Gheorghe Cristescu (October 10, 1882 in
Copaciu,
Giurgiu County
Giurgiu () is a county (''județ'') of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 265,494 and the population density was .
* Romanians – over 96%
* Roman ...
– November 29, 1973 in
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
) was a
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
and, for a part of his life,
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
militant
The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Latin " ...
. Nicknamed "Plăpumarul" ("The Blanket Maker"), he is also occasionally referred to as "Omul cu lavaliera roșie" ("The man with the red
four-in-hand
The four-in-hand knot is a method of tying a necktie. It is also known as a simple knot or schoolboy knot, due to its simplicity and style. Some reports state that carriage drivers tied their reins with a four-in-hand knot, while others claim ...
necktie
A necktie, or simply a tie, is a piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat, and often draped down the chest.
Variants include the ascot, bow, bolo, zipper tie, cra ...
"), after the most notable of his accessories.
Biography
Early activism
Born in
Copaciu (at the time part of
Ilfov County
Ilfov () is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of Communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs ...
, presently in
Giurgiu County
Giurgiu () is a county (''județ'') of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 265,494 and the population density was .
* Romanians – over 96%
* Roman ...
), Cristescu trained as a blanket-maker and became the owner of a blanket-making shop. Active in socialist circles as early as 1898, he soon became a leading member of the
Romanian Social-Democratic Workers' Party
The Social Democratic Workers' Party of Romania (, PSDMR), established in 1893, was the first modern socialist political party in Romania. A Marxist organization, the PSDMR was part of the Second International and sent its representatives to the f ...
(up to 1899, when the Party disbanded). In 1900, he joined the leadership of the only surviving group of the Party, its
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
socialist circle, ''
România Muncitoare
''România Muncitoare'' ("Working Romania" or "Laborer Romania") was a socialist newspaper, published in Bucharest, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eas ...
'' (led by
Christian Rakovsky
Christian Georgievich Rakovsky (russian: Христиа́н Гео́ргиевич Рако́вский; bg, Кръстьо Георги́ев Рако́вски; – September 11, 1941) was a Bulgarian-born socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevi ...
).
[Ornea, p.522]
Up until the creation of a
Social Democratic Party of Romania
The Social Democratic Party ( ro, Partidul Social Democrat, PSD) is the largest social democratic political party in Romania and also the largest overall political party in the country, aside from European Parliament level, where it is the seco ...
(PSDR) on January 31, 1910, Cristescu was one of the leaders of the short-lived ''Socialist Union of Romania''. Soon after a
Romanian Railways
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
employee named Stoenescu attempted to assassinate
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Ion I. C. Brătianu on December 9, 1909, Cristescu, alongside other ''România Muncitoare'' activists (including
I. C. Frimu and
Dimitrie Marinescu), was arrested and interrogated on suspicion of having inspired the action.
From 1910 to 1916, he was one of the PSDR's leaders; in 1908-1920, he was active in the
trade union movement
The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other.
* The trade union movement ...
.
In 1916, the Party was banned for its activities in support of the
Zimmerwald Conference
The Zimmerwald Conference was held in Zimmerwald, Switzerland, from September 5 to 8, 1915. It was the first of three international socialist conferences convened by anti-militarist socialist parties from countries that were originally neutral d ...
at a time when Romania entered
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
on the
Entente side.
[''110 ani de social-democraţie'', p.15] After the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
offensive (''see
Romanian Campaign''), he remained active in enemy-occupied Bucharest, and kept contacts with
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.
Saskia Esken has been the ...
with the help of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
soldiers who sympathized with the latter.
In 1918, when Romanian authorities resumed control, Cristescu and many other leaders of the PSDR (
Ecaterina Arbore
Ekaterina Arbore, Arbore-Ralli or Ralli-Arbore (rendered into Russian as ''Екатерина Арборе'' or ''Арборэ'' - ''Yekaterina Arborye'' or ''Arbore'', with "Ralli" as ''Ралли''; 1873 or 1875 – 2 December 1937), daughter ...
,
Constantin Popovici
Constantin Popovici (born 2 October 1988 in Bucharest) is a Romanian platform diver. In 2019, he became the first Romanian to achieve a first-place finish at a stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. He is the 2022 European champion in ...
,
Ilie Moscovici
Ilie B. Moscovici (also known as Tovilie; 28 November 1885 – 1 November 1943) was a Romanian socialist militant and journalist, one of the noted leaders of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR). A socialist since early youth and a party ...
, and
Constantin Titel Petrescu
Constantin Titel Petrescu (5 February 1888 – 2 September 1957) was a Romanian politician and lawyer. He was the leader of the Romanian Social Democratic Party.
He was born in Craiova, the son of an employee of the National Bank in Buchare ...
among them) were arrested on charges of collaboration.
The PSDR re-emerged in November 1918, as the
Socialist Party of Romania
The Socialist Party of Romania ( ro, Partidul Socialist din România, commonly known as ''Partidul Socialist'', PS) was a Romanian socialist political party, created on December 11, 1918 by members of the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSDR) ...
, with Cristescu becoming one of its representatives in
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
after the elections of 1919. In this capacity, he became noted in debates over the imprisonment of
Mihai Gheorghiu Bujor, a Romanian citizen who had joined the
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
in
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
during the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
, and who had been tried for
treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
.
Constantin Argetoianu
Constantin Argetoianu ( – 6 February 1955) was a Romanian politician, one of the best-known personalities of interwar Greater Romania, who served as the Prime Minister between 28 September and 23 November 1939. His memoirs, ''Memorii. Pentr ...
, who negotiated a failed merger of the Socialist Party into the
People's League in late 1919, stated that Moscovici voiced criticism of his party's
far left wing, where, as Argetoianu formulated it, "the blanket-maker Cristescu and others were agitating".
In the
early elections of 1920, Cristescu, together with
Alexandru Dobrogeanu-Gherea
Alexandru Dobrogeanu-Gherea or Alexandru Gherea (rendered in Russian as ''Александр Доброджану-Геря'' or ''Доброжану-Гере'' - ''Aleksandr Dobrodzhanu-Gerya'' /''Dobrozhanu-Gere''; July 7, 1879 —November 4 ...
and
Boris Stefanov
Boris Stefanov Mateev (also known as Boris Ștefanov, Draganov or Dragu; bg, Борис Стефанов Матеев, ''Boris Stefanov Mateev''; October 8, 1883 – October 11, 1969) was a Romanian Communism, communist politician, who served as ...
, was not validated into Parliament, despite having carried the popular vote. He was eventually confirmed for office.
[Constantiniu]
Communism
Although he had originally voted against
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...
's thesis as a delegate of the socialists to the
Comintern
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...
World Congresses in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
(with
Eugen Rozvan, Constantin Popovici,
Ioan Flueraș
Ioan (or Ion) Flueraș (or Fluieraș) (November 2, 1882 – June 7, 1953) was a Romanian social democratic politician and a victim of the communist regime.
Biography
Early activities
Born in Chereluș (Kerülős), Arad County, in the Crișan ...
,
David Fabian, and Alexandru Dobrogeanu-Gherea), and despite Rozvan's suspicions that he had maintained a "
minimalist position", he became more and more radical, supporting the transformation of the Party along
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
lines, but showed himself opposed to control from Russia.
[Diac, "Delegaţii socialişti..."] In deliberations for the 1920 vote, he expressed his opposition to Comintern control over local parties, and subsequently met with Lenin. Cristescu later claimed that the Russian leader had accepted his dissent and had offered some "non-political" concessions to the Romanian socialists (the claim was partly backed by a testimony of Dobrogeanu-Gherea). During the Congress, both Cristescu and Dobrogeanu-Gherea were ridiculed at home by the non-communist press (their
bourgeois
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
status, in contrast to their activism, was highlighted in the nicknames "Cristescu-Blanket Maker" and "Dobrogeanu-Restaurant", the latter of which alluded to the business Dobrogeanu-Gherea was managing in
Ploiești
Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest.
The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commu ...
).
Cristescu led the faction that separated itself after the Party's Congress of 8–12 May 1921, and was elected as the first
general secretary
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
of the newly formed Socialist-Communist Party (soon to be the
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...
). Those
maximalists who had designated themselves as "communists" (including Gheorghe Cristescu) were arrested and indicted in the
Dealul Spirii Trial
Dealul Spirii Trial (Romanian: ''Procesul din Dealul Spirii'') was a political trial conducted by a military tribunal in the Kingdom of Romania. 271 members of the Communist Party of Romania were accused of treason after voting for the inclusion of ...
: Romanian authorities attempted to connect them with
Max Goldstein
Max Goldstein (1898–1924), also known as Coca, was a Romanian revolutionary, variously described as a communist and an anarchist.
Born in Bârlad to a Jewish family, he worked as a clerk for two years. He later moved to Bucharest in 1916, w ...
, a
terrorist
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
of uncertain affiliation who had detonated a bomb inside the
Romanian Senate
) is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 136 seats (before the 2016 Romanian legislative election the total number of elected representatives was 176), to which members are elected by direct popular vote using party-list ...
on December 8, 1920. The charge against the communists was based on their rejection of
Greater Romania
The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea.
As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
as a concept, and their commitment to "
world revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class. For theorists, these revolutions will not necessarily occur simultaneously, but whe ...
" and the Comintern, which raised suspicion that they were trying to overthrow the existing order through actions such as that of Goldstein.
[Cioroianu, p.29; Tănase] Constantin Argetoianu
Constantin Argetoianu ( – 6 February 1955) was a Romanian politician, one of the best-known personalities of interwar Greater Romania, who served as the Prime Minister between 28 September and 23 November 1939. His memoirs, ''Memorii. Pentr ...
,
Interior Minister
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
in the second
Alexandru Averescu
Alexandru Averescu (; 9 March 1859 – 2 October 1938) was a Romanian marshal, diplomat and populist politician. A Romanian Armed Forces Commander during World War I, he served as Prime Minister of three separate cabinets (as well as being ''inter ...
cabinet and main instigator of the arrest, later admitted that his order lacked legal grounds, and stated that he had given Cristescu approval to hold congress with the knowledge that Comintern policies were to be submitted to a vote, thus causing the faction to incriminate itself.
Most of the accused were acquitted, an important reason for this being Cristescu's convincing testimony (alongside a
hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
endured by most on the bench, as well as the absence of sufficient evidence).
Cristescu depicted Goldstein as an
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...
, and declared most of the witnesses who had connected the terrorist with the Party to be
spies
Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations.
Spies or The Spies may also refer to:
* Spies (surname), a German surname
* Spies (band), a jazz fusion band
* Spies (song), "Spies" (song), a song by ...
for the ''
Siguranța Statului
Siguranța was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety ( ro, Di ...
''
secret police
Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of a ...
.
Dissidence
Cristescu started questioning his Party's policies after the decision taken by the
Balkan Communist Federation
The Balkan Federation project was a left-wing political movement to create a country in the Balkans by combining Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century from ...
during its 1923
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
Conference. The Federation had adopted the official Soviet policy recommending that
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
,
Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
,
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
and
Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja, South Dobruja or Quadrilateral (Bulgarian: Южна Добруджа, ''Yuzhna Dobrudzha'' or simply Добруджа, ''Dobrudzha''; ro, Dobrogea de Sud, or ) is an area of northeastern Bulgaria comprising Dobrich and Silistra ...
(or all of
Dobruja
Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
) be given the right to secede from Romania. Due to the ethnic composition of these regions, he could not accept that minorities be given
self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...
(especially since this implied not autonomy or independence, but rather satisfaction of territorial demands that other nations had on Romania). Cristescu allegedly called for the party to revise its program in respect to these points, and thus resume legal activities.
Notably clashing with his nominal subordinate
Marcel Pauker
Marcel Pauker (rendered in Russian as ''Марцел Паукер'' - ''Martsel Pauker''; December 6, 1896, Bucharest – August 16, 1938, Butovo, near Moscow) was a Romanian communist militant and husband of the future Romanian Communist l ...
over such issues, he did all in his power to prevent the Party from adopting a clear point of view: when his attitude was investigated by the Balkan Communist Federation (1924), he had to resign his position, being excluded from the Party in 1926. According to
Vladimir Tismăneanu
Vladimir Tismăneanu (; born July 4, 1951) is a Romanian American political scientist, political analyst, sociologist, and professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. A specialist in political systems and comparative politics, he is di ...
, Cristescu's marginalization inside the ''Workers and Peasants' Bloc'' (created as an
umbrella group
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...
for the outlawed Communist faction) was a major factor in his conflict with other activists.
1930s, persecution, and rehabilitation
![IICCR Z350 Ceausescu and Cristescu 1971](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/IICCR_Z350_Ceausescu_and_Cristescu_1971.jpg)
After creating his own minor group, the ''Socialist Party of Workers'' (later known as ''Independent Socialist Party''), in 1928, Cristescu joined the minor ''Unitary Socialist Party'' in 1932 (a
Marxist
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
group led by
Leon Ghelerter
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fr ...
,
Ștefan Voitec
Ștefan Voitec (also rendered Ștefan Voitech,''Politics and Political Parties'', pp. 264, 554 Stepan Voitek;V. Kolesnik, "Spioonide Internatsionaal (Trotskistid faschistlikkude luureasutuste tegevuses)", in ''Edasi'', Issue 105/1937, p. 2 June 1 ...
, and Constantin Popovici, it eventually dissolved itself under pressure from the Communist Party in 1944). He retired from politics in 1936.
His daughter Tita Cristescu, a former
Miss Romania
Miss Universe România is a national beauty pageant that has selected Romania's representative to the Miss Universe pageant.
History
Miss România was initially established in the late 1920s, Magda Demetrescu won the first pageant in 1929. She ...
who had become the mistress of Liviu Ciulei (a famous lawyer and father of the director
Liviu Ciulei
Liviu Ciulei (; 7 July 1923 – 24 October 2011) was a Romanian theater and film director, film writer, actor, architect, educator, costume and set designer. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by ''Newsweek'' as "one of the b ...
), died in mysterious circumstances in 1936. Ciulei, arrested on charges that he had poisoned her, was acquitted later in the same year.
[Tandin] A theory in circulation indicates Maria Suciu, Tita's maid, as the killer.
During the first years of
Communist Romania
The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the s ...
, he was severely persecuted for his political views, being arrested and imprisoned in the
Danube-Black Sea Canal labour camp
A labor camp (or labour camp, see spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons (especi ...
s from 1950 to 1954. Released through the first
amnesty
Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...
of
political prisoner
A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention.
There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although n ...
s (occurring very soon after
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
's death), Cristescu spent his remaining years in relative anonymity. While his name was cleared by
Nicolae Ceaușescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...
's
rehabilitation
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
policies, his uncomfortable opinions were
censored
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
and he was subject to
Securitate
The Securitate (, Romanian for ''security'') was the popular term for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security), the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Previously, before the communist regime ...
surveillance until his death.
[Cioroianu, p.25; Frunză, p.488] Although occasionally hailed up as an anti-Comintern communist during a time when the Ceaușescu regime developed a
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
discourse, Cristescu avoided being associated with the party he had helped to found.
References
Notes
''110 ani de social-democraţie în România'' ("110 Years of Social Democracy in Romania") Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...
, the Ovidiu Șincai Social Democratic Institute, Bucharest, July 9, 2003
*''Dosarele Istoriei'', 10/1998
*
Constantin Argetoianu
Constantin Argetoianu ( – 6 February 1955) was a Romanian politician, one of the best-known personalities of interwar Greater Romania, who served as the Prime Minister between 28 September and 23 November 1939. His memoirs, ''Memorii. Pentr ...
, "Memorii" ("Memoirs"; fragment), in ''Magazin Istoric'', March 1968
*
Adrian Cioroianu
Adrian Mihai Cioroianu (born January 5, 1967, Craiova, Romania) is a Romanian historian, politician, journalist, and essayist. A lecturer for the History Department at the University of Bucharest, he is the author of several books dealing with R ...
, ''Pe umerii lui Marx. O introducere în istoria comunismului românesc'' ("On the Shoulders of Marx. An Incursion into the History of Romanian Communism"),
Editura Curtea Veche
Editura Curtea Veche (Curtea Veche Publishing House) is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition in editing works of Romanian literature. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Curtea Veche started editing more foreign books, such as BBC #REDIR ...
, Bucharest, 2005
*Ion Constantinescu, "Dr. N. Lupu: «Dacă și d-ta ai fi fost bătut...»" ("Dr. N. Lupu: «If You Yourself Had Been Beaten...»"), in ''Magazin Istoric'', August 1971
*
Florin Constantiniu Florin Constantiniu (8 April 1933 – 13 April 2012) was a Romanian historian.
A native of Bucharest, he attended Saint Sava National College, followed by the University of Bucharest. He was elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy
...
, "Cristescu, Gheorghe", in ''Biographical Dictionary of European Labor Leaders'', Greenwood Press,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, 1995, p. 229
* Cristina Diac,
"La «kilometrul 0» al comunismului românesc. «S-a terminat definitiv cu comunismul in România!»" ("At «Kilometer 0» in Romanian Communism. «Communism in Romania Is Definitely Over!»") in ''
Jurnalul Național
''Jurnalul Național'' is a Romanian newspaper, part of the INTACT Media Group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular television station Antena 1. The newspaper was launched in 1993. Its headquarters is in Bucharest
Bucharest ...
'', October 6, 2004
"Delegații socialiști români la Moscova" ("Romanian Socialist Delegates in Moscow") in ''
Jurnalul Național
''Jurnalul Național'' is a Romanian newspaper, part of the INTACT Media Group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular television station Antena 1. The newspaper was launched in 1993. Its headquarters is in Bucharest
Bucharest ...
'', October 7, 2004
*Victor Frunză, ''Istoria stalinismului în România'' ("The History of Stalinism in Romania"),
Humanitas
''Humanitas'' is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below.
Classical origins of term
The Latin word ''humanitas'' corresponded to the Greek concepts of '' philanthr ...
, Bucharest, 1990
*
Z. Ornea
Zigu Ornea (; born Zigu Orenstein Andrei Vasilescu"La ceas aniversar – Cornel Popa la 75 de ani: 'Am refuzat numeroase demnități pentru a rămâne credincios logicii și filosofiei analitice.' ", in Revista de Filosofie Analitică', Vol. II, N ...
, ''Viața lui C. Stere'' ("The Life of C. Stere"), Vol. I,
Cartea Românească
Cartea Românească ("The Romanian Book") is a publishing house in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1919. Disestablished by the Communist Romania, communist regime in 1948, it was restored under later communism, in 1970, when it functioned as the off ...
, Bucharest, 1989
*
Stelian Tănase"Procesul din Dealul Spirei" ("The Dealul Spirii Trial") in ''Magazin Istoric''
* Traian Tandin
in ''Jurnalul Naţional'', September 17, 2005
*
Vladimir Tismăneanu
Vladimir Tismăneanu (; born July 4, 1951) is a Romanian American political scientist, political analyst, sociologist, and professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. A specialist in political systems and comparative politics, he is di ...
, ''Stalinism for All Seasons: A Political History of Romanian Communism'',
University of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...
,
Berkeley
Berkeley most often refers to:
*Berkeley, California, a city in the United States
**University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California
* George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher
Berkeley may also refer ...
, 2003
* Ilarion Țiu
"Aliatul lui Stalin" ("Stalin's Ally") in ''Jurnalul Național'', June 7, 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cristescu, Gheorghe
Dealul Spirii Trial
General Secretaries of the Romanian Communist Party
Social Democratic Party of Romania (1910–1918) politicians
Romanian Social Democratic Party (1927–1948) politicians
Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania)
People from Giurgiu County
Inmates of the Danube–Black Sea Canal
Romanian trade unionists
Romanian people of World War I
1882 births
1973 deaths
Socialist Republic of Romania rehabilitations