Quo vadis Romové? Ptá se Emil Ščuka – Balvín Jaroslav (2025)

This Czech-language book examines the life and work of Emil Ščuka, one of the most important Roma figures in the Czech Republic and the international community. It explores his role in the Roma emancipation movement and places his personal, professional and public activities within the historical, political and philosophical contexts of modern Czech history. Photographs from his life and work complement the individual chapters. The question “Quo vadis, Roma?”—Where are you going, Roma?—accompanies the portrait of Ščuka, a Roma leader, lawyer, former politician and visionary who devoted his life to the renewal of his people and fought for Roma rights. The book presents his story in personal, professional and historical contexts while examining key moments in the Roma national revival. The year 1989 forms a link between Ščuka’s life and the modern history of the Roma people: the Velvet Revolution opened new possibilities for emancipation and participation in society, but the process was neither simple nor free of conflict. Ščuka emerges as a leading figure in this movement and an advocate for Roma interests and improved relations between Roma and the non-Roma majority.