>Name of the village/city: Târgoviște (born in the village of Lunca in 1928)
Region, country: Dâmbovița County, Muntenia region (Romania)
Date of deportation: September 1942
Excerpt from testimony:
“[…] Later [after arriving in Transnistria], they were relocated to a kolkhoz stable. The cows were
removed to make space for them. Only Roma were housed in that stable. In the following days, they were sent to work in the fields. Upon returning, they were given cornmeal flour at the entrance to the stables. The fields were about 2 kilometers away, requiring them to walk. They were escorted by policemen, who assigned tasks and monitored them to prevent escape. Despite being very young, the interviewed person also worked in order to receive an extra ration of flour […].”
Romanian archives (if they exist):
The deported Roma from Târgoviște and Găești were mentioned in a series of official documents (reports and deportation lists) issued by the Târgoviște City Police between 1942 and 1944. During the May 1942 census, local police identified 86 “problematic” sedentary Roma. Unfortunately, the name of the interviewed person (Ion Andrei, born in 1928) does not appear on this list, but the family of Niță Dumitru Andrei, a worker from Găești, married with five children, is mentioned (ANI, DGP fund, file no. 187/1942: f. 175–177).
Historical note on the Roma:
Târgoviște, the county seat of Dâmbovița, had a significant Roma community at the beginning of the 20th century. The 1930 general census recorded 207 Roma in Târgoviște and 115 Roma in Găești, a town about 30 km away (RGP 1930, vol. II.1: 154–155). According to the testimony of the interviewed person, some of these Roma were ursari (bear trainers) and also engaged in horse
trading.
trading.
Historical note on the deportation:
The deportation of Roma from Târgoviște and Găești took place in three stages. First, in May 1942,
local police conducted a census and identified 82 “undesirable” sedentary Roma. From this group, they selected 25 individuals (9 families), who were taken from their homes, had their belongings nationalized, and were escorted to the police station around September 11, 1942. Finally, the
deported Roma, including Ion Andrei and his family, were taken by gendarmes to Târgoviște train
station the next day, loaded into freight cars attached to special train E4 Pitești–Tighina, and deported to Transnistria. After nearly a week, train E4 arrived at its destination (IGJ Fund, file no.126/1942: f. 322). After arriving in Transnistria, the deportees from Târgoviște were placed in settlements such as Bogdanovka and Cozârca in Oceakov County (IGJ Fund, file no. 43/1943, vol. II: f. 42). According to the testimony of the interviewed person, deportees were subjected to forced labor, housed in a kolkhoz stable, and forced to work the land in exchange for minimal cornmeal flour rations, under the supervision of guards. A Roma bulibașa (community leader) was responsible for assigning tasks and organizing labor teams.
local police conducted a census and identified 82 “undesirable” sedentary Roma. From this group, they selected 25 individuals (9 families), who were taken from their homes, had their belongings nationalized, and were escorted to the police station around September 11, 1942. Finally, the
deported Roma, including Ion Andrei and his family, were taken by gendarmes to Târgoviște train
station the next day, loaded into freight cars attached to special train E4 Pitești–Tighina, and deported to Transnistria. After nearly a week, train E4 arrived at its destination (IGJ Fund, file no.126/1942: f. 322). After arriving in Transnistria, the deportees from Târgoviște were placed in settlements such as Bogdanovka and Cozârca in Oceakov County (IGJ Fund, file no. 43/1943, vol. II: f. 42). According to the testimony of the interviewed person, deportees were subjected to forced labor, housed in a kolkhoz stable, and forced to work the land in exchange for minimal cornmeal flour rations, under the supervision of guards. A Roma bulibașa (community leader) was responsible for assigning tasks and organizing labor teams.
The interviewed person managed to escape with his family with the help of soldiers his father knew from Târgoviște. His father bribed a truck driver to take them to Odesa, then convinced a train conductor to smuggle them into a train car bound for Romania. Once back in Târgoviște, the family was unable to recover their nationalized property, including their house, which had been sold to local residents.
Brief note on an aspect of Roma culture: Ursari Roma, horse traders.
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