Czech Republic: Professor Ctibor Nečas, a pioneer in researching the history of the Roma, has passed away

Professor PhDr. Ctibor Nečas, DrSc., an emeritus professor at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic who was a pioneer of research into the history of ethnic Romani people and the Holocaust, passed away on Tuesday, 19 December. Jana Horváthová, director of the Museum of Romani Culture, informed news server Romea.cz of the news on 21 December.

One year ago, Professor Nečas was given the Czech 2016 Roma Spirit Award in the individual category for his lifelong academic and popular contributions to the field of Romani Studies. He was an important Czech historian, especially in the area of researching the history of Romani people, and was an internationally-recognized, highly- appreciated researcher.

Thanks to his monograph The Holocaust of Czech Roma, which was also published in English translation in 1999, as well as due to the other studies he published in journals abroad, Professor Nečas was ranked among the recognized experts of Europe. He is the author of more than 255 works in Romani Studies.

Professor Nečas was also honored with the Museum of Romani Culture Award, the South Moravian Region Award, the Masaryk University Medal, the City of Brno Award and the Rakvice Municipality Award. One of the final pieces he authored has just been published in the November issue of Romano voďi magazine, entitled “Chronicle of the Camp at Lety u Písku” (in Czech only).

The September 2017 issue of that same magazine published an article by him entitled “Romani Partisans and the Resistance Movement” (available here in Czech only). The memorial service will be held for him on Wednesday, 27 December at 14:00 in the ceremonial hall of the Brno City Cemetery (address: Vídeňská 96).