THE PROBLEM OF THE RETURN OF MARAMUREȘ TO ROMANIA IN APRIL 1945
THE PROBLEM OF THE RETURN OF MARAMUREȘ TO ROMANIA IN APRIL 1945

Summary/Abstract: On March 11, 1945, the head of the Romanian government Petru Groza travels with the entire government from Bucharest to Cluj and, in a solemn meeting, proclaims the return of Northern Transylvania to Romania. The problem was more complicated regarding the Historical Maramuresh County, a territory of approx. 3,700 square km in northwestern Transylvania, currently on the border with Ukraine. Population mainly Romanian (78%), Ruthenians (14%), Hungarians (6%). Since December 1944, after the crossing of the front, an attempt was made to reorganize a Romanian administration, but the former Hungarian Horthyist administration opposed it. Under these conditions, the Red Army established a provisional military administration, until the end of the war.In Uzhgorod, currently in neighboring Ukraine, the local communist leader was a certain Ivan Turianitsa. He created armed gangs, went to the Romanian county seat of Sighet with a paramilitary formation of approximately 800 armed men and proclaimed the “union” of Maramureș with Soviet Ukraine. Turianița’s men entered schools and forced principals to introduce 6 hours of Ukrainian per week into the timetable, as a first step in the forced Ukrainization of Romanians. The predominant Romanian population, dissatisfied with the seizure of Maramureș county from Romania, revolted. The presentation of the uprising and its consequences is presented in the present text."

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