Siv Lie Awarded Fellowship from the University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study

The assistant professor of ethnomusicology will examine the genocide perpetrated against Romanies during World War II in France.

Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology Siv B. Lie has been awarded a fellowship from the University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS) to support research that examines the genocide perpetrated against Romanies (known somewhat pejoratively as “Gypsies”) during World War II in France. 

The two-semester fellowship, during which she’ll be based at USIAS’ Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies in France, will result in a full-length monograph and a website. Lie will work with descendants of Manouche Romani victims and survivors, including young musicians and filmmakers, who are seeking to raise public awareness about the genocide and advocate for Romani rights. The award is in the amount of €82,500 ($90,500). 

“I'm honored to have been chosen for this fellowship, which not only provides the support I need to conduct research for my project on the Romani genocide and to collaborate with Manouche community members; it also establishes an important connection with the University of Strasbourg and its Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies,” Lie said. “I'm looking forward to pursuing my research in France and participating in the scholarly life of the USIAS.” 

Lie’s research in ethnomusicology and linguistic anthropology examines how Romani groups use music and language to advance their own sociopolitical and economic interests. Her 2021 book “Django Generations: Hearing Ethnorace, Citizenship, and Jazz Manouche in France” shows how music and language “shape ethnoracial and national belonging among French Manouche populations.” 

Despite the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Romanies across Europe during World War II at the hands of the Nazis, relatively little has been done by governmental and educational institutions to recognize or memorialize the victims. Lie plans to use interviews and archival research to gather evidence about the creation and reception of musical performances and recordings, films and other public-facing commemorative work produced by Romani artists over the last two decades in France. She will also explore present-day endeavors to learn about and draw attention to the genocide and its legacy. 

Lie said her established relationships with French Manouche communities and expertise in the Romani genocide position her to serve as a “resource and partner in these commemorative efforts.” 

“The academic, community and public-oriented aspects of this project align with my broader professional goals to forge positive impacts and relationships on the ground while contributing fresh insight into the political economy of minority representation,” Lie said.