Anneli Ute Gabanyi
Encyclopedia
Anneli Ute Gabanyi is a Romania
n-born German
political scientist, literary critic, journalist, and philologist, especially known for her research on the society and culture of the Cold War
period in Romania and the Romanian Revolution of 1989
. A former main analyst for Südost-Institut in Munich
, she is presently an associate researcher for the German Institute for International and Security Issues
(Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) in Berlin
.
to a Transylvanian Saxon
family of partly Hungarian heritage, she completed secondary studies in her parents' native town of Sibiu
. As a former trader, her father was subjected to restrictions by Communist authorities
, and the Gabanyi family residence in the Sub Arini area was confiscated by the state.
Gabanyi studied Philology and Political Science at the University of Cluj
, and later at the Université d'Auvergne and the University of Southern California
. She received a PhD
in Philology from the Helmut Schmidt University
in Hamburg
.
In 1963, Gabanyi and her family were allowed, as ethnic German
s, to reunite with their relatives living in West Germany
(all of whom had retreated with the Wehrmacht
from Northern Transylvania
at the end of World War II
). According to Anneli Ute Gabanyi, this was made possible by the efforts of her father, who had profited from détente
in German-Romanian relations. They settled in Munich
, where she became an analyst for Radio Free Europe
(1969); she was head of the station's Romanian Research Section until 1987.
She has frequently visited her native country after the Revolution, and is a regular contributor to Sfera Politicii
.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n-born German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
political scientist, literary critic, journalist, and philologist, especially known for her research on the society and culture of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
period in Romania and the Romanian Revolution of 1989
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
. A former main analyst for Südost-Institut in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, she is presently an associate researcher for the German Institute for International and Security Issues
German Institute for International and Security Affairs
The Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin is a leading German think tank and the founding institution behind the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.- History, Organization and Functions of the SWP :...
(Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Biography
Born in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
to a Transylvanian Saxon
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
family of partly Hungarian heritage, she completed secondary studies in her parents' native town of Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
. As a former trader, her father was subjected to restrictions by Communist authorities
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, and the Gabanyi family residence in the Sub Arini area was confiscated by the state.
Gabanyi studied Philology and Political Science at the University of Cluj
Babes-Bolyai University
The Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca is an university in Romania. With almost 50,000 students, the university offers 105 specialisations, of which there are 105 in Romanian, 67 in Hungarian, 17 in German, and 5 in English...
, and later at the Université d'Auvergne and the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. She received a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Philology from the Helmut Schmidt University
Helmut Schmidt University
The Helmut Schmidt University , located in Hamburg, Germany, is a German educational establishment that was founded in 1973 at the initiative of the then-Federal Minister of Defence, Helmut Schmidt. Teaching first started in Autumn of 1973...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
In 1963, Gabanyi and her family were allowed, as ethnic German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
s, to reunite with their relatives living in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(all of whom had retreated with the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
from Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania is a region of Transylvania, situated within the territory of Romania. The population is largely composed of both ethnic Romanians and Hungarians, and the region has been part of Romania since 1918 . During World War II, as a consequence of the territorial agreement known as...
at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
). According to Anneli Ute Gabanyi, this was made possible by the efforts of her father, who had profited from détente
Détente
Détente is the easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation. The term is often used in reference to the general easing of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1970s, a thawing at a period roughly in the middle of the Cold War...
in German-Romanian relations. They settled in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where she became an analyst for Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
(1969); she was head of the station's Romanian Research Section until 1987.
She has frequently visited her native country after the Revolution, and is a regular contributor to Sfera Politicii
Sfera Politicii
Sfera Politicii is a monthly political science magazine, published in Romania since 1992. Its articles, written in both English and Romanian, deal with diverse issues in local and international politics....
.
Works
- Partei und Literatur in Rumänien seit 1945, München: R. Oldenbourg, 1975. ISBN 3486492012
- Die unvollendete Revolution: Rumänien zwischen Diktatur und Demokratie, München: PiperPiper VerlagPiper Verlag is a German publisher based in Munich, printing both fiction and non-fiction works. It currently prints over 200 new paperback titles per year. Authors published by the company include Andreas von Bülow and Sara Paretsky. It owned by the Swedish media conglomerate Bonnier. It was...
, 1990. ISBN 3492112714 - Systemwechsel in Rumänien: von der Revolution zur Transformation, München: R. Oldenbourg Verlag, 1998. ISBN 3486563777
- The Ceauşescu cult: propaganda and power policy in communist Romania, Bucharest: Editura Fundaţiei Culturale Române, 2000. ISBN 9735772809
- Vom Baltikum bis zum Schwarzen Meer. Transformationsstaaten im östlichen Europa, with Klaus Schroeder, München: Bayerische Landeszentrale für Politische Bildungsarbeit, 2002