ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

An attempt of modernization in Craiova during the Second World War 81build a new market, near the station, and to open a tramway line towards thecentre of the city, to serve the Romanian Railway’s workshops. 8The Ministry of Foreign Affairs seemed to be encouraging. In the sametime, the reopening of the Theatre was thought to be unseasonable 9 and, as aconsequence, any credit was refused, but for the working of the tramways andtrolleybuses, the Ministry was willing to allocate, as subsidies, substantial funds. 10In April 1942, a deputation of specialists traveled to Transnistria, inOdessa, for buying tramways which the Romanian Govern considered to be,along with other goods, captured material. 11 The deputation, despite the fact thatthe tramways, 13 pieces, were totally damaged, with the rails used and, ignoringthe unfavorable conclusions expressed by one of the specialists, the engineerConstantinescu made a report in which he agrees to send them to Craiova. 12 Andmore, along with the tramways, in Craiova will arrive 7 trolleybuses, also soviet,being in different stages of usage. All together, in October 10 th 1942, Craiova’smayor decided to found “The Public Service of Common Transportation withTrolleybuses and Tramways, powered by electric current” 13 .Making these tramways work will prove to be something impossible.Although the Public Administration and also the Communal Factories, whichhad the new transportation service in their subordination, spent a large amount of8 Buletinul Oficial al Municipiului Craiova, an. III, nr. 3-4, 15 th May – 15 th June 1942,p.2. An important labor power was to benefit, once with the opening of the tram lines. From areport of the Craiova’s Police Station dating from 29 th September 1943, results that, in the mostimportant enterprises, were working about 5000 people (cf. Documente privind mişcarearevoluţionară şi democratică din Oltenia 1921 – 1944, Craiova, Scrisul Românesc, 1986, p. 226,the document nr. 180).9 In 1942, Ştefan G. Botoiu, the head manager of the National Theatre of Craiova,requested to The Ministry of Finances a credit for 12 millions lei, needed for the reopening of thetheatre. The Marshal Antonescu didn’t agree: “We have nor time or money for such causes. Weare at war…”(the newspaper Drum Nou, an. II, nr. 4 from 6 th April 1946, p. 2; nr. 5 from 13 th April1946, p. 2).10 Starting from May 1942, The Ministry gives to the Municipality 20 millions lei forinvestment works, from which 10 millions with the destination “A subvention for founding thetrolleybuses service”, and in 1942 they allocate a really impressive sum: 54 millions lei (cf.Buletinul Oficial al Municipiului Craiova, an. II, nr. 3-4, 15 th May – 15 th June 1942, p. 5; an. IV,nr. 15-18, 15 th October – 15 th December 1943, p.2-3).11 Buletinul Oficial al Municipiului Craiova, an. III, nr. 3-4, 15 th May – 15 th June 1942,p.2. For the inventory, the storage and the conservation or evacuation of those goods existing inOdessa, considered to be captured material, was responsible the “Service of Captures andRetrieving from Odessa” founded in November 1 st 1941and which depended directly to the GreatHeadquarters. Accused with “robbery” in the trial from May 1946, the Marshal replied: “there wasno robbery. It was just the right of the occupant. He lives in the territory which he occupied andfrom there he leads the military operations”. (Olivian Verenca, Administraţia civila româna înTransnistria 1941-1944, the 2 nd edition accurate by Şerban Alexianu, Bucureşti, VremeaPublishing House, 2000, p. 129-130).12 The newspaper Liberalul, an. I, nr. 6 from 10 th February 1945, p. 4.13 Buletinul Oficial al Municipiului Craiova, an. III, nr. 13-15, 15 th October–30 thNovember 1942, p. 4-5 (The decision nr. 406/28413 from 10 th October 1942).