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Marcu
The Holocaust in Romania Under the Antonescu Government

by Marcu Rozen
Page 10 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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4. Deportation of some Jews from the Old Kingdom and Southern Transilvania in 1942

In 1942, the Antonescu government decided that Jews suspected to be politically oriented to the left should be deported. Consequently 407 Jews, political prisoners at the camp Tg. Jiu, 85 Jews from penitentiaries and 554 Jews in liberty, but supposed to be sympathizers or have liaisons with left wing parties or organizations, were deported. Other 578 Jews who in 1940 solicited repatriation to Basarabia were deported too.

On the 22nd of September 1942, they arrived at Mostovoi, Berezovka district. Here, the majority was handed over to the SS troops and shot. Only 16 deportees escaped and returned in 1943 to Romania.

In the same period, hundreds of Jews were deported in several convoys, by reason of having been absent without leave at the compulsory work. To these are added some Jews convicted for different offenses.

From the Old Kingdom and Southern Transilvania about 1.500 Jews were brought to Transnistria for forced labor to the known Battalion 120 Balta, which has existed for nearly two years.

From the Old Kingdom and Southern Transilvania a total of about 4.000 Jews were deported. 1) The deportation of Jews from the Old Kingdom and South-Transilvania was stopped due to Queen mother, Elena.

Thus, as the SS Hauptsturmführer Richter relates, doctor Victor Gomoiu, after personally convincing himself, on the spot, about the manner the Jews from Bucharest are deported to Transnistria, presents himself to the Queen Mother Elena and informed her about this problem.

Queen Mother Elena told King Mihai that it is a shame what is happening to people from this country, and that she cannot bear this anymore and asked him to intervene.

The King phoned at once to the ad-interim prime-minister, Mihai Antonescu, who consequently called together a government meeting.

The Archbishop of Sibiu, Nicolae Balan had an important role; in the presence of Alexandru Safran, Chief Rabbi, he phoned to Mihai Antonescu asking him to stop the deportations to Transnistria.

The role of this high servant of the church and justice was even more important, when he intervened directly to Marshal Antonescu, asking him not to deport to Poland the Jews from the Old Kingdom and Southern Transilvania.

The decision of the Council of Ministers is communicated on the 15th of October 1942, that no more deportation of Jews will be made until an institution is created for organizing this action. Deportations to Transnistria took place later but these were sporadic and in insignificant number.

 

5. Total number of Jews from Romania deported to Transnistria

In Basarabia, North-Bucovina and Hertza the total number of Jews, before the deportation, resulting from the inventory drawn up on the end of August and beginning of September 1941, (after the massacres that took place soon following the liberation of these territories), was 126,434 souls. If we add to this number about 24,000 Jews who existed in South-Bucovina and about 12,000 Jews from the Dorohoi district (without Hertza) it results that before the beginning of the massive deportations from this area, that took place in the autumn of 1941, the total Jews number was 162,434.

According to the census from May 1942, in this zone remained a number of 19,576 Jews (227 from Basarabia, 16,854 from Northern Bucovina, 179 from South-Bucovina and 2,316 from Dorohoi) who had not been deported.

In conclusion it results, that in the autumn of 1941, a total of 142.858 Jews were deported to Transnistria.

To these one have to be added the Jews deported in 1942, respectively 4,000 from Cernowitz, (deported during the period from June 7th to June 28th, 1942), 450 from Dorohoi district (deported on June 14th, 1942) and 3.968 from the Old Kingdom and South-Transilvania.

Consequently the total number of Jews deported to Transnistria was 151,276 persons. 2)

In this number are also included those who were shot or died along the way.

Concerning the number of Jews deported to Transnistria several data are in circulation.

According to a report drawn up at the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1943, the total number of deportees to Transnistria could have been 110,033 persons. This number, as shown by the researcher M. Carp, is incomplete, as it does not comprise all the Jews deported in the autumn of 1941 and 1942.

On the other hand, in an article published in the newspaper "Bukarester Tageblatt" (No. 4700 of August 1942) it is indicated that the number of Jews deported to Transnistria was 185.000, this figure being used by Jewish researchers too.

I consider, that this number is overrated, being just a subjective evaluation of a reporter, not correlated with the existing number of Jews in the specified territories, before the massive deportations.

As a result, the real number of Jews deported from Romania to Transnistria, having a statistical support, is about 150,000.


1) See, Table No. 6, p. 23

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

 

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