House of memorial of victims of communism

The Sighet prison, located in the city of

Sighetu Marmației Sighetu Marmației (, also spelled ''Sighetul Marmației''; german: Marmaroschsiget or ''Siget''; hu, Máramarossziget, ; uk, Сигіт, Syhit; yi, סיגעט, Siget), until 1960 Sighet, is a city ( municipality) in Maramureș County near th ...

, Maramureș County,

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 ...

, was used by Romania to hold criminals,

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

, and

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 nu ...

s. It is now the site of the Sighet Memorial Museum, part of the Memorial of the Victims of Communism.

History

The prison in Sighetu Marmației (often referred to just as "Sighet") was built in 1897, when the area was part of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, as a prison for criminal offenders. Between 1897 and 1945 here was a wonderful garden. After 1945, at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the repatriation of Romanians who had been

and deportees in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

was done through Sighet. Starting in August 1948, Sighet Prison was set aside for political opponents of the government. At first, it held students, pupils, and peasants from the Maramureș region. The first batch of such detainees consisted of 18 students from , accused of demonstrating against the

communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...

; they were brought in on 29 August, and were released in May 1949. On the night of 5 May 1950, over one hundred former dignitaries from the whole country were brought to the Sighet penitentiary (former ministers and other politicians, as well as academics, economists, military officers, historians, and journalists), some of them sentenced to heavy punishments, and others held without any form of trial. The majority were over 60 years old. Many important figures of inter-war Romania died in custody, including the leader of the

National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc, or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It w ...

and former

Prime Minister of Romania The prime minister of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul României), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul Guvernului României, link=no), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was s ...

Iuliu Maniu Iuliu Maniu (; 8 January 1873 – 5 February 1953) was an Austro-Hungarian-born lawyer and Romanian politician. He was a leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, playing an important role in the U ...

. In the fall of 1950, about 45

Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine C ...

bishops and priests were brought in. Among those who died at Sighet were bishops

Ioan Suciu Ioan Suciu (December 4, 1907 – June 27, 1953) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church, born into a clerical family in Blaj. He studied in Rome, Italy first at Sant'Atanasio and then at the ''Pontificium Institutum Internationale An ...

Tit Liviu Chinezu Tit Liviu Chinezu (22 June 1904 – 15 January 1955) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born to a priest in Huduc village, Mureș County, he went to Rome in 1925, studying first at Sant'Atanasio college and becoming a Doctor o ...

Valeriu Traian Frențiu Valeriu Traian Frențiu (25 April 1875 – 11 July 1952) was the Bishop of the Eparchy of Oradea Mare of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1922 to his death in 1952. His beatification occurred on 2 June 2019.

, and

Anton Durcovici Anton Durcovici (17 May 1888 – 10 December 1951) was a Romanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and the Bishop of Iaşi from 1947 until his death. Durcovici was a victim of Romania's Communist regime, under which he was imprisoned; he die ...

. Between 1950 and 1955, no death certificates were issued and the families of the deceased were not notified.Inchisoarea ministrilor
, Jurnalul.ro, published August 21, 2006; retrieved August 3, 2015. After Romania joined the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

in December 1955, the prison reverted to being a detention center for usual convicts, though some political prisoners were still held there until the 1964 general amnesty. In 1977 the prison closed; the building was turned into a depot, run by the town hall, and slowly fell into disrepair. In the aftermath of the

Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred ...

of 1989, that saw the dismantlement of the communist regime, poet Ana Blandiana presented in January 1993 to the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a p ...

a project to transform the former prison into a museum, called the "Memorial to the Victims of Communism and Resistance." On June 20, 1997, the first halls were opened and a prayer and silence space was inaugurated in the small prison courtyard, meant as a tribute to all political prisoners who died in detention in

Communist Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the state was known as the Romanian Peop ...

. The larger courtyard features the statuary group called "Sacrifice Parade," made by the sculptor .

Notable inmates

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 ...

, former

, died at Sighet in 1955 * Victor Bădulescu, economist, academician, died at Sighet in 1953–54 *

Ioan Bălan Ioan Bălan (11 February 1880 – 4 August 1959) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Biography He was born in Teiuș, Alba County, the son of Ștefan Bălan and Ana, née Muntean. After graduating high school in Blaj, he studie ...

, Greek-Catholic bishop of Lugoj *

Dinu Brătianu Dinu Brătianu (January 13, 1866 – May 20, 1950), born Constantin I. C. Brătianu, was a Romanian engineer and politician who led the National Liberal Party (PNL) starting in 1934. Life Early career Born at the estate of ''Florica'', in ...

, politician and historian, committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

in prison in 1951 * Gheorghe I. Brătianu, politician and historian, leader of the National-Liberal Party-Brătianu, died at Sighet in 1953 *

Radu Budișteanu Constantin-Radu Budișteanu (October 11, 1902–1991) was a Romanian lawyer and activist of the Iron Guard. Born in Târgu Jiu,Philippe Henri Blasen, "The Roman Catholic Bishopric of Iași and the Jews (1941-1944)", in ''Archiva Moldaviae'', vol ...

, lawyer, politician, and activist of the Iron Guard * Ion Cămărășescu, politician, died at Sighet in 1953 *

Nicolae Carandino Nicolae Carandino (19 July 1905 – 16 February 1996) was a Romanian journalist, pamphleteer, translator, dramatist, and politician. He was born in Brăila into a family of intellectuals, the son of a Romanian mother and Greek father. After co ...

, journalist and politician *

, bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church, died at Sighet in 1955 of hypothermia * Daniel Ciugureanu, Prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic, died at Sighet in 1950 *

Tancred Constantinescu Tancred Constantinescu (18 May 1878–14 January 1951) was a Romanian engineer and politician. He was born on 18 May 1876 in Cahul, at the time in Moldavia, Romanian Principalities, now in the Republic of Moldova. He studied civil engineering at ...

, engineer, former minister, died at Sighet in 1951 * Corneliu Coposu, former secretary to

, leader of the

after 1989 *

Ioan Dragomir Ioan Dragomir (11 October 1905—25 April 1985) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born into a peasant family in Ariniș, Maramureș County, he attended high school in Zalău and Baia Mare. Dragomir then studied theology in ...

, bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church *

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

bishop of Iași, died of forced

starvation Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, de ...

at Sighet in 1951 *

, Greek Catholic Bishop of the Eparchy of Oradea Mare, died at Sighet in 1952 *

Stan Ghițescu Stan Ghițescu (June 2, 1881 – February 25, 1952) was a Romanian politician. Born in Mârzănești, Teleorman County, Cicerone Ionițoiu"Victimele terorii comuniste. Arestați, torturați, întemnițați, uciși. Dicționar G"/ref> he at ...

, Vice-President of the

Chamber of Deputies of Romania ); – Committee for Industries and Services ( ro, Comisia pentru industrii și servicii); – Committee for Transport and Infrastructure ( ro, Comisia pentru transporturi și infrastructură); – Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, Food Indu ...

(1926), former Minister of Labor, died at Sighet in 1952 * Constantin C. Giurescu, historian, professor at the University of Bucharest, Royal Governor 1939, Lower Danube Province, Minister of Propaganda 1939–1940 * Ion Gruia, professor of Constitutional Law at the

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea din București), commonly known after its abbreviation UB in Romania, is a public university founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princel ...

, former Minister of Justice, died at Sighet in 1952 *

Pan Halippa Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa (1 August 1883 – 30 April 1979) was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he wa ...

, president of Sfatul Țării when it voted union of

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 o ...

with Romania in 1918 *

Emil Hațieganu Emil Hațieganu (December 9, 1878—May 13, 1959) was a Romanian politician and jurist, a prominent member of the Romanian National Party (PNR) and of its successor, the National Peasants' Party (PNȚ); he was physician Iuliu Hațieganu's brother. ...

, former

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. I ...

Iuliu Hossu Iuliu Hossu (30 January 1885 – 28 May 1970) was a Romanian Greek-Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Cluj-Gherla. Pope Paul VI elevated Hossu to the rank of cardinal ''in pectore'', that is, secretly, in 1969 but did not publish his ...

, Greek-Catholic bishop of Cluj-Gherla * Alexandru Lapedatu, professor of History at the

University of Cluj A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

, former Cults and Arts Minister and State Minister, former president of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...

and of the

Senate of Romania ) 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-li ...

, died at Sighet in 1950 * Ilie Lazăr, leader of the

Ioan Lupaș Ioan Lupaș (9 August 1880 – 3 July 1967) was a Romanian historian, academic, politician, Orthodox theologian and priest. He was a member of the Romanian Academy. Biography Lupaș was born in Szelistye, now Săliște, Sibiu County (at the tim ...

, professor of History at the

, former president of the History Section of the

, former Minister of Health and of Culture and Arts * Gheorghe N. Leon, economist and politician, former Minister of Economy * Ion Macovei, former head of the Romanian Railroads, former Minister of Public Works and Communications, died at Sighet in 1950 *

, leader of the National Peasants' Party, former

, died at Sighet in 1953 *

Mihail Manoilescu Mihail Manoilescu (; December 9, 1891 – December 30, 1950) was a Romanian journalist, engineer, economist, politician and memoirist, who served as Foreign Minister of Romania during the summer of 1940. An active promoter of and contributor to ...

, former Foreign Minister, died at Sighet in 1950 * Nicolae Marinescu, general and former Minister of Labor and Health * Ioan Mihail Racoviță, general and former Minister of Defense, died at Sighet in 1954 * Ion Manolescu-Strunga, economist, former Minister of Industry and Commerce, died at Sighet in 1951 * Ion Mihalache, leader of the National Peasants' Party, former Minister of the Interior * Ion Nistor, historian and former Minister of Cults and the Arts *

Nicolae Păiș Nicolae T. Păiș (July 11, 1887–September 16, 1952) was a Romanian career naval officer. Born in Bucharest, he attended the Military Academy of Modena between 1905 and 1907, and the École militaire in Paris. After graduating, he entered the ...

, naval officer, former minister, died at Sighet in 1952 * Nicolae Penescu, lawyer and politician, former Minister of the Interior *

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 ...

, leader of the Social-Democratic Party, who opposed fusion with the Communist Party of Romania *

Ioan Ploscaru Ioan Ploscaru (19 November 1911 – 31 July 1998) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born into a peasant family in Frata commune, Cluj County, he studied in Blaj. He was ordained a priest in 1933 and a bishop in November 1948 ...

, bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church * Mihail Priboianu, engineer, former minister *

Ioan Rășcanu Ioan Rășcanu (October 1, 1878 – February 25, 1952) was a Romanian general during World War I. He held the post of Minister of War from September 27, 1919 to December 16, 1921. After entering politics, he was elected deputy in Parliament, and ...

, general and former Minister of Defense, died at Sighet in 1952 *

Alexander Ratiu Priesthood (Catholic Church), Father Alexander Ratiu ( ro, Rațiu; 4 May 1916 – 25 July 2002) was a Romanian people, Romanian-American priest of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, Romanian Greek-Catholic Church. While serving ...

, author and priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului *

Alexandru Rusu Alexandru Rusu (22 November 1884 – 9 May 1963) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. One of twelve children born to a priest in Șăulia Commune, Mureș County, he was himself ordained a priest in 1910. Rusu was ordained Bisho ...

, Greek-Catholic bishop of

Baia Mare Baia Mare ( , ; hu, Nagybánya; german: Frauenbach or Groß-Neustadt; la, Rivulus Dominarum) is a municipality along the Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramur ...

* Nicolae Samsonovici, general and former Minister of Defense, died at Sighet in 1950 * Ioan Gheorghe Savin, theologian within the

Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates ...

* Joseph Schubert,

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox a ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church, died at Sighet in 1953 * Gheorghe Tașcă, economist, former Minister of Industry and Commerce, leader of the

, died at Sighet in 1951 * Gheorghe Tătărescu, leader of the National Liberal Party-Tătărescu, former Prime Minister of Romania * Alexandru Todea, Greek-Catholic bishop of the Alba Iulia Diocese

Gallery

File:Închisoarea Sighet - foşti deţinuţi.jpg, Former inmates File:Iuliu Maniu POD.jpg, The cell in which

died File:Memorial Wall - Museum of Arrested Thought - Sighet 2.jpg, Names of the victims written on the walls File:Cortegiul sacrificatilor.jpg, The statuary group "Procession of the Sacrificed", made by Aurel Vlad File:Sighetu Marmatiei Inchisoarea (1).JPG

References

External links

{{coord missing, Maramureș County 1897 establishments in Romania Socialist Republic of Romania Defunct prisons in Romania

Prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

Buildings and structures in Maramureș County Political repression in Romania