The Yeniche, or Jenische, are the third-largest population of nomadic people in Europe, living mostly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of France. They are some of the most geographically widespread in Western Europe.
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The term Yeniche generally refers to those living in France and Wallonia, while Jenische refers to those in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Flanders and Switzerland. The Jenische have been concentrated mostly around the Rhineland.
Mostly through important taboo systems, the Yeniche also differ culturally and ethnically from the Roma and are considered a different group, though they may fall under a more generic but often more loosely defined category of Gypsy. They speak the Yeniche language, and often claim to be descendents of the Celts. They live within extended families.
Until the 1970s, the Swiss government had a semi-official policy of institutionalizing Yeniche parents as "mentally ill" and having their children be adopted by more "normal" Swiss citizens, in an effort to eliminate Yeniche culture.[1] The name of this program was "Kinder der Landstraße" ("children of the highway"). 590 children were taken from their parents and institutionalized in orphanages, mental institutions and even prisons[2]
Today 35,000 Jenische live in Switzerland, mostly concentrated around Graubünden. Only about 5,000 of them currently live the traditional traveller lifestyle.