Holocaust Public Memory in Postcommunist Romania

Abstract

How is the Holocaust remembered in Romania since the fall of communism? Alexandru Florian and an international group of contributors unveil how and why Romania, a place where large segments of the Jewish and Roma populations perished, still fails to address its recent past. These essays focus on the roles of government and public actors that choose to promote, construct, defend, or contest the memory of the Holocaust, as well as the tools—the press, the media, monuments, and commemorations—that create public memory. Coming from a variety of perspectives, these essays provide a compelling view of what memories exist, how they are sustained, how they can be distorted, and how public remembrance of the Holocaust can be encouraged in Romanian society today. Contents: Memory under Construction: Introductory Remarks / Alexandru Florian Part I: Competing Memories and Historical Obfuscation 1. Ethnocentric Mindscapes and Mnemonic Myopia / Ana Brbulescu 2. Post-Communist Romania’s Leading Public Intellectuals and the Holocaust / George Voicu 3. Law, Justice, and Holocaust Memory in Romania / Alexandru Climescu 4. Romania: Neither Fleishig nor Milchig: A Comparative Study / Michael Shafir 5. Wanting-not-to-Know about the Holocaust in Romania: A Wind of Change? / Simon Geissbuhler Part II: National Heroes, Outstanding Intellectuals or Holocaust Perpetrators? 6. Mircea Vulcnescu, a Controversial Case: Outstanding Intellectual or War Criminal? / Alexandru Florian 7. Ion Antonescu’s Image in Post-Communist Historiography / Marius Cazan 8. Rethinking Perpetrators, Bystanders, Helpers/Rescuers, and Victims: A Case Study of Students' Perceptions / Adina Babe