Ion Cârja
Encyclopedia
Ion Cârja (March 25, 1922 – May 8, 1977) was a Romania
n and American
writer and anti-communist
activist, who was a political prisoner
in Communist Romania
.
, Logan County
, West Virginia
, where his parents (Iov and Judifca) had emigrated to from Austro-Hungarian
-ruled Transylvania
around 1910. He and his family returned to Romania in February 1927 and settled down in Mihai Viteazu
, near the city of Cluj
, where they bought a farm. While in high school, Cârja started work on a magazine titled Gazeta de Turda, and published his first book — Cremene în apa vremii ("A Flintstone in the Water of Life").
Beginning in 1942, he studied Law and Philology at the University of Cluj (he also enlisted for Medicine studies, but abandoned them after one year). In 1948 he received his PhD
in Law from the same university. He was elected general secretary of the Transylvanian Writers' Union.
At the same time, Cârja took part in the resistance movement
against the newly-established Communist regime, and was involved in supporting the anti-communist groups in the Apuseni Mountains
. Because of this and due to the political content of his writings, he spent 15 years in prison between 1949 and 1964 (in Cluj, Gherla, Aiud
, and building the Danube-Black Sea Canal
). He was ultimately released by a general amnesty
. In parallel, his elder brother, Nicolae Cârja, was captured by the Soviet
Red Army
, and exiled for nine years in the Russian Far East
.
Having both American and Romanian citizenship, Ion Cârja made several requests to the Romanian authorities to be allowed to leave for the United States. Pressure by the United States Department of State
ultimately brought about his departure in May 1965. He settled down in New York City
, where he worked for the city's Department of Social Welfare. In order to receive more qualifications in this area, he undertook studies at Fordham University
. Columbia University
later recognized his Romanian PhD.
In 1970 he initiated the Romanian National Council, whose journal, called Acţiunea Românească, was first published in 1971. He was elected secretary general of the 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 and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer and anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
activist, who was a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
in Communist Romania
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...
.
Biography
Cârja was born in WhitmanWhitman, West Virginia
Whitman is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Whitman is southwest of Logan. Whitman has a post office with ZIP code 25652....
, Logan County
Logan County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,710 people, 14,880 households, and 10,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile . There were 16,807 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, where his parents (Iov and Judifca) had emigrated to from Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
-ruled Transylvania
Transylvania
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...
around 1910. He and his family returned to Romania in February 1927 and settled down in Mihai Viteazu
Mihai Viteazu, Cluj
Mihai Viteazu is a commune in Cluj County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cheia , Corneşti and Mihai Viteazu....
, near the city of Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, where they bought a farm. While in high school, Cârja started work on a magazine titled Gazeta de Turda, and published his first book — Cremene în apa vremii ("A Flintstone in the Water of Life").
Beginning in 1942, he studied Law and Philology at the University of Cluj (he also enlisted for Medicine studies, but abandoned them after one year). In 1948 he received his 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 Law from the same university. He was elected general secretary of the Transylvanian Writers' Union.
At the same time, Cârja took part in the resistance movement
Romanian anti-communist resistance movement
An armed resistance movement against the communist regime in Romania was active from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, with isolated individual fighters remaining at large until the early 1960s. Armed resistance was the first and most structured form of resistance against the communist regime...
against the newly-established Communist regime, and was involved in supporting the anti-communist groups in the Apuseni Mountains
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Carpathians, also called Occidentali in Romanian. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset" i.e. "western". The highest peak is "Cucurbăta Mare" - 1849 metres, also called Bihor...
. Because of this and due to the political content of his writings, he spent 15 years in prison between 1949 and 1964 (in Cluj, Gherla, Aiud
Aiud prison
Aiud prison is a prison complex in Aiud, central Transylvania, Romania.It is infamous for its political inmates, especially during the reign of Romania's by Nazi allies and later communists...
, and building the Danube-Black Sea Canal
Danube-Black Sea Canal
The Danube – Black Sea Canal is a canal in Romania which runs from Cernavodă on the Danube to Agigea and Năvodari on the Black Sea...
). He was ultimately released by a general amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
. In parallel, his elder brother, Nicolae Cârja, was captured by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, and exiled for nine years in the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Having both American and Romanian citizenship, Ion Cârja made several requests to the Romanian authorities to be allowed to leave for the United States. Pressure by the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
ultimately brought about his departure in May 1965. He settled down in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he worked for the city's Department of Social Welfare. In order to receive more qualifications in this area, he undertook studies at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
later recognized his Romanian PhD.
In 1970 he initiated the Romanian National Council, whose journal, called Acţiunea Românească, was first published in 1971. He was elected secretary general of the council.
Published books
- Cremene în apa vremii
- Întoarcerea din infern (2 vols.), Madrid: Dacia and New-York: Acţiunea Românească, 1969.
- Canalul morţii, Bucharest: Cartea Românească, 1993. ISBN 9732304006