The Jewish Communities of Romania Collection (sometimes also described by the Romanian National Archives as the Documents Collection of the Jewish Communities of Romania) contains documents created and received by Jewish communities and organizations functioning in Romania from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.
The documents until World War II are composed of a variety of items reflecting community life, including statutes, correspondence, reports, and membership lists. Documents from the World War II period generally address the plight of Romanian Jews during this period. This material includes reports on persecutions and expropriations, correspondence and other documents related to deportees, and emigration paperwork. The post-World War II material generally deals with the repatriation of Jewish deportees to the Romanian-organized camps in Transnistria, the welfare of survivors, emigration, and the activities of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania and of the Jewish Democratic Committee (communist Jewish organization). For the complete inventory list of the collection, please see this link (in Romanian only).
JBAT archivists surveyed folders containing material related specifically to Bukovina and Transylvania. For details on the contents of these folders, please see the list below and click on any link.
Please note JBAT archivists did not survey this material directly. Please note that two folders are catalogued under this call number. The folder description provided by the CNSAS inventory reads: Informative material regarding the Jewish population (charts, addresses, ordinances, informative memos); text outlining the purported historical development of "Chauvinist nationalist elements in the Jewish population".
Please note JBAT archivists did not survey this material directly. Please note that two folders are catalogued under this call number. The folder description provided by the CNSAS inventory reads: Jewish nationalist organizations (Zionists). Notifications, ordinances, documentation [on] "The Jewish Problem" (1949); the history of several Zionist organizations; atmosphere amongst the Jewish population and nationalistic events from ranks of the Jews in the Cluj region, notifications, informative summaries.
Please note JBAT archivists did not survey this material directly. The folder description provided by the CNSAS inventory reads: Nationalist organizations. Reports, memos, ordinances, charts, summaries, documents on the atmosphere of the Jewish minority in the region of Cluj and activities of Zionist groups and their leaders in the region.
The collection includes the paperwork and material collected by the Cluj county Securitate (Romanian Communist Secret Police) offices under communism. The material includes select folders from the pre-communist period; these folders were presumably in the possession of the police and seized by the Securitate at some point in time. There are many folders which are obliquely titled or which may contain material related to Jewish individuals, for example, folders on emigrants, but the titles do not specify this. It was beyond the scope of the present survey to inspect the contents of all such folders. At the time of the JBAT survey (2015), the inventory for this collection was accesible only at the physical location of the CNSAS and only in digital form on the computers of the CNSAS reading room. The inventory provided no indication as to the linear extent of the collection and gave no additional details as to its history, content, or the number of pages in individual folders. For details on folders titled as specifically containing material related to the Jewish population, please click on the link(s) below.
The headings and entries in this register book are in Hungarian, sometimes supplemental information regarding the individual's death is in Romanian. Information recorded includes name of child, names of parents, residence, date of birth, sex, legitimate or illigitimate, midwife name, mohel name and date of circumcision or name-giving (in the case of a girl), names of witnesses or godparents. Sometimes date and circumstances of death, marriage, or name change are also included. Entries are not always comprehensive. Due to state archival regulations, later birth entries may not be accessed. At the time of this survey, births until 1912 were accessible. The register itself apparently records births until 1950 (could not be verified). This book was created by Brasov's Neologue (reform) community. Please also see the birth book for the Ortodox Community.
This register records deaths for the Neologue Jewish community of Brasov. The Jewish community split into Orthodox and Neologue factions in the late 1870s. The register records date of death, name and occupation of deceased, gender, marital status, age, parents' names, name of marriage partner still living, circumstances of death (place, cause) place and date of burial. At the time of survey (2014), only records dating to 1937 were accessible to the public due to Romanian archival regulations.
This register records deaths for the Orthodox Jewish community of Brasov. The Jewish community split into Orthodox and Neologue factions in the late 1870s. The register records date of death, name and occupation of deceased, gender, marital status, age, parents' names, name of marriage partner still living, circumstances of death (place, cause) place and date of burial. At the time of survey (2014), only records dating to 1937 were accessible to the public due to Romanian archival regulations.
This register records marriage from the Neologue Jewish community of Brasov. At the time of survey (2014), only records dating to 1937 were accessible to the public due to Romanian archival regulations. Entries are fairly complete until 1896, after which just the names and residence of bride and groom are entered plus date and place of the wedding. Prior to 1896 entries contained data as typical for earlier record books including data regarding the parents of the couple, birthplace, occupation, witnesses, official, etc. Until about 1920, all entries are recorded in Hungarian, after which they are in Romanian with parent names recorded in Hebrew below the name of the bride and grooom. Around this time entries again become more complete.
This register appears to be from the Orthodox Jewish community of Brasov. The entries were not comprehensively made, only some of the information is completed. All contents except the first page is in Hungarian. For marriage records for the Neologue community, see marriage record book with code 1-161.
This is the collection of records of birth, marriage, and death, usually in the form of register books kept by religious and municipal officials. The collection is arranged alphabetically by the name of the locality, and then, if applicable, subdivided by religious denomination. In the case of larger municipalities, relevant records may have been kept by both the local the Jewish community and the municipality.
This file contains a list of organizations in Rădăuți, nearly half of which relate to Jewish affairs or the Jewish community. Among other things, the register lists the name of the organization, the mission of the organization, date of founding, name of the president, and short description of the organization's holdings.
This collection contains a wide variety of papers created by the Town Hall of Radăuți during the Austro-Hungarian period until the early community period. The material covers all areas of town administration from elections to property administration to overseeing of professional organizations and so forth. Material specifically related to the Jewish population includes information on cultural and professional organizations (many Jewish), files related to the deportation of Jews (euphemistically called "evacuation") and handling of the remaining property, bids for market stalls (many of which were made by Jews), various files on impoverished survivors of Transnistria requesting welfare or proof of citizenship. For details on these files, please click on any link below.
This file contains legal documents and maps pertaining to the seizure of the Sillex timber mill, including some of its buildings, rail facilities and machinery, for the building of a public electric grid. According to the documents, the owner S.I. Leibovici had abandoned the property and the firm upon emigration to Palestine.
This file contains correspondence, ordinances, and other civic records, many of which pertain to agriculture, distribution of food and services, and mobilization efforts. A substantial number also deal with religious and cultural regulations and restrictions, including a group of general restrictions beginning with sheet 6. Later, sheet 131 contains an ordinance that members of all denominations, Christian and Jewish, who [customarily] close their businesses on Saturday for religious reasons, will [henceforth] be forced to stay open for business on Saturday. Page 135 also includes a list of candidates for district elections, including candidates for the Jewish Party (Partidul Evreiesc).
This file contains various civic records and correspondence. It includes an order on sheets 85-86 forwarded from Bucharest to prepare tables listing all municipal residents who are listed as “Jewish” in the civic register of nationalities. The lists themselves are not present in this folder.
This folder appears to be misleadingly titled. It contains a wide variety of civic records; of particular interest is a list of tradesmen, merchants, and industrialists including the name and address of their business (sheet 20), as well as a proposal for regulations for the slaughtering animals and the transport of meat products, which would take into account Jewish religious law (sheet 200).
This file appears to be somewhat mistitled: the bulk of the various papers (correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, ordinances) in this file concern the setting of maximum prices for commodities and basic food and living essentials in response to the economic depression. Notably, many of the council members and representatives of the professional and trade groups are Jewish – see for example leaves 21 and 139. Elsewhere, there is a request for distribution of the Czernowitz newspaper “Der Tag” sent by Arnold Schwarz. Many prominent Jewish Czernowitz poets such as Rosa Ausländer were published in “Der Tag.”
This item consists of a register dealing with proof of citizenship of residents of the municipality. Name, year of birth, and a citation of their citizenship record are given, along with any family members (wife, children, etc.) for whom this citizenship is also valid. Notes are added, sometimes at a later date, if the citizenship is declared void, often in the case in which the individual or family acquires foreign citizenship or is proven not to reside in the municipality.
This file contains correspondence, meeting minutes, and various other papers pertaining to civic affairs in the municipality of Gura Humorului. Several documents and papers relate to Jewish citizens and the Jewish community, including a document beginning on page 272 regarding the makeup and character of the local Jewish community. Elsewhere, a number of items have to do with the matter of citizenship, which owing to the recent change of regime, was a major topic. Relating to this matter are several lists, such as the one beginning on sheet 26, which offer basic vital statistics on local residents born outside of the Bukovina province. The lists usually state place and date of birth and locality in which they were naturalized as citizens. A number of those listed appear to be Jews who emigrated from Galicia, Transylvania, and elsewhere both within and without the former Habsburg territories.
This collection contains various civic records, including correspondence, ordinances, city council meeting minutes, and other documents. Many or even most of the documents may relate in some way to the Jewish population due to the relatively high proportion of Jewish involvement in the city government, both as council members and as representatives of commercial and trade groups. Examples of contents includes material related to town council elections, lists with addresses and names of merchants and shopkeepers, files dealing with expropriated or seized Jewish property (access may be restricted), files concerning Jewish schools or public health measures or ordinances applicable to religious facilities. For details on such items, please click on any link below.
This item is a register containing forms from the census of young men from the graduating classes of 1926-1933 in and around Târnăveni. The forms vary from year to year but generally include name, parent names, birth date and place, current residence and sometimes also include religion, ethnicity, facial features, and other comments.
Register contains names of people who received Romanian citizenship, includes birthdate and sometimes occupation and family members. The Jewish entries include notes revoking the citizenship according to a law passed in 1938.
This folder contains various correspondence with the town hall in 1938. Included in the handwritten table of contents is a section on petitions from war invalids who lost their Romanian citizenship (Romanian citizenship was revoked from the Jews in 1938). There is also correspondence that emphasizes the ethnic Romanian ownership of a company, though the name is Jewish.
This folder contains pages related to the revoking of Romanian citizenship according to a law passed in 1938. Included are petitions (often approved) that citizenship not be revoked on the basis of various grounds. The forms will generally include data on the petitioners birth place and date, family members, current residence, and occupation.
This folder contains documents related to the agrarian reform of the interwar period. It includes a legal case to expropriate Mendel Schwarz of forest property and also has correspondence regarding workers associations for youth in the region.
This folder contains various papers on legal cases involving the town hall and numerous subfolders containing papers of individuals applying for a certificate of nationality.
This folder contains various requests and related correspondence regarding certificates of nationality for individuals from Reghin. The requests or certificates themselves contain information regarding the individual's birth place, occupation, and family circumstances.
The folder contains requests and petitions from various organizations and individuals in Reghin to the Town Hall. There are notes from or to Zionist organizations and the Jewish community.
This collection contains documents typical of a municipal authority though please note that there are few documents from the Austro-Hungarian period. Of interest to those researching the Jewish history of the region are primarily files from the World War II period which deal with anti-Semitic measures taken including the evacuation of Jews from villages to the cities, the expropriation of Jewish goods, forced labor measures, and so forth. For details on these files and others specifically related to the Jewish population, please see below and click on any link.
This file includes a memorandum about investigating an influx of foreign Jews in the district, ostensibly seeking work but suspected by authorities of subversive activities.
This file contains notes and reports on activities of radical leftist political groups, including Romanian communist groups, many of whose members were Jewish.
This item is a military recruitment register, organized in approximate alphabetical order, providing the following information for male residents of Rădăuți born in 1900: name, date and place of birth, some details on appearance, information on parents and in some cases on ethnicity, as well as the decision of the recruitment board.
This item is a register of domestic servants and workers in Gura Humorului, the majority of whom were women and either Orthodox or Catholic. A few Jewish women are also registered, and several of the employers appear to have been Jewish. Each entry includes a photo of the person registered, their name, age, marital status, place and date of birth, information on their residence and employer, as well as remarks on their physical characteristics.
This files includes various orders, correspondence, and reports on surveillance of radical groups, both left and right wing. For example, item 72 regards the activities of some Zionists and communists. Elsewhere, some materials pertain to reports on the activities of right wing groups like the Iron Guard and on anti-Semitic publications.
This file contains reports and orders on censorship and activities surrounding the distribution or presentation of officially censored materials, as well as requests by residents and visiting artists to present cultural programming (plays, films, meetings). Item 31 in particular has to do with a Jewish cultural presentation. Please note there are several folders with such material from various years.
This file contains reports and orders on censorship and activities surrounding the distribution or presentation of officially censored materials, as well as requests by residents and visiting artists to present cultural programming (plays, films, meetings). Several requests pertain to meetings and gatherings of the Jewish community, and there are a number of censorship orders to stop the distribution of German- and Yiddish-language Jewish newspapers and periodicals (see for example items 94-99). Please note there are several folders with such material from various years.
This file contains tables, correspondence, and documents regarding tradesmen and public buildings in Gura Humorului. A substantial number of the tradesmen bear traditionally Jewish names.
This file contains correspondence, circulars, and arrest orders for fugitives and suspected criminals, including a circular (item 81) pertaining to Marcel Pauker (Ana Pauker's husband), David Finkelstein, Alexandru Dobrogeanu-Gherea, and other communists' escape from state custody.
This alphabetical register contains the names of individuals with outstanding arrest warrants. The register lists their name, address, name of law enforcement agency charged with arresting the individual, duration of imprisonment or fine for infraction, the type of arrest warrant, the date of the warrant's entry into the register, the date of arrest, and a citation of the law broken, and a citation of the regulation justifying the penalty. Owing to the substantial Jewish population in the region, several Jewish names are listed. The register appears to be incomplete – the final extant entries are under the letter “V”, the final letters of the alphabet are missing.
This file contains correspondence and tables provided by local offices to regional headquarters containing the names of individuals who had emigrated and obtained foreign citizenship. Usually the birthplace, name of parents, profession, and country of emigration are listed. The impetus for the creation of these lists appears to be federal regulations by which Romanian citizens automatically lost their Romanian citizenship upon the acquisition of citizenship in a different country. The individuals listed emigrated to a broad range of countries and several Jewish names appear among those listed.
This file is a military draft register with entries for all males in Fălticeni born in the year 1917, including several Jews. Names are listed in approximate alphabetical order. Name, nationality, religion, and profession are listed, along with information on physical features (color of hair and eyes, etc.) date and place of birth, address of residence, basic information on educational background, some information on the parents (age, address, occupation, names), reference to entries in civil records. The final columns list the date of the individual's military inspection and whether or not they were admitted into the military, as well as to what division they were assigned. Some accompanying minutes offer a summary of the procedure and overall statistics regarding how many youths were drafted, how many deemed unfit, and how many “left behind” for other types of military or civil service.
This file consists of daily bulletins listing crime statistics for Fălticeni and Pașcani. Category of offenses and infractions are listed, as well as the number of arrestees, with information on gender, age (adult or minor), marital status, literacy, ethnicity (Jewish is one of the twelve categories), and occupational category (such as farmer, laborer, intellectual, etc). Following the month's daily bulletins are monthly summaries.
This file contains various documents and correspondence pertaining to the permits and licenses issued to the owners and employees of the Jewish lumber firm Froim Charas și Leon Brotman for automobiles.
This file contains various papers concerning the distribution of free textbooks to needy children and orphans, the destruction by Russian soldiers of school archives and holdings of Solca, Pârtești de Jos, and Soloneț which had been evacuated to Topoloveni, and various other materials relating to the relocation and return of school documents during and after the war. Although the records offer no indication of Jewish students or school staff, some of the papers indicate the presence of Jewish and/or German merchants in Suceava after the war – a bookdealer Nathan Weiner, a wood dealer Isidor Schläffer, and a hardware business called Bessler & Haimovic.
Access to view this item was not granted to the surveying archivists by the staff of the Suceava County Archives. According to the title, the folder presumably contains information dealing with German and Jewish property seized by Suceava county schools upon the repatriation or deportation, respectively, of those two populations during World War II.