Pite.C8.99ti Reeducation in Communist Romania

pitești prison, location of violent reeducation, privately owned property.

Țurcanu , group part of moved pitești suceava on 21 april 1949. Țurcanu became in time informant of operational bureau, being supported iosif nemes, head of os. aware non-violent reeducation methods not efficient, legionnaire students refusing affiliate communist aggenda , intelligence data scarce, violent reeducation program initiated, @ direct proposal of Țurcanu , marina.

the pitești detention regime optimal such initiative. in second part of 1949, conditions worsened considerably: prison sections isolated , communication channels between inmates cut off. cells over-crowded , food had low caloric content. (maximum 1000 calories per day). there little none medical assistance, sanitary program done on group basis, many did not toilet in allocated time , had in own food tins, had later washed. beatings guardians common , severe penalties included solitary ( casimca ), small isolation cell, without light of ventilation, extremely cold in winter, while floor flooded water , urine. program progressed, exterior walls built around prison, , within penitenciary perimeter, inside , outside yards, far separated barbed wire fences, isolated concrete walls.

violent reeducation began on 25 november 1949, in cell 1 correction, on initiative of group led Țurcanu. reeducation ensemble , torture methods perfected in time, process did not change. @ first, 2 groups moved same room: reeducation device (shock group) , target group. apportionment of detainees inside prison cells done based on political officer s indications.

prior assembly, through prisons informant network (of reeducation ensemble part of), compromising data gathered on victims, such legionnaire membership, information hid during inquiry, anti-communist activity not declared etc. after relative calm exploratory period, during target group members questioned concerning attitude towards iron-guard movement , communist party, asked unmask , adhere reeducation movement, violence , torture followed. violent stage makarenko s explosion, , done collectively.

eugen Țurcanu, leader of pitești reeducation action.

beating ferocious, inmates clubbed or trampled unconscious, many times unrecognizable after violent treatment. tortures varied; if sole purpose humiliate prisoners, forced wear toilet bucket on head, crawl on floor or eat without using hands, later followed reach extensive physical wear, made them more susceptible crack: went days without water, forced stay in uneasy positions such lying down head raised , needle pointing of neck or remove , put shoe laces hours on end; resistant ones, total mental breakdown attempted, made eat feces, behave pigs when food provided (eat without cutlery , grunt), walk on fours in circle, each licking anus of 1 in front or behave in obscene , perverted ways during mock religious services.

during shock, after beatings , humiliation, exercised considered friends, detainees subjected disillusion: administration showed no support whatsoever. guards took part on beatings, wounded received limited medical care, in cell, not @ infirmary, , if accepted unmask (denounce) themselves. frequent inspections found prisoners severely beaten up, treated subject sarcasm, serving proof events known authorities , accepted such. way, inmates notified should not expect whatsoever, within or outside prison walls. systematic torture continued until subjects unmasked themselves.

the unmasking process consisted of several phases. first came external unmasking: detainee had confess actions hostile towards regime. phase split into:

the inside exposure: person forced reveal activities aimed against penitentiary regime , administration, since incarceration. purpose expose subversive activities , verify correctness of prisoner. process done in public, under surveillance of reeducator, , prisoners had actively involved , ask questions in turn.
the outside exposure: detainees had reveal hostile behavior prior arrest, actions may have harmed interest of communist party: subversive organizations (the resistance), activity of historical parties after dissolution, acts aimed against party members during war, espionage, etc.

the second phase represented internal unmasking, autobiography requested inmates; degree of defamation contained considered directly proportional mental shift of prisoner towards reeducation program. had present family members immoral, criminals , incestuous, in public. anti-regime actions had them imprisoned such presented being caused depraved environment educated in.

the third , last phase post-unmasking, , consisted in discussions concerning communist doctrine , practice. while during first , second phase, person had prove past left behind , loyalty stands party, purpose of third phase strengthen theoretical foundation of process.

the prisoners unmasked enlisted in reeducation mechanism , forced beat up/torture on others. occasionally, forced go through procedure again: either revealed did not confess or considered did not hit strong enough”. Țurcanu leader of reeducation group, decided on site if prisoners honest, delegated reeducation committees , assigned them prison cells, actively engaged in ongoing violence , detainees had confess in presence.

memorial plaque @ prison entrance

the prison t-shaped, , prisoners detained based on conviction type: light offences (correction) set on head of t on first floor. served long-term convictions or hard labor punishment assigned on 2 sides of t tail – first floor; targeted prison camps assigned ground floor, quarantine set in basement while in administrative detention – people on whom crime evidence not strong enough stand trial. reeducation process, started in cell 1 correction, later moved room 4 hospital – largest room, accommodate on 60 people – being main reeducation facility. in time, expand both long term conviction or hard labor punishment sections.

not able resist physical , psychical violence, prisoners tried commit suicide, severing veins. gheorghe Șerban și gheorghe vătășoiu committed suicide throwing through opening between stairways, before safety nets installed. many died following wounds beatings , tortures. alexandru bogdanovici, 1 of initiators of reeducation process @ suceava, continuously tortured until death on 15 april 1950, because considered opportunist, seeking way out of detention.

beginning 1950, operational service reorganized, tudor sepeanu replacing iosif nemeș. 1 consequence of move pitești political officer, ion marina, replaced mihai mircea. in february 1951, sepeanu in turn replaced alexandru roșianu. these changes have no consequences on detention regime, reeducation continued halfway in 1951. within period, many prisoners underwent reeducation process transferred other detention centers. negative publicity surrounding activity, official inquiry of july 1951, led colonel ludovic czeller, head of administrative control body of dgp, following of pitești prison staff dismissed or transferred (warden alexandru dumitrescu replaced anton kovacs) , relocation of pitești political prisoners gherla on 29 august 1951, led termination of violent reeducation in location.

the death toll of pitești reeducation: 22 dead , on 1 thousand physically , mentally mutilated prisoners.