Ketani Association
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The Ketani Association is an Austrian association for Romani and Sinti. It was founded in 1998 by Gitta Martl and her brother Albert Kugler in Linz, Austria.
History
Many Romani people and Sinti did not possess any documents after World War II. As they were not able to read nor to write, it was difficult for them to solve these bureaucratic issues alone by visiting the responsible offices. The Ketani Association represented these interests for this minority living in Austria over centuries. One of the associations’ tasks was to support and to look after its members by helping out with applications, search of accommodation or education. Furthermore, the Ketani Association looks after Romani refugees, mostly coming from the former Yugoslavia, who suffer from postwar-consequences. It represents the interests of Sinti and Romani people in public through interviews, radio broadcasts, television recordings, writing articles about specific topics i.e. the fate of Romani women in Upper Austria. Another field of tasks is taking care of camping places in the surrounding and especially consultation and conception of surrounding campsites for Sinti and Romani people, i.e. at Braunau in cooperation with mayor Gerhard Skiba. In 2006 the association produced the movie Ketani heißt miteinander. Sintiwirklichkeiten statt Zigeunerklischees von Ludwig Laher. Besides many cultural project which take place annually, the members of the association give lectures about Sinti and Romani people in Austria and report from own experiences of being part of the minority. An important point is the organization and participation at commemoration events for victims of the