PAUL POLANSKY
Knez Selo bb, Nish, Serbia 18204
Education
JOURNALISM MAJOR, HISTORY AND SPEECH MINORS 1960-63
Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA)
Experience
1964- 1968: Editor of two magazines (TAB & Castellana) in Madrid, Spain.
Authored and published three guidebooks on Spain.
1969-1989: Developed own sporting estate in southern Spain. Conducted
historical research in central and eastern European archives on
immigration to the USA after the 1848 uprising. Published
historical and current-events articles in American and European
periodicals.
1990-1993: Sold sporting estate and founded Czech Historical Research Center
(USA). Lectured at several American and European universities on
human rights in Eastern Europe. Edited and published a biography
on Czech composer: Antonin Dvorak, My Father (1963). Lectured
at Brown University and University of Iowa on Dvorak. Published
several papers on Dvorak's life in America.
1993-1999: Discovered 40,000 documents in Czech archives on Gypsy death
camp (Lety) run by Czechs during WWII. Established residence in
the Czech Republic in 1995 to live with Czech Roma survivors of
Lety to collect their oral histories. Lectured at UN Holocaust
Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Forced Czech government
to recognize Lety as a holocaust site with Czech President Havel
inaugurating a memorial. Poetry readings every week for four
years throughout Czech Republic and Slovakia. Poetry tour of
USA reading at several Holocaust Associations, and universities.
Visit India to find castes having same traditions as European
Roma. Books published in Prague by G plus G: Living Through It
Twice (1997); Black Silence (1998); The Storm (1999); Stray Dog
(1999).
1999: Invited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to
serve as their advisor on Roma (Gypsy) refugee issues in Kosovo.
Lived in a displaced persons camp near Pristina from July until
September. Led 500 Roma on march to Macedonia to seek asylum.
Continued work with UNHCR compiling the first survey of all
Gypsy communities in Kosovo (almost 300). Project funded by
UNHCR, Oxfam, and the Society for Threatened People. Survey
published by the Society of Threatened People in both English and
German in Gottingen (1999).
2000: Monitored all minority communities in Kosovo for Society for
Threatened People and wrote 65 reports on these communities.
Poetry reading tour of California including major readings at the
Commonwealth Club and City Lights, both in San Francisco.
Books published: Not a Refugee, and The River Killed My
Brother.
2001: Monitored all RAE (Roma, Ashkali & Egyptian) communities in
Kosovo for Voice of Roma and also updated my 1999 survey.
Established two pilot projects for sustaining aid for Kosovo Roma
funded by Swiss Development Corporation. Another poetry
reading tour of California, mainly at universities. Books published:
Blackbirds of Kosovo.
2002: Head of Mission for Voice of Roma in Kosovo. Began English
classes for Roma teenagers funded by Swiss Development
Corporation (SDC). Also began several small businesses for Roma
funded by SDC. Lectured at Tel Aviv University (Israel) on the
Romani Holocaust. Books published: Bez domova v srdci Ameriky
(published in Prague and sold by the homeless for their benefit).
2003: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Established English classes
for Roma in the municipalities of Pristina, Peja and Gjakova
funded by SDC. Monitored Kosovo Roma stranded on
Macedonia-Greek border for three months seeking asylum in
Greece. Books published: To UNHCR With Love, and Bus Ride in
Jerusalem.
2004: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Directed project to restore
16th century Jewish cemetery in Nish (Serbia) funded by Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), New York. Reported on
Albanian uprising in Kosovo for Prague TV (embedded with
Swedish army). Began monitoring Roma affected by lead
poisoning in the UN camps in Kosovo. Awarded Weimar Human
Rights award after being nominated by Günter Grass, recipient of
the 1999 Novel Prize for Literature. Books published: Where Is
My Life?, and Kosovo Blood.
2005: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Monitored Roma affected by
lead poisoning in the UN camps in Kosovo. Wrote op-ed article for
International Herald Tribune and a book about the lead poisoning.
Started several small businesses for Roma in Nish (Serbia) funded
by JDC. Produced a documentary film on the lead poisoning,
Gypsy Blood, which won best informative film at the 2005 Golden
Wheel International Film Festival. Books published: Sarah's
People.
2006: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Funded by Bild Zeitung took
eight Roma to Germany for medical treatment of lead poisoning
and obtained their asylum there. Assisted an American lawyer to
file a legal claim against the UN for compensation for 155 Roma
affected by lead poisoning in the UN camps. Began extensive
project to collect and film the oral histories of Gypsy survivors of
WWII in the former Yugoslavia, funded by JDC. Continued
funding small business projects for Roma in Nish. Several readings
and lectures in Germany. Books published: Safari Angola, and
Roma.
2007: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Lectured in India on the
Roma (Gypsy) Diaspora and continued investigations there of
castes in Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan that have same customs
and traditions as European Roma. Expanded oral history project
making trips to eight countries in the Balkans. Started sheep herd
project for ten Romani families funded by JDC. Continued small
business projects for Nish Roma. Continued monitoring and
publishing reports of Roma dying of lead poisoning in the UN
camps in Kosovo. Poetry readings in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Trieste,
Italy. And Bern, Switzerland. Books published: Gypsy Taxi (with
reading from book on BBC radio). First volume of oral histories
published: One Blood, One Flame: the oral histories of the
Yugoslav Gypsies before, during and after WWII.
2008: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Completed WWII oral history
project with 156 filmed interviews in nine countries. Poetry
reading tour of eight cities in Italy and lectures at several Italian
universities on Roma immigration to Italy from the Balkans.
Lectures in Germany and Switzerland on human rights in the
Balkans. Books published: One Blood, One Flame, volumes 2 and 3.
2009: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). Traveled all over Turkey and
filmed oral histories of Turkish Gypsies (Roma and Dom). Filmed
interviews with Turkish Jews from France saved by the Turkish
ambassador during WWII. Also filmed oral histories of Roma
survivors of WW II in Bulgaria and Albania. Poetry readings in
fourteen Italian cities. Books published: Undefeated (bilingual
English/Italian).
2010: Head of Mission for Society for Threatened Peoples and Kosovo
Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF). In Istanbul to edit biography
of Behic Erkin (Turkish ambassador to France during WWII).
Poetry readings: London, UK, and seventeen cities (including four
universities) in Italy (three separate tours). Lecture Helsinki
University on Roma Holocaust. Lecture in Vrsac, Serbia, on Roma
education. Poetry reading in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Sign contract
with Rome publisher for my memoir Living with Gypsies. Books
published: Deadly Neglect and Boxing Poems.
2011: Head of Mission for Kosovo Roma Refugee Foundation (KRRF).
Conducting weekly monitoring project for 12 months of resettled
lead-poisoned Roma refugees for JDC. Poetry readings in eight
Finnish cities (Turku, Tampere, Sysma, Kotka, Oulu, Lahti,
Hameenlinna, and Helsinki). Writer's residence for one month in
Sysma, Finland (wrote play on Antonin Dvorak in America
allowing Blacks and women to attend a conservatory for the first
time in history). Poetry readings in five Italian cities. and
lecture/reading at Salerno University. Poetry reading at Nish
University, Nish, Serbia. Publish op-ed article on Roma Begging in
Helsingin Sanomat. Books published: Mustalaistaksi.
Books Published
POETRY
Living Through It Twice (bilingual English/Czech), G plus G, Prague, 1998
Stray Dog (bilingual English/Czech), G plus G, Prague, 1999
Not a Refugee, Voice of Roma, Sebastopol (USA), 2000
The River Killed My Brother, Jejune, Prague 2000
Blackbirds of Kosovo, Leftcurve, Oakland (USA) 2001
Bez domova v srdci Ameriky (only in Czech), Novy Prostor, Prague 2002
Bus Ride in Jerusalem, Roma Refugee Fund, Pristina 2003
TO UNHCR, WITH LOVE, Divus, Prague 2003
Where Is My Life? (bilingual English/Croatian), Feral Tribune, Split 2004
Kosovo Blood, KRRF, Nish, 2004
Sarah's People, KRRF, Nish 2005
UN-Leaded Blood, KRRF, Nish 2005
Safari Angola (bilingual English/Serbian), Grafis, Nish 2006
Roma (only in German), Grafis, 2006
Gypsy Taxi (bilingual English/Serbian), KRRF, Nish 2007
Undefeated (bilingual English/Italian), Multimedia Edizioni, Baronissi 2009
Boxing Poems (bilingual English/Italian), Volo Press, Lonato 2010
Mustalaistaksi (only in Finnish), Savukeidas, Turku 2011
FICTION
The Storm (English and Czech editions), G plus G, Prague 1999
NON-FICTION
Antonin Dvorak, My Father (editor), Czech Historical Research center, USA 1993
Black Silence, G plus G, Prague 1998
The Gypsies of Kosovo: a survey of their communities, (English and German editions)
GFBV, Gottingen 1999
The Current Plight of the Kosovo Roma, Voice of Roma, Graton (USA) 2002
Bajram Mehmeti (co-author), Nimbus, Wadenswil (Switzerland) 2004
One Blood, One Flame: the oral histories of the Yugoslav Gypsies before, during and after
WWII (vol. 1), KRRF, Nish 2007
One Blood, One Flame: the oral histories of the Yugoslav Gypsies before, during and after
WWII (vol. 2), KRRF, Nish 2007
One Blood, One Flame: the oral histories of the Yugoslav Gypsies before, during and after
WWII (vol. 3), KRRF, Nish 2008
Lectures
Major lectures on Antonin Dvorak:
Luther College
University of Iowa
Brown University
Major lectures on the Roma (Gypsies):
U.S. Holocaust Museum (Washington, DC)
University of Iowa (USA)
Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic)
Brown University
University of Minnesota (USA)
University of Wisconsin (USA)
King's College, Cambridge University (England)
University of Wisconsin (USA)
Society for Threatened People (Germany)
U.S. Committee for Refugees (USA)
Mid-Lutheran College (USA)
U. of California (Berkeley, CA, USA)
Sonoma State University (CA, USA)
Santa Cruz State University (CA, USA)
U. of San Francisco (USA)
Commonwealth Club (San Francisco, CA)
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (New Delhi, India)
Salerno University (Italy)
Catania University (Italy)
Bari University (Italy)
Helsinki University (Finland)
Awards
2004: unanimous winner of the Weimar Human Rights Award after being nominated by
Guenther Grass, recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize for Literature.
2005: nominated and finalist for the John Humphrey Freedom and Human Rights Award,
Montreal, Canada