The Students and the Single Party: Ideological and Repressive Dimensions in 1954–1955 Romania
The Students and the Single Party: Ideological and Repressive Dimensions in 1954–1955 Romania

Summary/Abstract: The establishment of the communist regime in Romania under Soviet influence, but also with obvious internal complicities, made possible the existence of situations improbable today. Democratic freedoms were completely suppressed, so any deviation from the strict canons of the time led to extremely complicated situations for those involved. The case discussed in the present paper, in which a significant number of students had to suffer as a result of their relationship with a foreign citizen, was repeated on countless occasions throughout the country for decades in a row during the years of communism. The consequences were extremely harsh and with lasting negative effects for those under the surveillance of the Securitate, as was the case of the group of students at Ion Luca Caragiale Institute of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest in 1955. Even though two years had passed since Stalin’s death, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej’s desire for unbridled power provided the opportunity for very harsh measures against anyone who was not “in accordance” with his regime. Witch hunts and wild-goose chases were the order of the day and seriously vitiated the entire Romanian society.

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