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

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immediately after <strong>the</strong>y entered <strong>the</strong> government. The Jewish community was worried by <strong>the</strong> rapid fascization <strong>of</strong> much <strong>of</strong> Romanian society. This process was visible in public statements made by intellectuals as well as antisemitic outbursts in <strong>the</strong> ranks <strong>of</strong> labor unions and pr<strong>of</strong>essional associations with which Jews were affiliated. The Instruments <strong>of</strong> Legionary Terror When <strong>the</strong> Iron Guard came to power, <strong>the</strong> organizational infrastructure for carrying out its plans was already in place. Its most dangerous instrument was <strong>the</strong> “Legionary Police,” an organization modeled on <strong>the</strong> Nazi paramilitary units. Formally established on September 6, 1940, to defend <strong>the</strong> new regime and oppress its adversaries, its leaders saw it as a Romanian version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> German SA. Antonescu himself blessed <strong>the</strong> organization at <strong>the</strong> beginning. It is also important to point out that in late October 1940, Himmler sent representatives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt; RSHA), headed by Heydrich, to Romania in order to establish a liaison with <strong>the</strong> Iron Guard. Although German intelligence indicated that <strong>the</strong> Legion was not pleased by this visit, <strong>the</strong> eventual outcome was an organization modeled largely on <strong>the</strong> structural and functional blueprints <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SS. With regard to its personnel, it is worth noting that in September 1940, <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial publication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Antonescu regime described <strong>the</strong> Legionary Police as “an assembly <strong>of</strong> unskilled, uneducated, ruthless and underprivileged people.” The Legionnaires also colonized <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> Interior and occupied key positions in <strong>the</strong> National Police Headquarters (Directia Generala a Politiei). Ano<strong>the</strong>r direct terror organization controlled by <strong>the</strong> Legion was <strong>the</strong> Corps <strong>of</strong> Legionary Workers (Corpul Muncitoresc Legionar; CML), a so-called labor union established in 1936 and streng<strong>the</strong>ned after King Carol II banned unions proper. After September 1940, this organization was reorganized in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> a paramilitary unit (garnizoana). Students represented ano<strong>the</strong>r recruiting pool for <strong>the</strong> Legion’s death squads. Since its establishment in <strong>the</strong> early 1920s, <strong>the</strong> National Union <strong>of</strong> Christian Students (NUCS) unequivocally held <strong>the</strong> banning <strong>of</strong> Jewish students from universities as one <strong>of</strong> its main objectives. After September 1940, NUCS became an actual terrorist organization controlled by <strong>the</strong> Legion. The head <strong>of</strong> this student organization, Viorel Trifa, was a Nazi-educated student leader. This was a new student organization modeled on <strong>the</strong> leadership system <strong>of</strong> German students so that <strong>the</strong> organization would fit into <strong>the</strong> authoritarian structure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> “new Romanian state.” The Iron Guard also recruited from middle school and high schools students who had been instilled with <strong>the</strong> imagery <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> slain Codreanu as a kind <strong>of</strong> Orthodox saint and guardian <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Romanian people. The Legion failed to make <strong>the</strong> army join its ranks, yet many retired army <strong>of</strong>ficers did <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong>ir skills to assist in organizing <strong>the</strong> Legion’s paramilitary units. Legion leaders ordered <strong>the</strong>se organizations and groups <strong>of</strong> individuals to commit murder, taking care to absolve <strong>the</strong>m <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir responsibility by inundating <strong>the</strong>m with religious language and symbols. Likewise, clergymen who joined <strong>the</strong> Legion granted <strong>the</strong>se proselytes moral absolution, while Legion leaders told <strong>the</strong>m that <strong>the</strong> “time <strong>of</strong> revenge on all <strong>the</strong> opponents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Iron Guard” was near. <strong>Final</strong>ly, it should be stressed that while <strong>the</strong> Legion controlled <strong>the</strong> county Prefecturi as well as <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> Interior and <strong>the</strong> Bucharest Police Headquarters, Antonescu controlled <strong>the</strong> army, <strong>the</strong> gendarmerie, and <strong>the</strong> Intelligence Service. The Anti-Jewish Attacks Orchestrated by <strong>the</strong> National Legionary State On November 27, 1940, several Legionary terror squads carried out “revenge” for <strong>the</strong> assassination <strong>of</strong> C.Z. Codreanu. These actions were directed against leaders <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Royal Dictatorship and against Jews. As a result, sixty-five former leaders <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Royal Dictatorship were murdered in <strong>the</strong>ir Jilava prison cells. Two days later, Legion assassins shot former Prime Minister Nicolae Iorga. These events poisoned <strong>the</strong> Legion’s relationship with Antonescu, and particularly his relationship with Horia Sima, <strong>the</strong> commander <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Legion. The “revenge” against Jews commenced with illegal fines and taxes and progressed to
andom searches and arrests, robberies, deportation from villages, torture, rapes, and Nazi-style public humiliation, and <strong>the</strong>y increased in number as <strong>the</strong> day <strong>of</strong> open confrontation with Antonescu neared. On November 29, Antonescu ordered <strong>the</strong> Legionary Police to disarm. The intended effects <strong>of</strong> his order, however, were attenuated by <strong>the</strong> Minister <strong>of</strong> Interior, who ordered <strong>the</strong> transfer <strong>of</strong> “competent staff” from <strong>the</strong> Legionary police to regular police units. The Eviction and Expropriation <strong>of</strong> Rural Jews The deportation <strong>of</strong> Jews from villages in many regions <strong>of</strong> Romania is <strong>of</strong> particular importance, as <strong>the</strong> isolation <strong>of</strong> Jews from <strong>the</strong> rural population always figured high in <strong>the</strong> antisemitic narrative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Legion and <strong>the</strong> Legion’s intellectual references. In addition, <strong>the</strong> deportation aimed to seize Jewish property. These actions were illegal, even by <strong>the</strong> standards <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> antisemitic legislation adopted by <strong>the</strong> National Legionary government. The deportation campaign was well planned, and <strong>the</strong> deportation order was issued verbally by <strong>the</strong> Interior Minister. The campaign started in October 1940 and basically ended two months later in December. Local Legion commanders were <strong>the</strong> chief organizers. Jews were deported from dozens <strong>of</strong> villages where <strong>the</strong>y had lived for more than a hundred years. Specially-established “commissions for <strong>the</strong> administration <strong>of</strong> Jewish property” took part in <strong>the</strong> expropriation proceedings before county courts. In smaller villages, <strong>the</strong> robbers—whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y were Legionnaires or ordinary citizens—were unconcerned about <strong>the</strong> illegality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir actions. Only in larger villages and small towns did <strong>the</strong>y bo<strong>the</strong>r to force Jews to sign sales contracts, and <strong>the</strong> “agreement” to sell was sometimes obtained after <strong>the</strong> owner had been illegally detained. As a consequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se actions, Jews residing in <strong>the</strong> countryside became refugees in county capitals, where <strong>the</strong>y took up residence with Jewish families that were <strong>the</strong>mselves subject to robberies. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> elderly deportees were veterans <strong>of</strong> Romania’s wars, who proudly wore <strong>the</strong>ir military medals. By mid-December 1940, <strong>the</strong> Legionnaires were confident enough to start robbing Jews in Bucharest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir property. Homes and o<strong>the</strong>r immovable property were prized. After severe beatings Jewish owners reluctantly signed sales contracts and requests for <strong>the</strong> termination <strong>of</strong> rent contracts. The deportees never returned to <strong>the</strong>ir homes, as Antonescu himself agreed that deportation was desirable. Out <strong>of</strong> 110,000 Jews residing in <strong>the</strong> countryside, about 10,000 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m became refugees. Army units located far from Bucharest also took part in <strong>the</strong> Legion’s anti-Jewish actions. On Yom Kippur (October 12) in 1940, for example, army personnel participated in a Legion-organized day <strong>of</strong> terror in Campulung Moldovenesc, a town controlled, in effect, by Vasile Iasinschi, <strong>the</strong> Legionary minister <strong>of</strong> Labor, Health, and Social Welfare. Thus, Colonel Mociulschi, commander <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> local army base, ordered army soldiers to prevent Jews from entering or leaving <strong>the</strong>ir homes while police and Legionary squads burgled and pillaged. The booty was collected in <strong>the</strong> local Legion headquarters. Later, <strong>the</strong> local rabbi, Iosef Rubin, was tortured and humiliated (he was made to pull a wagon, which his son was forced to drive), and <strong>the</strong> synagogue was vandalized and robbed. A particularly harsh episode was <strong>the</strong> forced exile and even deportation <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong> regime called “foreign Jews” (roughly 7,700 people in 1940). Antonescu gave <strong>the</strong> order and set a two-month deadline for all foreign Jews to leave Romanian territory. Hundreds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m were subsequently arrested and <strong>the</strong>ir property confiscated. The arrested were <strong>the</strong>n taken to Dornesti, a new customs point on <strong>the</strong> Soviet border, where <strong>the</strong>y were forced to walk on Soviet territory. Since Romanian authorities did not inform <strong>the</strong> Soviets about this, <strong>the</strong> Soviet border patrol shot to death dozens <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se foreign Jews. After similar episodes were repeated, <strong>the</strong> Romanian authorities decided to intern <strong>the</strong> survivors in <strong>the</strong> Calarasi-Ialomita camp in sou<strong>the</strong>rn Romania. The Bucharest Pogrom
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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
Page 31 and 32: The Gigurtu government began to con
Page 33 and 34: The Case of Român
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Page 37 and 38: Românesc,” Sociologie Româneasc
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Page 41 and 42: European states, notably Romania an
Page 43 and 44: Germany's immediate interests at <s
Page 45 and 46: eligious communities, the</
Page 47 and 48: counterpart, “when [he] first met
Page 49 and 50: de Istorie şi Arheologie, “A. D.
Page 51 and 52: Romania. Muler to Luthe</st
Page 53 and 54: demands on territorial revisions an
Page 55 and 56: military mission to come to Romania
Page 57 and 58: High Command, informing the
Page 59 and 60: The Jews and the R
Page 61 and 62: Romanian army. Thus, in Ciudei in <
Page 63 and 64: antisemitism in Romanian society an
Page 65 and 66: Ibid., fond Micro-films, roll I.II,
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Page 69 and 70: power, as this power colonized West
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Page 73 and 74: to defend itself; hence its support
Page 75 and 76: about the Holocaus
Page 77 and 78: Nichifor Crainic, “Dupa douazeci
Page 79 and 80: Isaia Tolan, “Revizuirea incetate
Page 81: X. Y. Z., “Rezolvarea problemei e
Page 85 and 86: Bucharest Prefectura. Almost two th
Page 87 and 88: epression was not ordered by Antone
Page 89 and 90: from villages and small towns. On J
Page 91 and 92: accident; it was contrived by <stro
Page 93 and 94: The second train to leave Iasi for
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Page 97 and 98: "premilitary," were also placed at
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Page 101 and 102: Tighina Agreement On August 30, Tra
Page 103 and 104: elieved Transnistria would be occup
Page 105 and 106: the 331,000 Ukrain
Page 107 and 108: those inside to take the</s
Page 109 and 110: [longer] move.” After several wee
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Page 115 and 116: Bukovina and Bessarabia. Einsatzkom
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Page 121 and 122: them in exchange f
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Page 125 and 126: Bulgarian, Turkish, Italian, or Swi
Page 127 and 128: 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,
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Carp, Cartea neagra, vol. 3: pp. 30
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Gosudartsveni Archiv Odeskoi Oblast
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Cable from the Mil
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1-1087, p. 114; list of</st
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Ibid. “Rezolvarea problemei evrei
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child’s birth, would be considere
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Indeed, the system
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Romanianization instead of<
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The Cultural Ghettoization
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The Status of Jewi
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give up any radios able to send and
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Conclusions The anti-Jewish legisla
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L.A., no. 99, p. 344. Trei ani de g
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moral, social, and intellectual nee
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gradually, in reality the</
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except being defined as a Jew. I be
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egulate and authorize, under <stron
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y Lecca: Jews were privileged, and
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through the activi
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oth as a cry of re
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After coming to power, the<
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and then to send <
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their non-evacuate
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villages of <stron
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Return of Roma Sur
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(in many cases, the</strong
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in Romania. History and Contemporar
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THE ROLE OF ION ANTONESCU IN THE PL
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December 16, 1941, meeting
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me from carrying out the</s
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did not do it because…the
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more ironically, this leader’s wa
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THE HOLOCAUST IN NORTHERN TRANSYLVA
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Others 22 968 Magy
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ultimatum but also consented to <st
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military, political, and psychologi
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command over the g
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Huedin. The Jews of</strong
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authorities set up two ghettos in <
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Secuilor counties was carried out i
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the procedure foll
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deportation trains per day. While E
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Deportation Trains from Nor
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Câtcău Kackó Ciuc Csík Ciucea C
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Rona de Sus Felsöróna Rozavica Ro
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Bözödújfalu Bezidu Nou Budfalva
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Nagysajó Şieu (Bistrita-Nasaud Co
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(Indictment of Naz
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Randolph L. Braham, comp. and ed. (
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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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