Holocaust in Romania - Corvinus Library - Hungarian History

“I ensure Mr. Filderman that if his co-religionists do not openly or secretlysabotage the political or economic life of the system, then no harm will bedone to Jewish citizens. The words of General Antonescu are not to betaken lightly."Even though “the words of General Antonescu are not to be taken lightly”,abuses are growing nearby in the capital; beatings on the streets aremultiplying; the houses of Jews are being searched, and winter foodreserves are especially singled out for robbery; the automobiles of Jews areforcibly removed from garages and streets. As a result, the Minister of theInterior feels it necessary to make an announcement which does notattempt to hide the shameful situation:“We would like to draw everybody’s attention to the fact that recent abuseshave been committed by forces alien to the Iron Guard movement so as todiscredit the government’s actions, which had been taken to ensure thereestablishment of order.”The “guys” acted more conscientiously in the villages than in the capital.In Buzau the Iron Guard police arrested at least twenty young Zionistsbetween the ages of 16 and 20. After torturing them into confessing tobeing communists, all of them were sent to the Military Tribunal. Theywere obviously acquitted, but later had to pay a terrible price for the IronGuard’s joke. They remained “stigmatized” in the files of the State SecurityService and were later deported to Transnistria where almost all of themwere killed.In Arad about 40 Jews, selected from the leaders of the community, werearrested without reason, tortured, beaten, and kept in the police station forseveral days.In Calarasi Urziceni , Buzau , Ramnicul Sarat , Roman and elsewhere“Jewish shop” was scrawled on the shop windows and trade-signs of Jewishshops, and there were calls for a boycott. Furthermore, in Buzau IronGuard patrols threateningly prevented people from entering Jewish shops.A synagogue was also attacked by a band of Iron Guards in the same place,during the first days. Praying people were searched, robbed and arrestedfor a night.55