The Manouche ( ) are a
Romani subgroup who have lived in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
since at least the 18th century. The term Manouche is the self-ascribed name of the French
Sinti
The Sinti (masc. sing. ''Sinto''; fem. sing. ''Sintetsa, Sinta'') are a subgroup of the Romani people. They are found mostly in Germany, France, Italy and Central Europe, numbering some 200,000 people. They were traditionally Itinerant groups i ...
.
Etymology
The word (or ) means 'human being' in the
Romani language
Romani ( ; also Romanes , Romany, Roma; ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani people. The largest of these are Vlax Romani language, Vlax Romani (about 500,000 speakers), Balkan Romani (600,000), and Sinte Roma ...
, and is derived from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
(); close cognates are found in several modern
Indian languages. Their
Romani dialect, cognate to the one used by German Sinti, exhibits strong German influence. They are nowadays primary French-speaking, though the dialect of French they use exhibits many linguistic peculiarities compared to standard French.
Persecution in Switzerland
From 1926 to 1973, Swiss children's charity
Pro Juventute
''Pro Juventute'' is a charitable foundation in Switzerland established in 1912. It is dedicated to supporting the rights and needs of Swiss children and youth.
Since 1913, the Swiss post office has issued an annual charity stamp series to su ...
—with the support of Swiss authorities—forcibly removed Manouche,
Sinti
The Sinti (masc. sing. ''Sinto''; fem. sing. ''Sintetsa, Sinta'') are a subgroup of the Romani people. They are found mostly in Germany, France, Italy and Central Europe, numbering some 200,000 people. They were traditionally Itinerant groups i ...
, and
Yenish children from their families and placed them in foster homes, adoptive families and correctional institutions through the ('Children of the Open Road') project. This was part of a wider effort to forcibly assimilate these traditionally nomadic communities into the sedentary Swiss society.
In February 2025, the Swiss government formally acknowledged that the forced removals and assimilation efforts constitute a crime against humanity under international law.
Notable Manouches
*
Django Reinhardt
Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani people, Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Belgium, Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and composer in France. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe ...
*
Raymond Gurême
See also
*
Jazz manouche
References
Manouche people
Romani in France
Romani groups
{{Romani-stub