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Famous historical figures like Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) and Stefan the Great exploited Roma labor, viewing them both as valuable economic resources and as a source of military support. The division of Roma slaves into specific categories indicated a primitive but severe structured oppression, with many conditions resembling those experienced by enslaved Black individuals in the New World.
Legal Oppression and the Holocaust
Oppression of the Roma persisted across Europe, where they were often classified as property and stripped of their rights. By the late 19th century, pseudoscientific racial theories began to emerge, worsening anti-Roma sentiment and leading to stricter legal restrictions on Roma populations across the continent.