REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

SECRET AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Daniel NAZARE 1
Under the stipulations of the Armistice Convention concluded by Romania and the
governments of the United Nations (Moscow, September 12, 1944), the censorship of the
publications and manifestations of fascist type or bringing prejudice to the United Nations
was introduced. In a short while, these measures were diverted by the authorities towards
the communist-type censorship, with the Soviets’ support. After the installation of the
Romanian Popular Republic, the communist censorship became all-powerful. Among
other measures on newspaper issuing, radio news broadcasting, mail control etc., the
library depuration was also ordered. A specialized commission had been given the task to
organize and coordinate “the withdrawal from commerce and circulation (public libraries
etc.) of all periodical or non-periodical publications, printed before the Armistice, which,
through their content, might harm our good relationship with the United Nations and
especially with U.S.S.R.“
On December 17, 1944, then on December 21, the same year, the readers were
informed on the first lists with the “publications that were to be withdrawn from
publishing houses, bookshops, public libraries etc.“ It was stipulated, at the same time,
that only the “libraries with right of legal deposit and the libraries of the higher education
institutions might keep these publications, inventoried, locked in special closets or rooms,
under the direct responsibility of the heads of these institutions. They could only be
consulted, to study purposes, with special authorization, given by the managers of the
respective institutions, under their own responsibility“. This way, the Special Collections
of the libraries appeared, abolished only after December, 1989.
In Romania’s libraries, several lists are kept for the book depuration during 1945-
1989: three volumes in 1945, one in 1946, a massive volume in 1948, accompanied by a
supplement, as well one from 1949. In the foreword of the volume from 1948, the
announcement was made that it would be followed by annual supplements and the
necessity was stated for almost perfect depurations, so well done, that the books could
only be found in some “official documentary” libraries, where they might be studied by
the historians of the future.
The supplement of 1948 is alphabetically structured, and not on languages, as the
previous ones. In all volumes, we encounter however erroneously written titles, especially
those in foreign languages. Romanian translations, in some cases approximate, were
made only for those in Hungarian.
1 George BariŃiu County Library of Braşov, Romania.