Loyalty, Voice, and Exit. The options of Wilhelm Filderman
Loyalty, Voice, and Exit. The options of Wilhelm Filderman
Author(s): Adrian CioflâncăSubject(s): Cultural history, Civil Society, Diplomatic history, Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Pre-WW I & WW I (1900 -1919), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1939 - 1949), History of Antisemitism
Published by: Editura Hasefer
Keywords: Wilhelm Filderman; loyalty; voice; exit; Romanian Jews; Holocaust in Romania; archival activism;
Summary/Abstract: This article applies Albert O. Hirschman’s conceptual triad of loyalty, voice, and exit to the political strategies of Wilhelm Filderman, the long-standing leader of the Jews of Romania between 1916 and 1948. It argues that Filderman consistently combined constitutional loyalty to the Romanian state with sustained institutional protest against antisemitic policies. Through petitions, memoranda, and diplomatic interventions, he sought to defend Jewish rights while remaining committed to a civic conception of the Romanian nation. The article refers to his rapid-response advocacy network and its role in mitigating persecution during the interwar period and the Holocaust. It highlights the archival infrastructure developed by Filderman and his collaborators which functioned as an instrument of resistance and historical accountability. At the end of this effort, Matatias Carp, one of Filderman’s collaborators, produced a work of over one thousand pages, published in three volumes under the title The Black Book.
Journal: Revista de Istorie a Evreilor din Romania
- Issue Year: 2025
- Issue No: 6-7(22-23)
- Page Range: 7-15
- Page Count: 9
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF
