Gheorghe Cipăianu (3 November 1878–1957) was an

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

-born

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n agronomist and politician. He was born in Cipăieni (''Keménytelke''), a village east of the

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

n town of

Turda Turda (; , ; ; ) is a Municipiu, city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the European route E81, and from nearby Câmpia ...

, in

Torda-Aranyos County Torda-Aranyos was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Romania (central Transylvania). The capital of the county was Torda (present-day Turda). Geography ...

, nowadays in

Mureș County Mureș County (, , ) is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative reor ...

. Cipăianu attended high school in

Blaj Blaj (; archaically spelled as ''Blaș''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Blußendref'') is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 17,816 inhabitants as of 2021. The city administers eight villages: Deleni-Obârșie ('' ...

before leaving for

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, capital of the

Romanian Old Kingdom The Romanian Old Kingdom ( or just ''Regat''; or ) is a colloquial term referring to the territory covered by the first independent Romanian nation state, which was composed of the Romanian Principalities: Wallachia and Moldavia. The union of the ...

. There, he studied at the Herăstrău Agricultural School, finishing first in his class in 1899. He then studied at the agronomy institute in Leipzig, graduating in 1906, and obtained a doctorate from

Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

in 1909. His scientific research focused on the maize and sugar beet harvest. Entering government service in 1911 as a rural inspector for the

Agriculture Ministry An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

, he sat on the economic council in the War Ministry during World War I, from 1916 to 1917. In 1917–1918, he was

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

Neamț County Neamț County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. The county takes its name from the Neamț River. Demographics Population In 2011, it had a population of 470,766 ...

. He then re-entered the Agriculture Ministry, serving as general secretary from 1918 to 1919, a period that coincided with the

union of Transylvania with Romania The union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on by the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia. The Great Union Day (also called ''Unification Day''), celebrated on 1 December, is a Public holidays in Romani ...

. From 1920 to 1922, he headed the central agency for cooperatives and land distribution, around the time of a major land reform. He was deputy state secretary in the ministry from 1923 to 1926, and again from 1927 to 1928.Corneliu Olaru, Vladimir Iovanov, ''Un secol de economie românească, 1848–1947'', p. 73. Bucharest: Editura NEWA T.E.D., 2001, A member of the National Liberal Party from 1910, he represented Târnava-Mică and

Counties in the

Romanian Parliament The Parliament of Romania () is the national bicameral legislature of Romania, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies () and the Senate (). It meets at the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, the capital. Prior to the modification of the Cons ...

on several occasions, as

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from 1922 to 1926 and as

Deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

in 1931 and 1933. From November 1933 to February 1934, he was Agriculture Minister in the cabinets of

Ion G. Duca Ion Gheorghe Duca (; 20 December 1879 – 29 December 1933) was a Romanian liberal politician, diplomat, and lawyer who briefly served as Prime Minister from November to December 1933. A leading figure in the National Liberal Party, Duca hel ...

Constantin Angelescu Constantin Angelescu (10 June 1869 – 14 September 1948) was a Romanian politician who served as ad interim/acting Prime Minister of Romania for five days, between 30 December 1933 and 3 January 1934. He was: Doctor of Medicine in Paris, Pleni ...

, and

Gheorghe Tătărescu Gheorghe I. Tătărescu (also known as ''Guță Tătărescu'', with a slightly antiquated pet form of his given name; 2 November 1886 – 28 March 1957) was a Romanian politician who served twice as Prime Minister of Romania (1934–1937; 1939– ...

. In late 1944, he was part of the committee that prepared another land reform. In May 1950, early during the

communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

, Cipăianu was arrested. Sentenced to prison, he passed through Sighet penitentiary before being freed in 1955. He died two years later.

Cicerone Ionițoiu Cicerone ( ) is an old term for a guide who conducts visitors and sightseers to museums, galleries, etc., and explains matters of archaeological, antiquarian, historic or artistic interest. The word is presumably taken from Marcus Tullius Cicero, ...

"Victimele terorii comuniste. Arestați, torturați, întemnițați, uciși. Dicționar C"
/ref> Cipăianu was a grand officer in the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...

and the Order of the Crown.

Writings

Cipăianu wrote several books, including * * *

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cipaianu, Gheorghe 1878 births 1955 deaths People from Mureș County Romanian Austro-Hungarians Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to Romania Romanian agronomists National Liberal Party (Romania) politicians Prefects of Romania Members of the Senate of Romania Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania) Ministers of agriculture of Romania Romanian civil servants 20th-century Romanian politicians Grand Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Officers of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Romanian prisoners and detainees Inmates of Sighet prison People detained by the Securitate Leipzig University alumni