UELI ELLENBERGER, REST IN PEACE!

[Stoimen]

For those who don't know Ueli, he was the husband of Mariella Mehr, the great author, poet and activist from Switzerland who fought during her whole life to open the files of the Swiss authorities and the Foundation Pro Juventute.

Pro Juventute had a semi-official policy regarding Romani (in Switzerland: Yenish) children. This special programme was called "Kinder der Landstrasse" or "Children from the Road. Romani children were separated from their own parents, in order to be raised in orphanages or "normal" Swiss families. This is how Mariella was separated from her son, to whom she gave birth in prison, some 50 years ago. She never was allowed to marry the father of her child, a Roma musician from Romania. He passed away without ever having seen his son, due to the fact that Swiss authorities intercepted his letters and prevented him from going to visit her.

H.U. Ellenberger married Mariella and did his utmost to support her in her activism. Ueli became the main motor and sponsor of the International Romani Writers Association (IRWA). He accompanied Mariella when she was going to give lectures, he helped her organizing and preparing and supported her morally whenever he could. After all, she was a victim of the authorities. Being raised herself in an orphanage, she was forced to abandon her son when he was still a baby. In the house of his foster parents, the child got heavily burnt. He survived but would always remain disabled. Mariella, his mother, made this scandal public, lodging a complaint against Pro Juventute. She was highly respected and admired for that, but she never got over the suffering in her life, in spite of the support and love of Ueli.

Lucignano, Toscane, September 2015

When Mariella had been hospitalized again, Ueli found himself alone in Italy, almost 80 years old. Tired, ill himself but still with his old fighting spirit and strong sense of justice. In September 2015, I went to see him. I am glad I did, because a few months later he would pass away. Only last week, I found out.

Mariella has lost the closest friend she ever had, Roma and Sinti have lost their best ally and mankind has lost another precious human. I lost a wise and very dear pen friend. Dear Ueli, may your soul rest in peace.

Els

[Stoimen]

Reaction by Thomas Acton:

(from an e-mail received on 7-2-2016)

I know that Mariella was an inspiration to Gypsies in England who had been taken into care during their childhood, enabling them to discuss this openly and face down prejudice against them from other Travellers.

 

May she and Ueli be an inspiration to us to fight against the corrupt racists of Interpol and IOM, who, in the pretence of "combatting trafficking" have abducted far more children than any traffickers.