Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T05:17:55.627Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Piteşti: a project in reeducation and its post-1989 interpretation in Romania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Monica Ciobanu*
Affiliation:
Department of Criminal Justice, Plattsburgh State University of New York, 144 Redcay Hall, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901–2681, USA

Abstract

The purpose of this article is twofold: to provide a critical account of the Piteşti experiment and its significance within the history of Romanian Communism and to examine current public disputes relative to memorializing the Piteşi experiment that concern issues of legitimacy, collective memory, and identity construction. The main argument pursued here is that within the recent postcommunist politics of memory, one major prevailing trend is to reincorporate a nationalist ideology within a postcommunist rhetoric. This leads to the conclusion that such mnemonic practices indicate a strong relationship between collective memory and political culture.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bănică, Mirel. 2007. Biserica Ortodoxă Romănă, stat şi societate in anii'30 [The Romanian Orthdox Chruch, State and Society in the 30's]. Bucharest: Polirom.Google Scholar
Boldur-Lăţescu, Gheorghe, and Iorga, Filip-Lucian. 2003. Genocidul Comunist ìn Romănia: Reeducarea prin Tortură [The Communist Genocide in Romania: Reeducation through Torture]. Bucharest: Albatros.Google Scholar
Bordeianu, Dumitru Gheorghe. 2001. Mărturisiri din mlaştina disperării [Testimonies from the Swamp of Desperation]. Bucharest: Scara.Google Scholar
Budeancă, Cosmin, ed. 2011. Experienţe Carcerale ìn Romănia Comunistă [Incarceration Experiences in Communist Romania]. Iaşi: Polirom.Google Scholar
Buracu, Mihai. 2003. Tăbliţele de săpun de la Itset-ip [The Soap Boards from Itseti-ip]. Craiova: MJM.Google Scholar
Ciobanu, Monica. 2014. “Reconstructing the History of Early Communism and Armed Resistance in Romania.” Europe-Asia Studies 66 (9): 14521481.Google Scholar
Codreanu, Corneliu-Zelea. 2003. Doctrina Mişcării Legionare: Restituiri Istorice [The Doctrine of the Legionary Movements: Historical Reconstructions]. Bucharest: Lucman.Google Scholar
Courtois, Stephen. 1999. The Black Book of Communism Crimes, Terror, Repression. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Cuşa, George. 2012. “Aiud, 1959–1964.” In Experimentul Piteşi. Conference Proceedings, edited by Popa, Ilie, 104117. Piteşti: Fundaţia Culturală Memoria.Google Scholar
Deletant, Dennis. 2006. Romania under Communist Rule. Bucharest: Civic Academy Foundation.Google Scholar
Dumitrescu, Dan Ottiger. 2012. “Despre necrologul unei victime a reeducării prin tortură: Vlad Deagoescu [The obituary of a victim of reeducation through torture: Vlad Deagoescu].” In Experimentul Piteşi. Conference Proceedings, edited by Popa, Ilie, 130134. Piteşti: Fundaţia Culturală Memoria.Google Scholar
Federaţia Romănă a Foşilor Deţinuţi Politici ş Luptători Anticomunişti. 2010 and 2011. Către Curtea Europeană A Drepturilor Omului-Strasbourg [To the European Court of Human Rights-Strasbourg], vol. 1 and 2. Bucharest: Fundaţia Culturală Buna Vestire.Google Scholar
Georgescu, Vlad. 1991. Romanians: A Concise History. Ohio: Ohio University Press.Google Scholar
Goma, Paul. 1990. Patimile după Piteşti [The Sufferings after Piteşti]. Bucharest: Cartea Romăneasca.Google Scholar
Hossu-Longin, Lucia. 2007. Memorialul Durerii: o Istorie care Nu se Invaţă la Şcoală [The Memorial of Suffering: an Untaught History]. Bucharest: Humanitas.Google Scholar
Ierunca, Virgil. 1990. Fenomenul Piteşti [The Piteşti Phenomenon]. Bucharest: Humanitas.Google Scholar
Ioanid, Radu. 2004. “The Sacralised Politics of the Romanian Iron Guard.” Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions 5 (3): 419453.Google Scholar
Ioanolide, loan. 2009. Deţinutul Profet [The Prisoner Prophet]. Bucharest: Bonifaciu.Google Scholar
Ionescu, Aristide. 2001. Dacă vine ora H, pe cine putem conta? [If the hour comes, on whom can we count?]. Bucharest: Ramida.Google Scholar
Ioniţă, Nicu. 2008. Psihotrauma de detenţie şi urmările ei [The Psycho-trauma of Detention and its Consequences]. Bucharest: Fundaţia Academia Civică.Google Scholar
Iulian, Constantin. 2012. Din Lagărul Romănia Evadează Morţii [The Dead are Escaping from the Romanian Camp]. Bucharest: Sănziana.Google Scholar
Jijie, Gheorghe. 2011. Un dac cult: Niculae Petraşcu [A Cultivated Dacian: Niculae Petraşcu]. Bacău: Babel.Google Scholar
Livezeanu, Irina. 1995. Cultural Politics in Greater Romania: Regionalism, Nation Building and Ethnic Struggle, 1918–1930. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Mărgirescu, Eugen. 1994. Moara dracilor. Amintiri din Ĩnchisoarea de la Piteşti [The Devils’ Mill: Memories from Piteşti Prison]. Alba Iulia: Fronda.Google Scholar
Mungiu-Pippidi, Alina. 1995. Romănii după ‘89. Istoria unei neìnţelegeri [Romanians after ‘89: a misunderstood history]. Bucharest: Humanita.Google Scholar
Muraru, Andrei, ed. 2008. Dicţionarul Penitenciarelor din Romănia Comunistă (1945–1967) [The Dictionary of Penitentiaries from Communist Romani (1945–1967)]. Iaşi: Polirom.Google Scholar
Mureşan, Alin. 2009. “Despre ìnvinşi.” [About the defeated]. In Experimentul Pitesti, Conference Proceeding, edited by Popa, Ilie, 251261. Piteşti: Fundaţia Culturală Memoria.Google Scholar
Negrescu, Fag. 1992. “Piteşi: aprilie ‘49-august'51 [Piteşti: April'49-August ‘51].” Memoria, no. 7.Google Scholar
Olick, Jeffrey. 2007. The Politics of Regret: On Collective Memory and Moral Responsibility. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Pacepa, Ion Mihai. 1999. Cartea Neagră a Securităţii [The Black Book of Securitate]. Bucharest: Omega.Google Scholar
Pandrea, Petre. 2000. Reeducarea de la Aiud [Reeducation in Aiud]. Bucharest: Vremea.Google Scholar
Patapievici, Roman Horia. 1997. Politice [Politics]. Bucharest: Humanitas.Google Scholar
Paven, Justin Ştefan. 1996. Dumnezeul meu, de ce m-ai părăsit? [God, Why did you Abandon me?]. Bucharest: Ramida.Google Scholar
Petrescu, Cristina and Petrescu, Dragoş. 2010. “The Piteşi Syndrome: A Romanian Vergangenheitsbewaltigung?” In Postiktatorische Geschichtskulturen in Süden und Osten Europas, edited by von Stefan Troebst, Herausgegeben and Susan Baumgartl, Von, 502618. Gotingen: Wallstein Verlag.Google Scholar
Petrişor, Marcel. 1994. Secretul Fortului 13 [The Secret of Fortress 13]. Iaşi: Timpul.Google Scholar
Popa, Ilie, ed. 2009. Experimentul Piteşti: Conference Proceedings [Piteşti Experiment: Conference Proceedings]. Piteşti: Fundaţia Culturală Memoria.Google Scholar
Popescu, Traian. 2003. “Experimentul Piteşti.” [The Piteşti Experiment]. In Experimentul Pitesti, Conference Proceeding, edited by Popa, Ilie, 7794. Piteşti: Fundaţia Culturală Memoria.Google Scholar
Purcărea, Nicolae. 2012. Urlă haita … Piteşti, Canal, Gherla, Jilava, Aiud [The Gang is Moaning … Piteşti, Canal, Gherla, Jilava, Aiud]. Bucharest: Fundaţia Sfinţii Ĩnchisorilor.Google Scholar
Rădulescu, Banu. 1990. “Preambul la dosarul Piteşti. [Preamble to Piteşti file].” Memoria, no. 1.Google Scholar
Roman, Cristina. 2008. “Represiune si regim concentraţionar ìn Romănia comunista (1945–1967). [Repression and Incarceration in Communist Romania (1945–1967].” In Dicţionarul Penitenciarelor din Romănia Comunistă (1945–1967) [The Dictionary of Penitentiaries in Communist Romania (1945–1967)], edited by Muraru, Andrei, 1971. Iaşi: Polirom.Google Scholar
Săndulescu, Valentin. 2007. “Sacralized Politics in Action: the February 1937 Burial of the Romanian Legionary Leaders Ion Moţa and Vasile Marin.” Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions 8 (2): 259269.Google Scholar
Shafir, Michael. 2014. “Unacademic Academics: Holocaust Deniers and Trivializers in Post-Communist Romania.” Nationalities Papers 42 (6): 942964.Google Scholar
Stan, Lavinia. 2013a. “Civil Society and Post-Communist Transitional Justice in Romania.” In Transitional Justice and Civil Society in the Balkans, edited by Simić, Olivera and Zdavolčič, Zala, 1731. New York: Springer Series in Transitional Justice.Google Scholar
Stan, Lavinia. 2013b. Transitional Justice in Post-Communist Romania. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Stănescu, Mircea. 2010a. Reeducarea ìn Romănia Comunistă (1945–1952): Aiud, Suceava, Piteşti, Braşov vol. 1 [Reeducation in Communist Romania (1945–1952): Aiud, Suceava, Piteşti, Braşov]. Bucharest: Polirom.Google Scholar
Stănescu, Mircea. 2010b. Reeducarea ìn Romănia Comunistă (1948–1955): Tărgşor, Gherla vol. 2 [Reeducation in Communist Romania (1948–1955): Tărgşor, Gherla]. Bucharest: Polirom.Google Scholar
Stănescu, Mircea. 2011. The Education Trials in Communist Romania (1952–1960). New York: East European Monographs, Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Stănescu, Mircea. 2012. Reeducarea ìn Romănia Comunistă (1949–1955):Tărgu-Ocna, Ocnele Mari, Canalul Dunărea-Marea Neagră vol. 3 [Reeducation in Communist Romania (1948–1955): Tărgu-Ocan, Ocnele Mari, Canalul-Dunărea-Marea Neagră]. Bucharest: Polirom.Google Scholar
Timaru, Mihai. 1993. Amintiri de la Gherla [Memories from Gherla]. Timişoara: Editura de Vest.Google Scholar
Tismăneanu, Vladimir. 2003. Stalinism for all Seasons: A Political History of Romanian Communism. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Tismăneanu, Vladimir, Dobrincu, Dorin, and Vasile., Cristian eds. 2007. Raport Final: Comisia Prezidenţială pentru Analiza Dictaturii Comuniste din Romănia [Final Report: the Presidential Commission for the Analysis of Communist Dictatorship in Romania]. Bucharest: Humanitas.Google Scholar
Voinea, Octavian. 1996. Masacrarea studenţimii romăne ìn ìnchisorile de la Piteşti, Gherla şi Aiud [The Massacre of Romanian Students in Piteşti, Gherla and Aiud penitentiaries]. Bucharest: Majahonda.Google Scholar
Weber, Eugen. 1966. “Romania.” In The European Right, edited by Rogger, Hans and Weber, Eugen, 501574. California: California University Press.Google Scholar
Zerubavel, Yael. 2011. “From Recovered Roots: Collective Memory and the Making of Israeli National Tradition.” In Collective Memory Reader, edited by Jeffrey K. Olick, Vered Vinittzky-Seroussi, and Levy, Daniel, 237241. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar