation of the Romani Holocaust.

The Museum of Romani Culture was established in 1991 as a civic association. Since 2005, it has become a contributory organization of the Ministry of Culture. Besides the center, it also manages and builds memorials at the sites of protectorate camps in Lety near Písek and in Hodonín near Kunštát.