Final Report of the International Commission on the - Minority Rights ...

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“During <strong>the</strong> day we work at <strong>the</strong> kolkhoz, but at night we patrol <strong>the</strong> precinct; <strong>the</strong>y give us very little food: 300 grams <strong>of</strong> [corn] flour, 500 grams <strong>of</strong> potatoes and 10 grams <strong>of</strong> salt per person, without any o<strong>the</strong>r kind <strong>of</strong> food; we haven’t been given oil for 8 months.” At <strong>the</strong> same time, authorities <strong>of</strong>ten criticized <strong>the</strong> fact that Roma tried to avoid work when it was available. According to <strong>the</strong> documents, <strong>the</strong> Roma preferred to travel around <strong>the</strong> villages and beg. In order to procure food, some Roma started to steal; <strong>the</strong>re were Roma gangs <strong>of</strong> thieves. These deportees terrorized <strong>the</strong> Ukrainian population with <strong>the</strong>ir criminal activity and caused difficulties for <strong>the</strong> Romanian authorities. At <strong>the</strong> same time, <strong>the</strong> Roma had a tendency to flee from <strong>the</strong> “colonies” on <strong>the</strong> Bug. Ei<strong>the</strong>r individually or in groups, <strong>the</strong>y attempted to return to Romania by any means possible. However, <strong>the</strong> runaways were usually caught and brought back. The authorities in Transnistria discovered that it was impossible to put a stop to this. Punishment camps were planned for such situations, but were never realized. Only in fall 1943, when <strong>the</strong> exodus <strong>of</strong> Roma had grown considerably and <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> those who had fled and been caught exceeded 2,000, was <strong>the</strong> measure taken to create such a camp in Golta, where 475 Roma were interned. The situation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roma varied from county to county, district to district, and even farm to farm. It depended on many factors, including <strong>the</strong> Romanian <strong>of</strong>ficial at <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> administrative unit (county <strong>of</strong> district). Food provision depended heavily on local communities, but <strong>the</strong> local Ukrainians considered <strong>the</strong> Roma to be a burden. County and district authorities <strong>of</strong>ten had to force <strong>the</strong> Ukrainian communes and communities to give <strong>the</strong> Roma food according to <strong>the</strong> dispositions mandated by <strong>the</strong> government <strong>of</strong> Transnistria. The Roma’s situation also depended on <strong>the</strong> group or sub-group to which <strong>the</strong>y belonged. In some places, Roma communities managed to secure <strong>the</strong>ir subsistence and survive almost two years <strong>of</strong> deportation. Elsewhere, though, only a small number were able to survive. Number <strong>of</strong> Victims. Under <strong>the</strong>se circumstances, many deported Roma died in Transnistria <strong>of</strong> hunger, cold, or disease. There is no document indicating that <strong>the</strong> Romanian civil or military authorities in Transnistria organized executions <strong>of</strong> Roma. Never<strong>the</strong>less, <strong>the</strong>re were instances when gendarmes shot Roma, as in Trihati (Otchakov county) where, according to a May 1943 report, gendarmes shot <strong>the</strong> Roma who had come <strong>the</strong>re from neighboring villages in search <strong>of</strong> work. The exact number <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roma who died in Transnistria is not known. On March 15, 1944, when Romanian citizens—regardless <strong>of</strong> origin—were to be evacuated from Transnistria, <strong>the</strong> General Gendarmes Sub-Inspectorate Odessa reported that it had on its territory 12,083 Roma. This number represented <strong>the</strong> Roma who had survived <strong>the</strong> deportation. To this number must be added <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> Roma who escaped from Transnistria before <strong>the</strong> above-mentioned date. These include Roma who were repatriated at different times for various reasons as well as those who escaped Transnistria illegally, without being caught and returned. There were approximately 2,000 Roma who fit into <strong>the</strong>se categories, which raises <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> survivors to approximately 14,000. This means that out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> over 25,000 deported Roma, approximately 11,000 died and 14,000 survived. The 6,439 Roma recorded by <strong>the</strong> gendarmerie in <strong>the</strong> second half <strong>of</strong> July 1944, when it began to register those who returned to Romania, are only part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> survivors. The Roma in urban areas, supervised by <strong>the</strong> police, are not included in this number. Moreover, a considerable number <strong>of</strong> Roma were able to escape registration due to conditions <strong>of</strong> war. The Soviet army already occupied part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Romania’s territory by <strong>the</strong>n or was located in <strong>the</strong> vicinity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> front line. At that time, some Roma were still traveling on <strong>the</strong>ir way home, while o<strong>the</strong>rs were stranded behind when <strong>the</strong> army and Romanian authorities retreated. From <strong>the</strong> latter, some were repatriated at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> war, while o<strong>the</strong>rs scattered about on Soviet territory.
Return <strong>of</strong> Roma Survivors to Romania (1944) The Roma who survived deportation returned to <strong>the</strong> country in spring 1944, at <strong>the</strong> same time as <strong>the</strong> army and Romanian occupation authorities that withdrew because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Soviet <strong>of</strong>fensive. As early as fall 1943, <strong>the</strong> unauthorized desertion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deportation places had become widespread. Those caught trying to flee were sent back to Transnistria. In March/April 1944, in <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong>ficial measures <strong>of</strong> repatriation, <strong>the</strong> Roma withdrew to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dniester and <strong>the</strong>n back to Romania. In some cases <strong>the</strong>y received direct assistance from <strong>the</strong> retreating Romanian and German armies and from <strong>the</strong> Romanian railway workers. On April 19, 1944, <strong>the</strong> General Inspectorate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gendarmerie ordered for all Roma from Transnistria to be stopped in <strong>the</strong>ir flight and put to work where <strong>the</strong>y were caught. The order was repeated on May 17, 1944. These Roma were given a temporary place <strong>of</strong> residence and <strong>the</strong>y were forbidden to move around. They were to be employed in farming activities. Life in Transnistria had made most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m unfit for work, however. O<strong>the</strong>rs were placed with various landowners to do agricultural work. There were, however, frequent instances <strong>of</strong> Roma refusing to work on <strong>the</strong> grounds that <strong>the</strong>y did know how to perform <strong>the</strong> tasks, which exasperated <strong>the</strong> local authorities; and <strong>the</strong> Roma continued to starve. In such conditions, some groups <strong>of</strong> Roma were granted permission to return to <strong>the</strong>ir native villages. The End <strong>of</strong> Anti-Roma Policies With <strong>the</strong> ousting <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Antonescu government on August 23, 1944, and <strong>the</strong> abrogation <strong>of</strong> fascist legislation, <strong>the</strong> regime’s Roma policy was brought to an end. On September 13, 1944, <strong>the</strong> State Under- Secretariat for <strong>the</strong> Police issued an order that all Roma who had returned from Transnistria were to be “left to <strong>the</strong>ir occupations, while measures are to be taken to entice <strong>the</strong>m into various works.” The Situation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> O<strong>the</strong>r Roma <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Country More than 25,000 Roma were deported to Transnistria—approximately 12 percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roma population in Romania. Most were <strong>of</strong> no interest to <strong>the</strong> authorities. From a juridical point <strong>of</strong> view <strong>the</strong>y were unaffected by <strong>the</strong> measures <strong>of</strong> persecution instituted by <strong>the</strong> Antonescu government. Most Roma continued to enjoy full citizenship rights (given <strong>the</strong> conditions <strong>of</strong> that time, <strong>of</strong> course) along with all <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r citizens <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country. They did not lose <strong>the</strong>se rights and <strong>the</strong>ir property was not subject to <strong>the</strong> Romanization policies applied to <strong>the</strong> Jewish population. Yet <strong>the</strong> Roma still experienced insecurity during <strong>the</strong>se years. Documents reveal that <strong>the</strong>y feared <strong>the</strong> deportations would extend to o<strong>the</strong>r Roma categories as well. This fear was sometimes fed by local authorities, who—usually in <strong>the</strong>ir own interest—would threaten <strong>the</strong>se citizens with deportation. However, <strong>the</strong>re was no special policy aiming at <strong>the</strong> entire Roma population in Romania during 1940–1944. What is now referred to as <strong>the</strong> Roma policy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Antonescu regime actually consisted <strong>of</strong> measures taken against only part <strong>of</strong> this population. In addition to <strong>the</strong> Roma deported to <strong>the</strong> Bug, two o<strong>the</strong>r groups <strong>of</strong> Roma were targeted by <strong>the</strong> Romanian authorities: 1) several hundred who fled from Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Transylvania, which was under Hungarian occupation from 1940–1944, and settled in <strong>the</strong> counties <strong>of</strong> Cluj-Turda and Arad. They crossed <strong>the</strong> frontier to Romania mainly because <strong>the</strong>y refused to join <strong>the</strong> Hungarian army (more precisely, to join <strong>the</strong> work battalions). These Roma were not sent to Transnistria, though some gendarme legions at <strong>the</strong> border threatened to deport <strong>the</strong>m; 2) Roma on <strong>the</strong> large estates in <strong>the</strong> south <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country, several hundred as well, who had been working <strong>the</strong>re for many years in precarious conditions, in terms <strong>of</strong> both wages and housing. In November 1942, <strong>the</strong> General Inspectorate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gendarmerie ordered that all landowners provide permanent accommodations for <strong>the</strong> Roma working <strong>the</strong>ir lands. Marshal Antonescu himself issued <strong>the</strong> same order in June 1943. Few houses would actually be built for <strong>the</strong>se Roma, though.
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Final Repo
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Germany’s war against the
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which includes reputed experts led
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BACKGROUND AND PRECURSORS TO THE HO
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against which antisemites in <stron
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declaring in the p
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them. Thus, he con
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We must organize ourselves for a wa
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ureaucracy of wart
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this direction by Nicolae C. Paules
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promising leader of</strong
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organized a tariff and tax strike.
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Legion of
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less so in Romanian society as a wh
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This ambiguous, self-contradictory
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The Gigurtu government began to con
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The Case of Român
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Cuza’s argument that it is possib
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Românesc,” Sociologie Româneasc
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ole in the early 1
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European states, notably Romania an
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Germany's immediate interests at <s
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eligious communities, the</
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counterpart, “when [he] first met
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de Istorie şi Arheologie, “A. D.
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Romania. Muler to Luthe</st
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demands on territorial revisions an
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military mission to come to Romania
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High Command, informing the
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The Jews and the R
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Romanian army. Thus, in Ciudei in <
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antisemitism in Romanian society an
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Ibid., fond Micro-films, roll I.II,
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manifestations of
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power, as this power colonized West
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attraction, many Jews resettled in
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to defend itself; hence its support
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about the Holocaus
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Nichifor Crainic, “Dupa douazeci
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Isaia Tolan, “Revizuirea incetate
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X. Y. Z., “Rezolvarea problemei e
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andom searches and arrests, robberi
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Bucharest Prefectura. Almost two th
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epression was not ordered by Antone
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from villages and small towns. On J
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accident; it was contrived by <stro
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The second train to leave Iasi for
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care of th
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"premilitary," were also placed at
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according to the o
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Tighina Agreement On August 30, Tra
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elieved Transnistria would be occup
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the 331,000 Ukrain
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those inside to take the</s
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[longer] move.” After several wee
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eappear a few seconds later and sig
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operation and that “some
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Bukovina and Bessarabia. Einsatzkom
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other things, <str
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Berezovka district and burn <strong
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them in exchange f
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transport of 2,000
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Bulgarian, Turkish, Italian, or Swi
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were at least 122,000 Jews. Bukovin
Page 129 and 130: Wilhelm Hoettl, The Secret Front: T
Page 131 and 132: Ancel, Documents, vol. 2: no. 136,
Page 133 and 134: Carp, Cartea neagra, vol. 3: pp. 30
Page 135 and 136: Gosudartsveni Archiv Odeskoi Oblast
Page 137 and 138: Cable from the Mil
Page 139 and 140: 1-1087, p. 114; list of</st
Page 141 and 142: Ibid. “Rezolvarea problemei evrei
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Page 155 and 156: Conclusions The anti-Jewish legisla
Page 157 and 158: L.A., no. 99, p. 344. Trei ani de g
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Page 173 and 174: After coming to power, the<
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Page 179: villages of <stron
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Page 185 and 186: in Romania. History and Contemporar
Page 187 and 188: THE ROLE OF ION ANTONESCU IN THE PL
Page 189 and 190: December 16, 1941, meeting
Page 191 and 192: me from carrying out the</s
Page 193 and 194: did not do it because…the
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Page 197 and 198: THE HOLOCAUST IN NORTHERN TRANSYLVA
Page 199 and 200: Others 22 968 Magy
Page 201 and 202: ultimatum but also consented to <st
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Page 223 and 224: Bözödújfalu Bezidu Nou Budfalva
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perceived by a significant part <st
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Romanian government not to adopt <s
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still alive in the
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the Jews who worke
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We have been informed that various
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church bells announce the</
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Mitropolit pleaded with Mihai Anton
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Pozdnyakova, Yefrosiniya Starostina
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Ibid., pp. 224-225. Ibid., pp. 46-4
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the examined cases
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escape with negligible punishment;
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immense scale, enslaved millions <s
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means. The “ethnic Christian stat
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it is evident that the</str
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face să pară evident că victimel
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viaţă, 100 milioane lei amendă
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Articolul 15 al Convenţiei de armi
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members accepted as authoritative s
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camp in January 1945, for several m
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Beginning in the 1
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such access was strictly supervised
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enefit from translation into Englis
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furthermore, he ha
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lucrative Jewish business ever,”
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deaths of thousand
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Treptow who was residing in Romania
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Finally, it must b
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A.) Integral Negationism Although <
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other genocides re
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mankind, such as wars; the<
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age of 44, only on
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After deploring the</strong
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Michael Shafir, “Ex Occidente Obs
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See, for example, Giurescu who make
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Randolph L. Braham, Romanian Nation
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Mediafax, March 18, 2002, Monitorul
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See Ibidem, pp. 3, 54-55. Ibidem, p
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Radu Theodoru, Mareşalul, Editura
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egained from the U
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was a record of an
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secondary school use. Those institu
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including erecting statues, mountin
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