The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) is investigating 35 people under suspicion of having committed various crimes during the communist regime

Bucharest, April 11, 2013 – The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) has started the specific investigation procedures for 35 persons who held chief positions in the former repressive system and who are suspected of having committed various political crimes during the communist regime.

Following recent research, IICCMER has identified several actions with possible legal consequences committed by 35 people during 1950-1964, while they were acting employees of the Directorate General of Penitentiaries.

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The 7th volume of the IICCMRE Yearbook

The 7th volume of the IICCMRE Yearbook offers an analysis of the communist regime from a less addressed historiographical perspective. The authors crossed the chronological limitations that established the year 1945 as a landmark, thus identifying the elements that bring the communist regime closer or apart from other Romanian dictatorships of the twentieth century. Based on oral history sources and on archival documents, the biographical texts highlight the elements which decisively influenced the political destinies of some important communist leaders like Mihail Roller, Ana Pauker or Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. These studies are accompanied by articles on urbanism and industrialization and also by materials referring to the resistance or to the short period of ideological “thaw” from Nicolae Ceauşescu’s regime.

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The volume Individual and Collective Destinies during Communism was recently published at the Polirom Publishing House

The volume Individual and Collective Destinies during Communism was recently published at the Polirom Publishing House, with the support of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile and of the Anti-Communist Resistance Memorial – “Ţara Făgăraşului”. The volume comprises the works of the Vth International Symposium, held at Sâmbăta de Sus – Făgăraş, in July 2010.

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Exhibition “Common Denominator - Death” in Turda

The exhibition “Common denominator – Death” opened on Thursday, 21st of February, 2013, at the Museum of History in Turda, Cluj County. The exhibition could be visited by the public from February 21 to March 17 on a free admittance basis.

Hosted by the Museum of History in Turda, the exhibition was organized by the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) and the National History Museum of Transylvania in Cluj, in collaboration with the Museum of History in Aiud.

The Ambassador of the Netherlands, honored by IICCMER

Bucharest, February 11, 2013 – The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile   (IICCMER) received the visit of His Excellency Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel, the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bucharest.

His Excellency Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel, thus honored the invitation to visit the institute, made by Mr. Andrei Muraru, Executive President of IICCMER.

His Excellency Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel showed his interest in the activity of the IICCMER by stating that it was crucial for EU member states to support the actions which honor the memory of the victims of the totalitarian regime. In 2008 the Embassy of the Netherlands supported the project run by IICCMER to publish the first textbook dedicated to the study of the totalitarian phenomenon. It was named A History of the Communism in Romania and represented a complex educational initiative, targeting the young generations through a modern and accessible approach. In 2011, the Embassy financed the project The Human Rights in the Recent History of Romania and reaffirmed its support to the policies of remembrance.

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The Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania supports the establishment of the Memorial Museum of Râmnicu Sărat

Bucharest, Monday February 4, 2013 – The Institute for the Investigation of the Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) received the visit of His Excellency Mr. Vladimir Jarmolenko, the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania in Bucharest.

His Excellency Mr. Vladimir Jarmolenko thus honored the invitation to visit the Institute, made by Mr. Andrei Muraru, Executive President of IICCMER.

During the talks, Mr. Ambassador was presented with the Institute’s current and future projects including the contemporary archeological campaigns carried out since 2006 which aimed to discover the remains of the people executed by the Securitate during the Dej regime, the restoration and integration into the cultural tourism circuit of the former prison from Râmnicu Sărat as a Memorial Museum and symbol of the anti-communist resistance, educational policies focused on publishing the first history textbook on communism, training courses for history teachers as well as other initiatives undertaken by IICCMER for the study, documentation and support of public awareness on the history of the communist totalitarianism in Romania.

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IICCMER and ICR join efforts to raise awareness on the consequences of the Communist regime

Bucharest / Wednesday, January 16, 2013, the signing ceremony of the partnership between the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) and the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) in the assembly hall of the Romanian Cultural Institute.

The event was attended by Prof. PhD Andrei Marga, President of RCI, Dr. Andrei Muraru, CEO of IICCMER, Dinu Zamfirescu, IICCMER Scientific Council President, Dr. Marius Oprea, Director of the Special Investigations Department from IICCMER.

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Mircea Carp’s volume, This is Mircea Carp, Good Tidings to All! (Foreword by Dinu Zamfirescu, Iaşi: Polirom, 2012)

Mircea Carp’s volume, This is Mircea Carp, Good Tidings to All! (Foreword by Dinu Zamfirescu, Iaşi: Polirom, 2012) is a remarkable editorial release. For many Romanians, Mircea Carp is the voice they heard for years on “Radio Free Europe” and “Voice of America”. Having left communist Romania in 1948, Mircea Carp first arrived in Austria, then moved to the United States in 1951, where he worked for the “Voice of America” radio station. 22 years later, he returned to Europe, in Munich, and continued working for the “Voice of America”. After a while, he accepted the transfer to “Radio Free Europe”, where he remained until the closing of the station in 1995. Throughout his career, Mircea Carp met people and reported events of historical significance: he accompanied Richard Nixon, the first U.S. president to visit Romania, as special correspondent; he covered the 1977 earthquake, as well as the events of December 1989 in his news stories. All of these stories and many more can be found in his book of memories, which also includes fragments of his tracking information file compiled by the Securitate and portraits of the public figures he met and interviewed.

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History of Communism in Europe, volume III

The third issue of the IICCMRE’s annual international journal – History of Communism in Europe (HCE) is now out. This issue entitled “Communism, Nationalism and State Building in Post-War Europe” is a signal of continuity and consistency in connecting the Romanian studies on twentieth century totalitarianism to international academic standards.

For further details about the content of the current issue, please visit the following link: http://www.zetabooks.com/new-releases/history-of-communism-in-europe-vol.-iii-2012.html

History of Communism in Europe is an expanding Romanian bilingual journal (English / French) that benefits from a rigorous selection, peer review and proof reading. HCE is listed in several international data bases (CEEOL, EBSCO, Metapress) and is constantly aiming at reaching higher goals. HCE has an editorial board consisting of young researchers, PhDs in political science and history, but also an advisory board exclusively made out of important names in the Western academic world.

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New book release: Ştefan Bosomitu, Mihai Burcea (coord.), Specters of Dej. Insights into a Dictator’s Biography and Regime, Iaşi: Polirom, 2012.

In November 2011, the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile organized the conference “Specters of Dej”. The event discussed the role of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej in the history of Romanian communism and marked 110 years since his birth. Such an approach was more than necessary, since an exhaustive biography of this central character of the Romanian communism had not yet been written. The conference discussed the personality and the biography of the communist leader, his activity while the party was illegal and his rise to absolute power within the Romanian Communist Party. The most important aspects regarding the functioning of the party-state during Dej’s regime were also analyzed. Following the conference, due to positive feedback, the IICCMRE took on the “Specters of Dej” as a publishing project. Thus, the idea of the present volume appeared to bring together the conference presentations and several other contributions.

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IICCMER launches a campaign of archaeological investigations to identify the remains of political prisoners who died in Aiud prison

The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) are conducting, as of July 2, 2012, a campaign of archaeological investigations in Aiud, in the place known as Rapa Robilor, where some of the prisoners who died in Aiud prison were buried. This year's archaeological research aims to search, recover and exhume the bones of former political prisoners and discover their identity. Due to works in the area, investigations will be carried out in a certain sector of the land parcel formerly reserved for the prison cemetery, an area that was not affected by the works mentioned. The investigation will be conducted by a team of archaeologists led by Mr. Marius Oprea, head of Special Investigations Department at the IICCMER.

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How do we teach the history of communism in Eastern Europe? International Conference

September 27th  - 28th 2012, Hotel Ramada Majestic Bucharest

The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile and the association Respiro Human Rights Research Centre, together with the association Militia Spirituala and with the support of the Soros Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, organized the international conference Education for Human Right through the History of the Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union. The event  aimed to discuss challenges and opportunities with regard to the education for human rights through the history of the recent past. The workshop’s objectives were, on the one hand, presenting, testing and improving educational tools already existing in the region and, on the other hand, sharing expertise, including practices that could be applied in other countries. The workshop thus helped to evaluate the main challenges and constrains and identify solutions to improve the study of the recent past from the perspective of education for human rights.

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Programme
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Abstract
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The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile launches the doctoral scholarships program 2012-2013

Starting with the academic year 2012-2013, IICCMER launches a doctoral scholarships program which aims to encourage rigorous scientific research on the communist regime in Romania. IICCMER will offer young PhD candidates five scholarships amounting to 1,500 lei per month during the span of an academic year (9 months).

Eligibility terms
In order to qualify for IICCMER’s doctoral scholarships, candidates should be at most 35 years old and already enrolled on a doctoral program within an authorized university in Romania (academic year 2012-2013). IICCMER employees and their relatives up to the fourth degree of kin are not eligible. Project selection will be undertaken by a jury formed of personalities of the academic field from Romania and abroad. The jury’s structure will be decided by the IICCMER’s executive president.

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The Romanian Government Gave IICCMER Back the Right to Notify Penal Inquiry Bodies. Prosecutors and Policemen Will Be Able to Work within the Institute.

On 25 July 2012, the Government changed the legal framework of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER). The main amendment refers to the right of IICCMER to notify penal inquiry bodies when crimes and political abuses which were committed in the interval 1945-1990 are identified. Prosecutors and specialised personnel within the Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs will be able to work within the Institute.

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The Summer University of Râmnicu Sărat, 6th edition, 20-26 August 2012: Communism between Memory and History

The Summer University focused on analysing ways of remembering the interval 1944-1989 from a historical and biographical perspective. Participating students were invited to reflect on various ideological, social and political aspects of communism. Considering the fact that the effects of this period are still present within the Romanian society, a better knowledge of the recent past may contribute to a deeper understanding of present realities. The connection with the past was accomplished, on one hand, by means of direct dialogue with those who were witnesses and victims of the communist regime, and, on the other hand, by means of the lectures delivered by well-known personalities in the field of Romanian and East-European communism-related researches, as well as on the post-1989 period.

The target-group of the project were represented by students aged between 19 and 27 years old, from the Faculties of History, Political Science, Sociology, Journalism, Letters, and Law, as well as PhD candidates in Humanities (except for final-year candidates).

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IICCMER Begins an Archaeological Investigations Campaign in order to Identify the Mortal Remains of the Political Prisoners Deceased in the Penitentiary of Aiud

Starting with 2 July 2012, the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile has undertaken an archaeological investigations campaign in the place known as the Precipice of Slaves/Râpa Robilor (Aiud), where a part of the prisoners who died in the local prison were buried.

The above-mentioned archaeological research aims to identify, recover, and exhume the remains of former political prisoners. Because of the workings in the area, investigations will only cover a part of the former plot where dead prisoners were buried. The research is taken on by a team of archaeologists co-ordinated by Marius Oprea, director of the Investigations Department within the IICCMER. In the field, the team is led by Gheorghe Petrov, expert archaeologist with the National Museum of the History of Transylvania (Cluj). Paul Scrobotă – director of the History Museum in Aiud – , Gabriel Rustoiu – director of the National Museum of Union in Alba Iulia –, and Horaţiu Groza from the History Museum in Turda are members of the team. The necessary labour is ensured by the Penitentiary of Aiud.

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The Website of IICCMER, now Available on the Smart Phone

Starting with 29 June 2012, the website of IICCMER is availablle to smart phone users (http://mobile.iiccmer.ro). It comprises current events and information on the Institute’s projects, publications, archive and library.

By means of this initiative, IICCMER begins a series of enterprises which focus on its optimal representation within the electronic environment, as well as on using modern technology in disseminating research results.

Conference: Representing the Communist Past. The Penitentiary of Râmnicu Sărat as a Place of Memory

On 2 July 2012, the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile organised the Conference entitled Representing the Communist Past. The Penitentiary of Râmnicu Sărat as a Place of Memory.

The Conference aimed at disseminating information on a lesser known subject of our recent history, namely the extermination policies undertaken by the communist authorities against “the enemies of the people” within the Penitentiary of Râmnicu Sărat in the interval 1945-1963. The foregoing prison became conspicuous because of its extreme restrictions and was therefore known as “the prison of silence”. Scarce alimentary allowances, the lack of medical treatment, and torture brought about the death of many personalities who had been confined there.

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Conference: The Greek Communist Party and Romanian Communism

On 27 June 2012, the Conference entitled The Greek Communist Party and Romanian Communism took place at the Faculty of History within the University of Bucharest. The special guest of the Conference is Dr. Apostolos Patelakis from the Institute of Balkan Studies in Thessaloniki. Dr. Andrei Muraru, executive president of IICCMER, and Dr. Adrian Cioroianu, dean of the Faculty of History within the University of Bucharest, took part in the event as well.

The Conference is organised by the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile in partnership with the Faculty of History within the University of Bucharest.