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Marcu
The Holocaust in Romania Under the Antonescu Government

by Marcu Rozen
Page 7 of 25
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Historical and Statistical Data About Jews in Romania, 1940 --1944
IV. Deportation of the Jews from Romania to Transnistria
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IV. Deportation of the Jews from Romania to Transnistria

For the Romanian government the purpose of the deportation of the Jews from Basarabia, Bucovina and the Dorohoi district was the ethnic purification of these territories through forced expulsion of the Jewish elements.

At the meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 8, 1941, 1) the prime minister Mihai Antonescu declared:

"….I am for the forced migration of the whole Jewish element from Basarabia, and Bucovina, and therefore they have to be thrown over the border.

I do not know after how many centuries the Romanian Nation will meet again such a liberty of action, the possibility of ethnic purification and national revision….."

The mass deportation of the Jews from Basarabia, Bucovina and Dorohoi took place in the period September-November 1941. In 1942 were also deported about 4.000 Jews from the ghetto of Cernowitz, a new lot of 450 Jews from Dorohoi, as well as some from the Old Kingdom (including Bucharest).

 

1. Deportation of the Jews from Basarabia, Northern Bucovina and the Hertza Region

Based on the order received from the High Praetor's service, the Gendarme Inspectorate of Basarabia drew up the instructions for the deportation of the Jews from Basarabia.

According to these instructions, approved by the High Praetor, "In view of crossing the Dnestr into the Ukraine, the evacuation of the 22,150 Jews from the camp Vertujeni-Soroca will begin on September 12, 1941, exactly at 8 o'clock."

The deportation took place following two itineraries: one to the north through Cremenea, Gura Camenea, Soroca, Cosauti, and the second through Temeleuti, Vascauti, Cusmirca, Mateuti, Rezina.

At the beginning of October the deportation continued with Jews from the camps Edinet and Secureni. From these camps, a part of the columns crossed the Dnestr at Atachi.

The camp from Marculesti was transformed in a gathering camp for some of the columns coming from Bucovina and from other camps, bound to cross the Dnestr at Rezina.

It has to be mentioned that the removing of the Jews took place on foot in hard conditions, in the cold rainy season and sometimes, even snow. Many were dressed with summer clothing and without any possibility of food, for a 6-8 days long trip.

On their way the Jews were plundered, beaten, driven like cattle and those who couldn't hold out in the columns, were shot.

In the investigation report No. 2 of the commission, set up according to Marshal Antonescu's order, it is textually stated that lieutenant Rosca Augustin, charged with the evacuation of the Jews, reported: "According to the General Headquarters command the Jews, unable to hold out in the columns, due to powerlessness or illness must be executed." For this purpose at each ten kilometers a grave for about 100 persons has to be made where the unable will be gathered and shot. Lieutenant Rosca Augustin declared before the commission, that he has just executed the received orders, and as a result about 500 Jews were shot from those evacuated, on the way Secureni-Cosauti. 2)

Along the roads of the deportees, unbelievable scenes happened. Some gendarmes sold the corpses of those who were shot to peasants for their clothes. Those, after stripping them, threw the bodies on the edge of the road. The place looked like hell.

 

Dr. Liviu Beris
Photo Credit: Vivid.ro
Dr. Eng. Liviu Beris describes us, as an eyewitness, the way in which the Jews were deported from the transit camp of Edinet in Transnistria:

"In the autumn we went by foot forward, on our way to the river Dnestr, and those who were to far behind, were shot.

I remember seeing an old man, who stopped for his physiological needs, and who was shot. Some peasants, who were waiting on the side of the road, immediately undressed him. This was a scene that unfortunately was not singular and that often makes me stay awake during the night.

When we arrived in a village, Corbu, not far from the shore of the river Dnestr, we were taken on a hill for the night, being wet, beaten and tired, in a cruel misery. At night it was getting very cold and we all thought that we shouldn't fell asleep because we would certainly freeze. I didn't sleep at all, and in the morning, when the departure order was given, I still have in front of my eyes the boots of the gendarmes, kicking over and over again the frozen corpses of those who couldn't stand up. On that night, on that hill, many Jews passed in the world of the shadows. I don't remember all their names, but I know they were many".

During the month of October the deportation of Jews from the big ghettos, Cernowitz and Kishinev took place.

The number of Jews in Cernowitz was about 50.000.

Due to the efforts made, Traian Popovici, mayor of the city Cernowitz, as well as by some of his collaborators, on the 15th of October they obtained from Marshal Antonescu the approval to except from deportation and to retain about 20.000 Jews necessary for the economical activity of the city.

This is how the former mayor describes the deportation of the rest of 30.000 Jews, who were forced to take the way of exile.

"Heart rending scenes took place on the embarking platform and at the departing trains. The separation of members of the same family, the children leaving and the parents remaining, or the reverse, separation of brothers and sisters, even separation between husband and wife, filled the air with lamentations and moved even the most callous hearts.

It was a separation forever, the departure of ones to suffering and death, the others remaining in slavery and sorrow.

Dispossession of the deportees at the gathering points, of all items that they still possessed, confiscation and destroying of all personal documents, so that their trace should be lost, their departure in ferries over the Dnestr, the marches on foot, in wind, rain, sleet and mud, barefoot and hungry, are like pages from Dante's tragedies, of apocalyptic cruelty.

Just in one transport, from 60 babies, only one survived. The tired ones, those who stumbled, were abandoned in starving state at the borders of the roads, left to their fate, booty to eagles and dogs." 3)

In Kishinev, the Jews encountered the same cruel faith.

At the census in 1930, in the city were 41,505 Jews, representing 36% of the total population. After some authors of that time, the number of the Jews from Kishinev over 50,000.

After the war started, the city was bombed by the German airplanes and lots of Jews were among the victims.

Because of the bombardments and the chaos, an important number of Jews ran away by carts or by foot, to the river Dnestr.

A big part of them were caught by the German troops and shot by the special units of "field clearing".

The Romanian Army entered Kishinev on July the 16th, 1941. The Jews that remained the city were robbed and a lot of them were murdered.

After the situation started to calm down, some fugitive Jews returned to Kishinev, their total number becoming over 11,000 souls.

On July 24, 1941, by the order of the Governor Voiculescu, the Ghetto in Kishinev was established.

For more than 2 months before the deportation, the Jews in Kishinev ghetto were exposed to terror, murder and robbery.

Hundreds of men and women were sent to different working sites (Visterniceni, Ghidighici etc.), where most of them were shot by Romanian and German field police after finishing their labor.

In the ghetto, because of the unbearable living conditions, an important number of Jews died of hunger and diseases.

Even though in the ghetto were brought Jews from other localities near by, the population diminished because of the important number of victims.

The deportation of the Jews from the ghetto of Kishinev started on October 8, 1941, most of the columns passing the river Dnestr at Rezina.

After a few days of interruption, the deportation restarted on October the 14th and ended on October 30, 1941.

From the ghetto of Kishinev a total number of 10,000 Jews were deported and many of these died before crossing the river Dnestr.

On the 14th of November 1941, colonel Dumitrescu sent to the Governor of Basarabia two lists with Jews, comprising 44 respectively 16 persons, for being excepted from deportation. These persons were former members of the local parliament that pronounced in 1918 the unification with Romania, invalids and former fighters in the First World War, as well as Jews married to Christians.

The request was refused, with the mention that in Basarabia the Jewish problem has to be solved by deporting all the Jews.

The number of Jews who were not deported was 16,794 in Cernowitz, 60 in Strojinet and 227 in Basarabia. 4)

In June 1942, other 4,000 Jews were deported from Cernowitz.

On the whole, 113,000 Jews 5) from Basarabia, Northern Bucovina and Hertza were deported to Transnistria.


1) See, Benjamin transcripts, July 8, 1941, A.S.B., FOND P.C. M.
Cbinet File 475/1941, pp. 103-128.

2) See, M. Carp: "The Black Book," vol. 3, p. 68, Diogene Publishing House, 1996.

3) See, M. Carp: "The Black Book," vol. 3, p. 164, Diogene Publishing House, 1996.

4) According to the census of May 1942 of inhabitants having Jewish blood.

5) See, Table No. 5, p. 23.

 

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