Avram Bunaciu
Encyclopedia
Avram Bunaciu was a Romania
n communist politician who served as the Minister of Justice
, Minister of Foreign Affairs and was the acting President of the State Council
of Romania.
. He was a communist intellectual during the World War II
and had several high ranking positions after the war, mostly within the Ministry of Justice. Bunaciu was a lawyer
by profession and close ally to Ion Gheorghe Maurer
with whom he defended communists at pre-war trials and was also close to Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
who eventually became the President of Romania
. After the war, Bunaciu was the Chief Public Prosecutor at Cluj
tribunal which was set up on June 22, 1945 to prosecute war criminals. There were two tribunals in the post-war Romania (one in Bucharest and one in Cluj) which were charged with trials of individuals involved in war crimes. Bunaciu was involved in prosecuting mainly crimes committed by Hungarian authorities and their collaborators in Northern Transylvania while the Bucharest tribunal mostly dealt with crimes perpetrated by Romanians under Marshal Antonescu
.
from March 25, 1948 until September 23, 1949.
In 1952, Bunaciu was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs when Ana Pauker
was the minister. At the time he also was the Chairman of the National Assembly for the Application of Constitution. When Pauker was sacked by the communist leadership aided by Joseph Stalin
, Bunaciu left the foreign service and became the rector of the Bucharest University in 1954.
On January 23, 1958 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. On March 20, 1961, when he left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was elected the Vice President of the State Council
. From March 19 to March 24, 1965, before Nicolae Ceauşescu
came to power, he was the acting
President of State Council.
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 communist politician who served as the Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Romania)
The Ministry of Justice of Romania is one of the fifteen ministries of the Romanian Government. It administers the judicial system.The current minister of justice is Cătălin Predoiu, an independent.-External links:* *...
, Minister of Foreign Affairs and was the acting President of the State Council
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
of Romania.
Early life
Bunaciu was born as Abraham Gutman to a Jewish family in TransylvaniaTransylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. He was a communist intellectual during the 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...
and had several high ranking positions after the war, mostly within the Ministry of Justice. Bunaciu was a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
by profession and close ally to Ion Gheorghe Maurer
Ion Gheorghe Maurer
Ion Gheorghe Iosif Maurer was a Romanian communist politician and lawyer.-Biography:Born in Bucharest to a Saxon father and a Romanian mother of French origin, he completed studies in Law and became an attorney, defending in court members of the illegal leftist and Anti-fascist movements...
with whom he defended communists at pre-war trials and was also close to Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej was the Communist leader of Romania from 1948 until his death in 1965.-Early life:Gheorghe was the son of a poor worker, Tănase Gheorghiu, and his wife Ana. Gheorghiu-Dej joined the Communist Party of Romania in 1930...
who eventually became the President of Romania
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
. After the war, Bunaciu was the Chief Public Prosecutor at Cluj
Cluj
Cluj may refer to*Cluj-Napoca, county seat of Cluj County, named Cluj until 1974*Cluj County, Romania*Cluj-Napoca International Airport*U Cluj, a Romanian sports club*U Cluj, a Romanian football club*CFR Cluj, a Romanian football club...
tribunal which was set up on June 22, 1945 to prosecute war criminals. There were two tribunals in the post-war Romania (one in Bucharest and one in Cluj) which were charged with trials of individuals involved in war crimes. Bunaciu was involved in prosecuting mainly crimes committed by Hungarian authorities and their collaborators in Northern Transylvania while the Bucharest tribunal mostly dealt with crimes perpetrated by Romanians under Marshal Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
.
Political career
Bunaciu served as the Minister of Justice of RomaniaMinistry of Justice (Romania)
The Ministry of Justice of Romania is one of the fifteen ministries of the Romanian Government. It administers the judicial system.The current minister of justice is Cătălin Predoiu, an independent.-External links:* *...
from March 25, 1948 until September 23, 1949.
In 1952, Bunaciu was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs when Ana Pauker
Ana Pauker
Ana Pauker was a Romanian communist leader and served as the country's foreign minister in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
was the minister. At the time he also was the Chairman of the National Assembly for the Application of Constitution. When Pauker was sacked by the communist leadership aided by Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, Bunaciu left the foreign service and became the rector of the Bucharest University in 1954.
On January 23, 1958 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. On March 20, 1961, when he left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was elected the Vice President of the State Council
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
. From March 19 to March 24, 1965, before Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
came to power, he was the acting
Acting (law)
In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
President of State Council.
See also
- Romanian Communist PartyRomanian Communist PartyThe Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
- Foreign relations of RomaniaForeign relations of Romania-Europe: European Union :Romania joined the European Union on January 1, 2007. Romania also declared its public support for Turkey and Croatia joining the European Union. Romania shares a privileged economic relation with Turkey...
- Romanian People's TribunalsRomanian People's TribunalsThe two Romanian People's Tribunals , the Bucharest People's Tribunal and the Northern Transylvania People's Tribunal were set up by the post-World War II government of Romania, overseen by the Allied Control Commission to try suspected war criminals, in line with Article 14 of the Armistice...