Memorialul Victimelor Comunismului şi al Rezistenţei

On Wednesday, we visited Memorialul Victimelor Comunismului şi al Rezistenţei (which translates The Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance). The memorial is housed within a former prison in Sighetu. I have to say that the US school system does a great disservice to all of Eastern Europe on what is covered in history classes. I remember spending a large amount of European history on the British monarchy, on Hilter and concentration camps, and on Russia and the Cold War. I don’t think Romania was ever mentioned, outside of referring to the entire Soviet Bloc. Their history though is unique and complex. I am currently searching for a book that gives a good account of 1940-1990 in Romania and other Eastern European countries. I would appreciate any recommendations from the history buffs reading my blog. Suffice it to say, I was not prepared for the magnitude of what had happened in this prison and prisons like it. Before I visited Dachau, I had an idea of what to expect and therefore prepared myself. What I imagined happened in Romania were work camps like the Stalinist one depicted in “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”. Work camps were one aspect of what happened in Romania but in addition there were “re-education” programs. These consisted of brain washing using extreme methods that wiped any negative thoughts against the communist regime. Anyone that opposed the regime was able to be sentence to a labor camp or a re-education program. Immediately after communism gained control, the prisoners were mostly well educated individuals who posed the greatest threat to communism. Other crimes that were punishable were giving food to someone and tell a joke at the expense of the communist regime. For now, I am going to hold off an adding any additional history information, until I find a good book, and I am able to give an accurate account.

If you would like additional information on the memorial that I visited and a virtual tour, visit http://www.memorialsighet.ro/index.php?lang=en. On the left hand side click on the British flag to translate the page to English.