Діяльність Одеського муніципалітету Трансністрії (1941-1944 рр.)

Abstract

The article examines the activities of the Odessa municipality during the Romanian occupation of Odessa in 1941-1944. It is proved that the activities of the municipality focused mainly on the following aspects: reforming the administrative branch, economic recovery, reforming law enforcement, health and education. Also, the officials of the Odessa municipality faced a very difficult task to restore the more or less normal functioning of the city. In the autumn of 1941, Odessa was a horrible picture after the war: a power plant was blown up, a water supply system, a radio station, a telephone exchange, shops were looted, warehouses, bakeries and mills were destroyed, smoke from fires, bridges were destroyed, and medical facilities were destroyed. It is established that during 1941-1944 the Odessa municipality of Transnistria, headed by the mayor General Herman Pinta during 1941-1944 managed to restore electricity and tram traffic in the city after the war, to establish water and food supply, to some extent to raise the destroyed economy, to carry out financial reform, to open medical institutions, to reform school education, to establish postal communication. Quite serious changes have taken place in the field of justice and law enforcement. In particular, a civil and military judiciary, a gendarmerie inspectorate and police authorities have been established, as well as a Bureau of Lawyers and notaries. Cultural policy was marked by the opening of schools and the People’s University, the founding of the «Odessa newspaper», the reorganization of the photo-cinematographic section and more. The topic of the national question, especially the Jewish one, was acute. Orders, directives, instructions of the Romanian administration give us an idea of creating a mechanism of discrimination and physical extermination of the Jewish population of Odessa.