DOCSLIB.ORG

REPORT Romania's Entangled Traumatic Pasts Travelling Seminar

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
REPORT Romania's Entangled Traumatic Pasts Travelling Seminar REPORT Romania’s entangled traumatic pasts Travelling Seminar · Bucharest (13-14 March 2019) Authors: Vladimir Costea, Delia Cocora, Alice Chempf, Irina Baciu, Monica Tache, Letitia Roman, Robert Ticalau. Department of Political Science, University of Bucharest Introduction The two-day program focused on the official and vernacular memories of the Holocaust and the communist past in Romania. It consisted in a series of talks and guided visits to some of the most emblematic places of commemoration and memorialization in Bucharest and Jilava. It was organized by the EUROM in collaboration with the Assistant Professor, PhD Caterina Preda from the Department of Political Sciences of the University of Bucharest and included the participation of master students and experts from the University of Bucharest and the University of Barcelona. Romania became a member of the European Union in 2007 after having experienced two totalitarianisms in the 20th century, an extreme-right wing regime (1938-1944) and a communist regime (1948-1989). Their shadows still cover the post-1990 Romanian political and memorial landscape. While the Romanian state has addressed the traumatic past through such initiatives as the Wiesel Report (2004) and the Tismăneanu Commission (2006), which documented the Romanian Holocaust and respectively condemned the “criminal communist dictatorship”, Romanian society has been less adamant to share this official condemnation. This travelling seminar introduced students and scholars to the memory of the Holocaust in Romania and its traces, as well as to the memorialization of the communist past, both at the official level, and in what concerns memory sites. Participants visited some of the most emblematic sites, such as the Holocaust Memorial in Bucharest, the Jilava memorial, “80 east” (a communist apartment), and also joined a walking tour on totalitarianism in downtown Bucharest. 1 13 March 2019 „The Culture, Science, Media section of the Federation of Jewish Communities in memory of the Holocaust in Romania. Romania” Adrian Cioflâncă presented his The first day of the travelling “Traces of (In)humanity in Holocaust seminar was divided in two parts : the Related Killing Sites in Romania and first part of the day was focused on the Moldova” which highlighted the extent memory of the Holocaust, while the of the atrocities that took place in second part on the communist past in Romania and Moldova through the so- Romania. called massacres against the Jews and the attempt to show the importance of Traces of (In) humanity in commemorative monuments, mass Holocaust Related Killing Sites in graves and unmarked killing sites of the Romania and Moldova” Jews. He discussed several case studies of mass perpetrated crimes on Adrian CIOFLÂNCĂ, the Romanian territory during the Director of The Center for the Study Holocaust like: the Iaşi Pogrom (June- of the History of the Jews in Romania July 1941); the Masssacre in Stânca Roznovanu (June 1941); the Massacre in the Vulturi Forest (June 1941); The Massacre in Gura Căinari- Mărculeşti (July 1941). In the first instance, Adrian Cioflâncă stressed the historical context of the beginning of Holocaust in Romania. In this regard, Romania took part in the Holocaust by bullets and “representatives of authorities, former Iron Guard members and civilians, sometimes assisted by The first part of the seminar German officers and soldiers, took place at the Center for the Study started to kill Jews in north- of the History of the Jews in Romania eastern Romania, Bessarabia and (CSIER). Founded in 1977, The Center Northern Bukovina”. He continued for the Study of the History of the Jews with the most representatives in Romania - Centrul pentru Studiul massacres. The Iaşi Pogrom was Istoriei Evreilor din România- perpetrated in 29 of June 1941 by (CSIER) is a structure of scientific officiers from the General Staff and research, documentation and archival disbanded soldiers, policemen, public preservation and operates within the guardians, gendarmes, agents of secret 2 servicies, civilians and 14.000 Jews, mostly men, were killed. Concerning commemorative monuments in Iaşi, we can find a monument in the memory of the victims of the Iaşi Pogrom which was built in 1976 during communism. Also, in 2000, the Canadian film director Simcha Jacobovici illegally installed a plaque on the building of the former Police Headquarter in Iaşi and it remained there till 2011. The presentation of Felicia Waldman Adrian Cioflâncă highlighted the highlighted the subject of fact that two monuments were “Memorialization of the Holocaust in erected in 2010, by Jewish postcommunist Romania”, especially in organizations, in the memory of the visual arts field. Her presentation the Jews killed in Sculeni and discussed the very close relationship Stânca Roznovanu. Another massacre established between the social-political was in Mărculeşti- Gura Căinari (July reality presented by Adrian Cioflâncă 1941) where the Jewish population of and the subsequent artistic Mărculeşti (The Republic of Moldova) representations that demonstrate the was evacuated and killed near Gura impact that some past events have on Căinari. the artistic achievements of a country or even at the European and Memorialization of the international level. Her presentation Holocaust in postcommunist started with some Romanian Romania documentaries, such as Struma (Radu Gabrea and Stelian Tănase, 2001), Holocaust under the Antonescu Felicia WALDMAN, Government (Cristian Hadji-Culea, Assistant Professor of Modern 2009) and the most recent, The Dead Hebrew and Jewish thought at the Nation, produced by Radu Jude in Faculty of Letters, University of 2017. The last one presents the rising Bucharest of the anti-Semitism policy and eventually a harrowing depiction of the Romanian Holocaust, a topic which is not very talked about in the contemporary Romanian society. About the Roma victims, there are several documentaries, such as Hidden Sorrows: The persecution of Romanian Gypsies during World War II (Michelle Kelso, 2005), Valley of Sighs (Mihai Leaha, Iulia Hossu and Andrei Crișan, 3 2013) or The exile from Bessarabia The Holocaust Memorial (Sergiu Ene, 2013). Theatre also deals with the Holocaust as is the case of The kings’ game (Pavel Kohout), Born for never (AndrasVisky) or At your service, Fuhrer (Mihai Maniutiu). Concerning the educational theatre, inter@FACE 3 is an experimental show combining avant-garde musical composition, technological innovation and documentary theatre. Shoah – The Survival is a multimedia interactive sound installation-performance about Our seminar continued with a survival, inspired by the events that visit at the Holocaust Memorial in occur in Transylvania during the Bucharest. We found out that The Holocaust and by the survivor Memorial of Holocaust Victims in testimonies. Bucharest 41 – Round trip Romania was inaugurated on 8 October is a 4 hour travelling show which starts 2009 and the marking of this day was at the State Jewish Theatre and established by law in 2004 with the continues to the Great Synagogue, the foundation of the National Institute for Hammer Vocational School and the Holocaust Studies “Elie Wiesel” and the Jilava Forest. Along the way the approval of the law punishing the anti- spectators are accompanied by a guide Semitism. The building of the Memorial who explains what happened in was initiated in 2005 by the Ministry of Bucharest in 1941. Culture following the Felicia Waldman’s presentation recommendations of the International also introduced a series of museums in Commission of the Study of the Romania which emphasize the Holocaust in Romania (Wiesel traumatic heritage of the Holocaust: Commission) as an expression of the The Holocaust Memorial in Bucharest, duty to recognize and assume the The Elie Wiesel Memorial House and crimes committed during the Second Maramureș Jewish Culture Museum or World War against the Jewish and the memorial plaques in different Roma community. We could see on an departments of the country. area of nearly 3,000 meters the Central Memorial and the five sculptures: the Memorial Column, Via Dolorosa, the Roma Wheel, David’s Star and the Epitaph. 4 Theater, the group had the chance to learn more about Romania’s traumatic pasts. Mihai Burcea highlighted the meaning of buildings for the communist regime and for the Revolution. One of the most important points was the Square of Revolution, where he explained the meaning of December ‘89 for the Romanian democratic future. Moreover, he presented how Ceausescu managed to escape from the former Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party but was afterwards caught and executed together with his wife. Visit of the 80 east – the communist apartment, with the participation of Alexandra Bârdan (University of Bucharest) Totalitarianism tour, a walking tour in downtown Bucharest After the walking tour of The day continued with a walk Bucharest, the group visited “80 east in the centre of Bucharest where the communist apartment” (a civic group discovered where the Secret initiative of the NGO “Funky Citizens”) Police Service had its headquarters. with the participation of Alexandra Being accompanied by the historian Bârdan. The purpose of the apartment Mihai Burcea who described every is to be the setting for a lesson of historical building or monument such human rights for pupils in order to as the Police headquarters, Cercul contrast the narrative of the discussion Militar National, the former National with the communist decorations,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Joint Cabinet Crisis Europe 1864 Joint Cabinet Crisis
    JOINT CABINET CRISIS EUROPE 1864 JOINT CABINET CRISIS TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................ 2 WELCOME LETTER .................................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION TO CRISIS ...................................................................................................................................... 4 THE BACKROOM ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 THE FRONTROOM.......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 THE CHAIR ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 DEUS .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 DIRECTIVES...................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Romanian Neo-Protestants in the Interwar Struggle for Religious and National Identity
    Pieties of the Nation: Romanian neo-protestants in the interwar struggle for religious and national identity by Iemima Daniela Ploscariu Submitted to Central European University Department of History In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Supervisor: Constantin Iordachi Second Reader: Vlad Naumescu CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2015 “Copyright in the text of this thesis rests with the Author. Copies by any process, either in full or part, may be made only in accordance with the instructions given by the Author and lodged in the Central European Library. Details may be obtained from the librarian. This page must form a part of any such copies made. Further copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the written permission of the Author.” CEU eTD Collection i Abstract Neo-protestants (Seventh-Day Adventists, Baptists, Brethren, and Pentecostals) were the fastest growing among the religious minorities in interwar Romania. The American, Hungarian, German, and other European influences on these groups and their increasing success led government officials and the Romanian Orthodox Church to look on them with suspicion and to challenge them with accusations of being socially deviant sects or foreign pawns. Neo- protestants presented themselves as loyal Romanians while still maintaining close relationships with ethnic minorities of the same faith within the country and abroad. The debates on the identity of these groups and the “competition for souls” that occurred in society demonstrate neo- protestants' vision of Romanian national identity challenging the accepted interwar arguments for what it meant to be Romanian.
    [Show full text]
  • George I. Duca Papers
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf3489n5wg No online items Register of the George I. Duca papers Finding aid prepared by Laura Cosovanu Hoover Institution Library and Archives © 2003 434 Galvez Mall Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-6003 [email protected] URL: http://www.hoover.org/library-and-archives Register of the George I. Duca 75085 1 papers Title: George I. Duca papers Date (inclusive): 1819-1985 Collection Number: 75085 Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives Language of Material: Romanian, French and English Physical Description: 86 microfilm reels, 107 manuscript boxes, 3 oversize boxes, 1 envelope, 4 phonotape reels(46.2 Linear Feet) Abstract: Diaries, correspondence, speeches and writings, reports, and photographs, relating to Romanian foreign policy and politics in the twentieth century, and to the Romanian royal family. Also available on microfilm (89 reels). Creator: Duca, George I., 1905- Hoover Institution Library & Archives Access Microfilm use only except for Boxes 104-109 and Envelope mA; materials must be requested at least two business days in advance of intended use. Publication Rights For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives. Acquisition Information Materials were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1975. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], George I. Duca papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives. Alternative Forms of Material Available Also available on Microfilm (89 reels). 1905 Born 1928-1947 Romanian diplomat; held various diplomatic posts, including in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Washington, D.C. 1939-1942 Recalled to Bucharest, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Political Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1942 While chargé d'affaires in Finland, Duca met informally with some close American friends who worked at the November U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Ghid CDST En.Cdr
    EUROPEAN UNION EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE! RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN THE CROSS-BORDER REGION ROMANIA-BULGARIA GUIDE BULGARIA 3 4 VIDIN DISTRICT Introduction Vidin district is located in the northwest of Bulgaria, on the border with Serbia (west) and Romania (northeast). The district has an area of 3,032 km2, representing 2.73% of the total area of the country. Vidin has the lowest number of inhabitants / km2 compared to other districts in Bulgaria, the population of the area being 86,927 inhabitants in 2018, according to Eurostat. The district is structured into 10 municipalities on the territory of which 7 cities were constituted - the administrative center is Vidin city located on the Danube river bank. Vidin district has a rich and turbulent history, considering its strategic and geographical importance for the consolidation and definition of the Bulgarian state since the Middle Ages, the territory being a military, transport and commercial center for over 2,000 years. Thus on its territory there are numerous archaeological remains, among the most famous being the Baba Vida Fortress (the only medieval castle in Bulgaria fully preserved, over 2,000 years old), the Castra Martis Fortress (built during the Roman and Byzantine periods, centuries I-VI), the Kaleto Fortress (among the best preserved fortresses in Bulgaria), the ruins of the Roman city Ratiaria (an important gold trading center). The Regional History Museum in Vidin is also an important element of cultural and historical heritage. In the Vidin district numerous pilgrimages can be made, the most famous places of religious worship located in this area being Albotina Monastery in the Danube Plain (dug in the rock), Monastery "The Assumption of the Virgin Mary" (in whose courtyard there is a spring with curative properties).
    [Show full text]
  • Celebrating the Royal Liturgy Within the National Calendrical Memory – the Politics of Festive Time in the Romanian Kingdom, 1866–1947
    JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE RESEARCH IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY Copyright © The Author, 2016 Volume 7, Number 1, Summer 2016 ISSN 2068 – 0317 http://compaso.eu Celebrating the royal liturgy within the national calendrical memory – The politics of festive time in the Romanian Kingdom, 1866–1947 Mihai Stelian Rusu1 Abstract The paper analyzes the calendrical struggles over mastering symbolic time in Romanian modern history by scrutinizing the logic of constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing a temporal order made up of political holidays celebrated within a festive calendar. It looks, first, at how the constitutional monarchic political order established in 1866 with the enthronement of Carol I as Ruling Prince of Romania developed a royal festive calendar pillared on the National Day of the 10th of May. By analyzing the making of the royal temporal order organized within a national festive calendar, three techniques of calendrical construction are identified and detailed: a) calendrical shifting, b) calendrical concentration, and c) celebrative sequencing employed for framing temporal coincidence and staging festive density. After presenting how the festive calendar was articulated using these techniques for the purpose of legitimating the monarchic order, the paper goes on to address how the Socialist republican regime established in the aftermath of the Second World War tried and succeeded not only in abolishing the dynastic monarchy through a political revolution but also in overthrowing the entire royal calendar of political celebrations through a symbolic revolution in the politics of festive time. The paper identifies four techniques of calendrical deconstruction used by the Socialist regime to destructure the royal festive calendar and supplant it with a republican one: a) calendrical decentering, b) calendrical concentration, c) symbolic downgrading, and d) shifting the celebrative weight.
    [Show full text]
  • Constantin Brâncuși” from Târgu-Jiu
    University “Constantin Brâncuși” from Târgu-Jiu ~ Scientific Review ~ No. 1(9)/2015 March 2015 ISSN-p: 2247 – 4455 ISSN-e: 2285 – 9632 ISSN-L: 2247 – 4455 Târgu-Jiu 2015 Research and Science Today No. 1(9)/2015 Cover: Batcu Alexandru Editing: Mărcău Flavius-Cristian Director: Mărcău Flavius-Cristian Contact: Mail: [email protected] Tel: +40766665670 ACADEMICA BRÂNCUȘI PUBLISHING ADDRESS: REPUBLICII AVENUE, NO. 1 Târgu Jiu, Gorj Tel: 0253/218222 COPYRIGHT: Reproductions are authorized without charging any fees, on condition the source is acknowledged. Responsibility for the content of the paper is entirely to the authors. 2 March 2015 SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE: Prof. univ. dr. Adrian Gorun, Secretary Prof. univ. dr. Cruceru Mihai, "Constantin General, National Commission for Prognosis. Brâncuși" University of Târgu-Jiu. Prof. univ. dr. ing. Ecaterina Andronescu, Prof. univ. dr. Gămăneci Gheorghe, University Politehnica of Bucharest. Universitatea "Constantin Brâncuși" din Prof. univ. dr. Michael Shafir, Doctoral Târgu-Jiu. School in International Relations and Prof. univ. dr. Ghimiși Ștefan Sorinel, Security Studies, ”Babes-Bolyai” University. "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu- Prof. univ. dr. Nastasă Kovács Lucian, The Jiu. Romanian Academy Cluj-Napoca, "George Prof. univ. dr. Bîcă Monica Delia, Baritiu" History Institute. "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu- Prof. univ. dr. Adrian Ivan, Doctoral Jiu. School in International Relations and Prof. univ. dr. Babucea Ana Gabriela, Security Studies, ”Babes-Bolyai” University. "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu- Prof. Dr. Miskolczy Ambrus, Eotovos Jiu. Lorand Univeristy (ELTE), Hungary. C.S II Duță Paul, Romanian Diplomatic Dr. Gregg Alexander, University of the Free Institute. State, South Africa. Conf. univ. dr. Răzvan Cătălin Dobrea, Professor, dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Varna Nessebar
    BALKANS A.B.A.T. Balkania Association of Balkan Alternative Tourism Str. Leninova No . 24 1000 – Skopje MACEDONIA Tel / fax : +389 2 32 23 101 Балканска Асоцијација за Алтернативен Туризам Балканија Text Fabio Cotifava, Emilia Kalaydjieva, Beatrice Cotifava Design Kalya Mondo srl, Alessandro Cotifava Photos GoBalkans ltd, Kalya Mondo srl Translation Chris Brewerton - Mantova (Italy) www.cbtraduzioni.it Printing Litocolor snc di Montanari e Rossetti - Guastalla di Reggio Emilia (Italy) Copyright GoBalkans ltd- December 2012 Privately printed edition BALKANIA is an Association of Balkan Alternative tourism which consists of eight member countries from the Balkans and Italy. Its activities include the execution of projects in order to promote the entire Balkan region as a tourist destination. In addition, its purpose is to restore the positive image of the Balkans in the public eye and promote their exceptional natural, histo- rical, cultural and anthropological heritage. The name of the Association, BALKANIA, sounds like a name of a new imaginary land on the territories represented by the hospitality of their population. One of the objectives of the project is to create a virtual geographic region that includes the territories and regions which are today identified with the term BALKANS. The efforts of the Association are aimed at channeling its energy to all forms that are alterna- tive to mass tourism, and which are in terms of the development of macro sectors identified as natural tourism, rural tourism and cultural tourism. BALKANIA is established on 24 .03.2009 in Skopje, in agreement with the Macedonian laws. It is formed by a group of partners from Macedonia, Bulgaria and Italy, with members from Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro , Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina ,Greece , Kosovo and Ma- cedonia .
    [Show full text]
  • Writing Queens of Romania, Elisabeth (Carmen Sylva) and Marie
    “Carmen Sylva, when she discovered that I was writing, instead of laughing at me The Child of the Sun and being ironical about my modest attempts at literature, encouraged me from the very first in every way. She was getting old, her imagination was running dry, and Royal Fairy Tales and Essays by the Queens of Romania, she declared that mine had come just in time to replace hers, which was a generous thing to say. She declared that it was a happy and blessed discovery that I could Elisabeth (Carmen Sylva, 1843–1916) and Marie (1875–1938) hold a pen, and no end of kind and enthusiastic things. She spurred me on to write, and each time I had finished a story she immediately wanted to have it so as to Selected and edited, with an introduction and bibliography by translate it into German.” Silvia Irina Zimmermann Queen Marie of Romania about Carmen Sylva (Queen Elisabeth of Romania) Royal Fairy Tales and Essays by the Queens of Romania The history of the monarchy in Romania and of its four kings would be incomplete without the story of the queen consorts, who seem to have been even more fascinating personalities than the kings were. Especially the first two queen consorts, Elisabeth (Carmen Sylva) and Marie of Romania, became famous as writers during their lifetime. They both wrote in their mother tongues, Elisabeth in German and Marie in English, and published many of their books, not only in Romania, but also abroad, thus reaching a widespread readership, worldwide publicity, and literary recognition.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Identities at the Fringes of the Late Ottoman Empire: the Muslims of Dobruca, 1839-1914
    Changing Identities at the Fringes of the Late Ottoman Empire: The Muslims of Dobruca, 1839-1914 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Catalina Hunt, Ph.D. Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2015 Dissertation Committee: Carter V. Findley, Advisor Jane Hathaway Theodora Dragostinova Scott Levi Copyright by Catalina Hunt 2015 Abstract This dissertation examines the Muslim community of Dobruca, an Ottoman territory granted to Romania in 1878, and its transformation from a majority under Ottoman rule into a minority under Romanian administration. It focuses in particular on the collective identity of this community and how it changed from the start of the Ottoman reform era (Tanzimat) in 1839 to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. This dissertation constitutes, in fact, the study of the transition from Ottoman subjecthood to Romanian citizenship as experienced by the Muslim community of Dobruca. It constitutes an assessment of long-term patterns of collective identity formation and development in both imperial and post-imperial settings. The main argument of the dissertation is that during this period three crucial factors altered the sense of collective belonging of Dobrucan Muslims: a) state policies; b) the reaction of the Muslims to these policies; and c) the influence of transnational networks from the wider Turkic world on the Muslim community as a whole. Taken together, all these factors contributed fully to the community’s intellectual development and overall modernization, especially since they brought about new patterns of identification and belonging among Muslims.
    [Show full text]
  • Corespondenţa Primei Perechi Regale a României, Carol I Şi Elisabeta
    ARTICOLE CORESPONDEN ŢA PRIMEI PERECHI REGALE A ROMÂNIEI, CAROL I ŞI ELISABETA, P ĂSTRAT Ă LA ARHIVELE NA ŢIONALE ALE ROMÂNIEI DIN BUCURE ŞTI Silvia Irina ZIMMERMANN Abstract: The National Archive in Bucharest keep large number of letters of the first royal couple of Romania, King Charles I st (1839-1914) and Queen Elisabeth (1843-1916), also known under her pen-name Carmen Sylva. Both being descendants of German noble families, they wrote to each other in their native language and in the old German handwriting. The complete letters have been recently published in a German scientific edition in two volumes. The correspondence of the royal couple contains letters from almost every year of the marriage of the couple, starting from the letters of Princess Elisabeth of Wied during the engagement period in October and November 1869 and until the last letter from 1913, during the Second Balkan War, written on the typewriter by Queen Elisabeth. This article describes the content of the German edition of the correspondence of the first King and Queen of Romania. Keywords: King Carol I of Romania, Carmen Sylva – Elisabeth of Romania, Romania, History, Letters. Arhivele Na ţionale ale României p ăstreaz ă o bogat ă coresponden ţă a primei perechi regale a României, Carol I (1839-1914) şi Elisabeta (1843-1916) publicat ă recent într-o edi ţie 1 critic ă ştiin ţific ă complet ă în limba german ă2. 1 Acest articol este o traducere par ţial ă dup ă studiul introductiv la edi ţia german ă a coresponden ţei: „ In zärtlicher Liebe Deine Elisabeth" - "Stets Dein treuer Carl".
    [Show full text]
  • Academy of Romanian Scientists
    THE WAR EXPERIENCE OF THE ROMANIAN ARMY Col. (ret.) Professor Viorel ORDEANU, PhD Col. (ret.) Professor Benoni ANDRONIC, PhD Abstract: The authors, starting from constitutional statement according to which Romania is a unitary and sovereign state, located in Central Europe, full member of Nord Atlantic Treaty Organization and of European Union, researching the military history of the Romanian nation, concluded that it is a military power by tradition, that ensures its national security and exports security in the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), as part of its political and military alliances. The article is a research of the military campaigns that Romanian Army took part in during the difficult history of the nation it defended, and also presents a series of lessons learned from the army’s victories and defeats. Keywords: Dacian territory; forming of Romanian people; Romanian Countries; military campaigns; military power. Introduction In Antiquity, part of Kingdom of Dacia (Figure 1) was conquered by Romans and the Dacian-Roman population was formed. Dacia was a military power that extended its territory in all directions: in the East it conquered the Scythians, up to current Odessa, in the North the Celts, up to current Lvov, in the West Pannonians, up to current Budapest, and in the South Thracians, up to current Burgas.1 Researcher 1, within Military-Medical Scientific Research Center, PhD in medicine, Professor at Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest. Consultant Professor at ,,Carol I” National Defense University, corresponding member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists. 1 Daniel Guță, Cât de întinsă a fost Dacia antică. Regele care i-a lărgit cel mai mult graniţele, dar nu a reuşit să aducă pacea în ţinut, available at https://adevarul.ro › locale › hunedoara › cat-intinsa-fost-dacia-antica…, accessed on 02 09 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Holocaust in Romania: Uncovering a Dark Chapter
    The Holocaust in Romania: Uncovering a Dark Chapter By: Iulia Padeanu Advised by: Professor Donald Dietrich The Holocaust in Romania: Uncovering a Dark Chapter Introduction In 1934 the Jewish population of Romania was 700,000. Today, fewer that 9000 remain. Outside of Nazi Germany the Romanian Holocaust was the most brutal and most deadly. Yet this chapter remains one of the darkest and most unexplored in Romanian history. What happened? The Holocaust in Romania remains to this day one of the most controversial aspects of the country’s history. Negationist theories run rampant throughout the country. Some ‘scholars’ claim the Shoah did not happen at all, others that it is all a Jewish conspiracy, many other scholars lay the blame solely on Germany, and others still profess that Romania actually saved its Jews. Whatever the theories may be, the last few years have fortunately shown tremendous accomplishments in unveiling the truth behind this dark chapter of Romania’s past. Spearheading the movement towards acceptance was Elie Wiesel, a Romanian of Jewish background who was forced to emigrate from Romania with his family during the Shoah. Along with a team from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, they produced the Final Report International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania. It was the first document of its kind, and brought out to light, for the first time, the real atrocities of the Romanian Holocaust. The brutal program of terror was a political maneuver on the part of the fascist government, and especially of Romania’s leader during WWII - the military dictator Marshal Ion Antonescu.
    [Show full text]