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Marcu
The Holocaust in Romania Under the Antonescu Government

by Marcu Rozen
Page 16 of 25
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Historical and Statistical Data About Jews in Romania, 1940 --1944
VI. The Fate of the Native Ukrainian Jews From Transnistria
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VI. The Fate of the Native Ukrainian Jews From Transnistria

In Transnistria, after this region had been taken under Romanian authority (according to the Tighina agreement, signed on the 19th of August 1941) the Romanian authorities took over a big number of Jews, Ukrainian natives. Before the war about 300,000 Ukrainian Jews lived in this region, from which in Odessa, 153,194 souls (according to the Soviet census from 1926). After the break out of the war, more than half of these Jews withdrew with the Soviet authorities (including those enlisted in the Soviet army), or were killed during the long siege of Odessa or were massacred by the Einsatzgruppe D (special German troops). From the available data, it results that the Romanian authorities took over about 135,000 native Ukrainian Jews. 1)

The fate of the native Ukrainian Jews from Transnistria was particularly tragic.

On the 16th of October 1941, Odessa was conquered, after a long siege.

The number of Jews from Odessa, overtaken by the Romanian authorities, is not known exactly, but it is appreciated to have been over 80,000 souls. This number was increased with a big number of Jews who took refuge from Basarabia.

On October 22nd 1941, the building of the former Soviet political police (NKVD) Headquarters, in which the Romanian Army's Command had taken up its residence, was blown up. Due to the very powerful explosion, the building collapsed, killing Romanian and German military and civilians.

It results from the published data that in the explosion 61 persons lost their life: one general, 16 officers, 35 soldiers and 9 non-commissioned officers and civil servants.

It was supposed that, such a charge of delayed explosive was installed by Soviet specialists, with a high grounding.

The Romanian authorities reacted violently, submitting the civil population, particularly the Jews to reprisals, which were started, without establishing the guilty persons for the explosion.

Consequently, thousands of Jews were hanged in public squares, or shot, without any discernment and judgment.

In Bucharest the most stern order given during the whole government of Marshal Antonescu was drawn up and transmitted, issued under the number 563/November 24, 1941. 2)

"To General Macici:

Marshal Antonescu orders as reprisals:

1. Execution of all Jews from Basarabia fled to Odessa;

2. All individuals who fall into the provisions of the order No 302858/3161 of October 23rd, 1941, still not executed and others who can be added, will be introduced in a building, previously mined, and then blown up. This has to be done on the day when the funeral of our victims will take place.

3. This order will be destroyed after being read."

Concerning these bloody events from Odessa, the Romanian mayor of the city, Gherman Pântea, sent to marshal Ion Antonescu a letter from which we are reproducing a few fragments bellow:

"I wake up in the morning (October 23 &endash; author's note) facing a terrible scene, where on all principal streets and on the corners there were 4-5 hanged people, and the terrified population was running on all sides. Revolted, I asked who did this cruelty, this shame, from which we will never be able to wash our hands in front of the civilized world. Those who should have known told me they didn't know anything. On the other side, of Odessa's walls an unsigned statement of the Military Headquarters appeared, in which was stated that all the Jews should leave the city during the 23rd of October, and that they should leave in columns, directly to Dalnic. The terrified Jews left homes and their belongings, thousands of them heading for Dalnic, but the remaining population started a total robbery of their houses.
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We left for Dalnic to return the Jews to the city. Odessa has nowadays about 50.000 Jews that remained in the city. Reaching the columns of thousands of people, we stopped them and we spoke to them in Russian, telling them that a mistake was made and the marshal gave order that they should return to their houses.

Some heart-rending scenes occurred.

They swooped on us, kissing our hands, our clothes, our cars and shouting: "Long live marshal Antonescu, our savior"

This was a fair act, because the population had nothing to do with the catastrophe of October 22. The advanced part of the column of evacuates was detained by military organs. I was told that they will be executed." 3)


1) See, Table No 8, p. 23

2) See, Mihai Pelin: "Massacres made by Romanian Military in Odessa"
Journal "Ora" no. 223/27 July 1993 and no. 224/30 July 1993.

3) See, Cristian Troncota: "Glory and Tragedies"
Nemira Publishing House, 2003, p. 76.

 

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