As part of the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic, Dr. Boglárka Bakó from Hungary spent six months conducting research at the Fórum Institute for Minority Research in Komárno. Her project focused on documenting the everyday life and history of the Roma community of Péró in Nové Zámky — a once segregated area with a rich cultural heritage.

photo album about gypsies of Pero

I am Dr Boglárka Bakó, I am a staff member of the WORK-Momentum project at the Institute of History, Budapest. Thanks to the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic, I was able to spend six months with the academic community Fórum Institute for Minority Research (Fórum inštitút pre výskum menšín; Výskumné centrum európskej etnológie the Výskumné centrum európskej etnológie) Komárno and to carry out archival research and fieldwork in my field in Nové Zámky. The scholarship gave me a unique opportunity to continue my scientific work, to expand my international cooperation and to strengthen my professional contacts. During my research, I investigated the everyday life of the Gypsy community of the former Péró, a segregated area in Nové Zámky, paying special attention to their advocacy efforts, social relations and coexistence.

musician gypsies at the stationThe research was carried out in Nové Zámky with the professional help of József Liszka, who and his colleagues at Fórum inštitút contributed significantly to my research with their useful advice. The professional environment in Slovakia is interdisciplinary, which contributed greatly to the diversity of my approach. The staff of the European Ethnology Research Center (Výskumné centrum európskej etnológie) in Komárno were helpful in supporting my research from the very beginning, and their vast library was a treasure trove of professional books. At the institute's professional workshop, I received advice and assistance from my colleagues on many aspects of the research material.

I owe a special thanks to the staff of Štátny Archív v Nitre-Pobocka Nové Zámky, especially Angelika Palova, who was dedicated and persistent in finding for me archival documents on the liquidation of the Péró and the daily life of the people living there. My thanks to the staff of the Museum Jána Thaina v Nových Zámkoch, especially Zsuzsanna Varga, for her help in researching their collection of periodicals, adding an extraordinary amount of documents to my material. The help and support of archival and museum colleagues was indispensable for my research. Finally, I owe a great deal to the descendants of the musicians and blacksmiths of Péró, who spoke in interviews about their memories, their families and the liquidation of the Péró. All of this contributed to my successful research work in Slovakia.

Komárno cityThe National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic fellowship has allowed me to focus entirely on researching Gypsies in Slovakia this semester, to make excellent professional contacts and to work in a dynamic professional environment. I warmly recommend the fellowship to those who wish to focus their research in a fresh and supportive professional environment.

In addition to my research, it was a great experience to admire Komarno's magnificent architectural heritage and to walk through the exciting eclectic streets of Nové Zámky, enjoying the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere of both towns, the cafés and friendly restaurants.

My six-month research in Slovakia was extremely useful for me from a professional point of view, and I am grateful to the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for giving me the opportunity. I hope to have another opportunity later on to continue my research on the history of the blacksmith and musician Gypsies in Slovakia.