Romani people in Germany
Romani people in Germany are estimated at around 170,000–300,000, constituting around 0.2–0.4% of the German population. One-third of Germany's Romani belong to the Sinti group. Most speak German or Sinte Romani.
History
Origins
The Romani people originated in South Asia, likely in the regions of present-day Punjab, Rajasthan and Sindh. Research often supports an origin in present-day North India. Genetic findings in 2012 suggest the Romani migrated as a group. According to a genetic study in 2012 about the ancestors of present Scheduled Castes and [Scheduled Tribes|scheduled tribes and scheduled caste populations] of present-day northern India, traditionally referred to collectively as the Ḍoma, are the likely ancestral populations of modern European Roma. Linguistic studies have argued that roots of Romani languages lie in what is now India: the languages have grammatical characteristics of Indian languages and share with them a part of the basic lexicon, for example, body parts or daily routines. More exactly, Romani shares the basic lexicon with Hindi and Punjabi. It shares many phonetic features with Marwari, while its grammar is closest to Bengali.In February 2016, during the International Roma Conference, the Minister of [External Affairs (India)|Indian Minister of External Affairs] stated that the people of the Roma community were children of India. The conference ended with a recommendation to the Government of India to recognize the Roma community spread across 30 countries as a part of the Indian diaspora.
Migration to Germany
There are different Christian Roma groups like the Lalleri, Kalderash, Čurara, Boyash, Wallachian Roma, Gitanos, and Muslim Roma/Xoraxane like Arlije, Gurbeti, Romanlar in Turkey. Some People of Roma ethnicity came as Gastarbeiter to Germany from countries such as Turkey, former Yugoslavia, Greece, Spain and Italy. Especially Turkish speaking Xoraxane-Roma from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, declaread themselves as Turks only and are viewed as Turks by Germans. Since the Kosovo War in 1998-1999, Romani people in Kosovo, Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians also came to Germany.Image:Carl d´Unker-Gipsy Family in Prison.jpg|thumb|229x229px|Gypsy Family in Prison, 1864 painting by Carl d´Unker, a Swedish painter living and working in Düsseldorf. An actual imprisoned family served as the models. The reason for their imprisonment remains unknown