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This study examines the Romanian eugenic movement during the interwar period (1918–1940) and its systematic targeting of the Roma minority through pseudo-scientific racism. The research addresses a significant scholarly divide regarding the impact of eugenic anti-Roma discourse in Romanian society. While some historians have argued that Roma were not a primary concern of interwar Romanian nationalism and that eugenic ideas had limited societal influence, other researchers have demonstrated the opposite—that eugenicists conducted sustained campaigns against Roma, portraying them as biological threats to Romanian racial purity. Through analysis of publications from the Eugenic and Biopolitical Bulletin (1927–1947) and other contemporary journals, this study documents how prominent Romanian eugenicists systematically promoted sterilization, segregation, and elimination of Roma populations. These academic and medical professionals used their institutional positions to disseminate racist ideologies that framed Roma as “dysgenic,” “criminal,” and “parasitic” elements threatening Romanian biological and cultural integrity. The research demonstrates that this academic racism was neither isolated nor ineffective, but rather influenced government policies during World War II and continues to manifest in contemporary Romanian attitudes toward Roma. The study challenges minimalist interpretations of eugenic influence while documenting the lasting impact of pseudo-scientific racism on Romanian society.

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The Interwar Romanian Eugenics Movement and the Racist Influences on the Roma Minority (Romania) in Contemporary Times

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Liliana Ene

摘要

This study examines the Romanian eugenic movement during the interwar period (1918–1940) and its systematic targeting of the Roma minority through pseudo-scientific racism. The research addresses a significant scholarly divide regarding the impact of eugenic anti-Roma discourse in Romanian society. While some historians have argued that Roma were not a primary concern of interwar Romanian nationalism and that eugenic ideas had limited societal influence, other researchers have demonstrated the opposite—that eugenicists conducted sustained campaigns against Roma, portraying them as biological threats to Romanian racial purity. Through analysis of publications from the Eugenic and Biopolitical Bulletin (1927–1947) and other contemporary journals, this study documents how prominent Romanian eugenicists systematically promoted sterilization, segregation, and elimination of Roma populations. These academic and medical professionals used their institutional positions to disseminate racist ideologies that framed Roma as “dysgenic,” “criminal,” and “parasitic” elements threatening Romanian biological and cultural integrity. The research demonstrates that this academic racism was neither isolated nor ineffective, but rather influenced government policies during World War II and continues to manifest in contemporary Romanian attitudes toward Roma. The study challenges minimalist interpretations of eugenic influence while documenting the lasting impact of pseudo-scientific racism on Romanian society.