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Marcu
The Holocaust in Romania Under the Antonescu Government

by Marcu Rozen
Page 11 of 25
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Historical and Statistical Data About Jews in Romania, 1940 --1944
V. Transnistria: Place of Suffering and Death
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V. Transnistria: Place of Suffering and Death

On the 19th of August 1941, at Tighina, a Pact between Germany and Romania was concluded, according to which, the territory between the rivers Dnestr and Bug was put under Romanian authority. Consequently, on the 17th of October 1941, the Romanian government officially proclaimed the Province "Transnistria", with Odessa as its capital city.

The traced boundaries of this territory started from Nicolaev on the Black Sea, along the Bug, passing through Voznesensc, Konstantinovka, Govoron and Bar until Moghilev at the Dnestr, with an area of 41,400 square km. (nearly as the Romanian provinces Oltenia and Banat together), having a population of 2,2 million, mostly Ukrainians and Russians. 1)

It is to be mentioned that before the war over 200,000 Romanians and about 300,000 Jews lived in Transnistria. (Transnistria from the year 1941 is not to be confounded with the present day Transnistria, component of the Republic Moldavia, which includes a narrow strip of land along the Dnestr, from Tiraspol to Rabnita).

From an administrative point of view, Transnistria included 13 districts:

• In the north the districts: Moghilev, Tulcin, Iugastru,

• In the center the districts: Balta, Golta, Ananiev, Dubasari, Rabnita,

• In the south the districts: Berezovka, Tiraspol, Ovidiopol, Oceacov, Odessa.

In order to ethnically purify Romania, the Antonescu government decided that Transnistria had to be the deportation place for the Romanian Jews.

Based on a deliberated and well organized program, this province was transformed into an immense camp, destined to exterminate tens of thousands of Jews.

Prof. Gh. Alexianu, named as governor of Transnistria, applied precisely this policy.

The Jews deported from Romania were settled in compact masses, being forced to live in ghettos, labor- colonies and labor camps, situated in the districts Moghilev, Balta, Tulcin and Golta

The biggest ghettos were constituted in the localities Moghilev, Lucinet, Copaigorod, Murafa, Sargorod, Djurin Obodovca, Bersad, Nesterovka and others.

The authorities did not assure even the most elementary conditions of life and survival. The majority of the deportees suffered from starvation, cold and illness, being crowded besides the local Jews, in dwellings that couldn't accommodate all deportees. In some small rooms dwelt 8-10 persons. Others found shelter in synagogues, various sheds, huts, pigsties and other improvised places.

To be able to provide some food, the majority of the Jews sold to the Ukrainians the last belongings that they had. Many of them became beggars, and others fed on potato skins and other domestic rests.

The winter in 1941 was hard. The very low temperatures, the inhuman living conditions, famine and illnesses made thousands of victims mainly among children and old people. The corpses were gathered and thrown into common graves, so that the descendants would never know their graves.

Due to the misery reigning in the ghettos a terrible typhus epidemic broke out, that made numerous victims. In the fight to struggle against the epidemic many Jewish doctors on duty, died.

Many families completely disappeared. The majority of the families paid a heavy blood tribute.


1) See, Schechtman Iosif: "Transnistra," Revista Cultului Mozaic, No. 766, Sept. 1993

 

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