Romania: A Summary
It is a large country in South East Europe.
Jews have lived in the country for nearly 2000 years.
Between 1650 and 1741 Jews had to be identified by wearing certain clothes.
During 1750s the Jews of Moldavia, then part of Romania, mainly traders from Poland who were competing with locals, were taxed and ultimately expelled.
In 1875, prime minister Ion Brătianu reinforced and applied old discrimination laws, insisting that Jews were not allowed to settle in the countryside.
By the 1930 census there were over 728,000 Jews making up 4% of the population.
Romania
Romania is a large country in South East Europe.
Jews have lived in the country for nearly 2000 years.
Between 1650 and 1741 Jews had to be identified by wearing certain clothes.
During 1750s the Jews of Moldavia, then part of Romania, mainly traders from Poland who were competing with locals, were taxed and ultimately expelled.
In 1875, prime minister Ion Brătianu reinforced and applied old discrimination laws, insisting that Jews were not allowed to settle in the countryside.
By the 1930 census there were over 728,000 Jews making up 4% of the population.
In the 1930s the Iron Guard fascist movement was violently antisemitic. With the abdication of the king in 1940, the Iron Guard government brought in harsh anti-Jewish measures including confiscation of businesses. Romania joined the Axis Nazi alliance in 1940 and made significant contributions to the German economy by providing not only the oil vital to the Nazi war machine but also many soldiers. Romania hoped to get back land they had lost to Russia in World War 1.The 200,000 Jews in lands such as Bessarabia were regarded as expendable
Around 260, 000 Jews were killed by direct or indirect Nazi measures. But around half the population survived due to local resistance and international intervention. in 1944 with the approach of the Soviet Army Romania switched sides to support the Allies.
Jews faced discrimination that forced them to live only in the main cities.
In the 1930s the Iron Guard fascist movement was pro Nazi and violently antisemitic.
By 1940 they had seized power and enacted harsh anti-Jewish measures including confiscating Jewish businesses.
Romania joined the Axis Alliance and supplied Germany with oil vital to its war economy.
Romania provided many soldiers to the Nazi war of terror and occupation.
However,, half of the Jewish population survived until 1944 when Romania switched sides. Some Jews were hidden by Romanian solders and others like Dr. Traian Popovici, the former mayor of Cernăuţi.
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