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Then followed another blow: the authorities took his gold. In that period, 1955-1957, the state's treasury was empty as a result of the war, so the police forced whomever they suspected to have gold reserves - like doctors, dentists, lawyers, jewelers - to hand it over. Most of these people had gold, and after being threatened and tortured, they handed it in. One day, when my father was working at the co-op, a policeman came and took him to the headquarters, for some 'information'. There he was told to hand in his gold; of course father refused to, but they said, 'We know you have gold, your elder brother left you some when he left for the USA'. I don't think they knew that from somebody in particular, like an informer, but it wasn't very hard to guess because dentists used gold as a raw material for dental purposes. And my father came from a family of dentists, so the conclusion wasn't hard to reach.
I was in my third year at university, and I was at home at the time - I was sick. So one time father didn't come home for lunch, and we were worried. We called the police and found out he was there, for some 'information'. He only came home the next morning with two policemen. They sat in one room, while my father went up into the attic and brought all the gold, 120 grams, and a few family jewels that were in the house, which my mother wore daily. They took all, made a report, and then took with them two precious carpets as well, and a radio, as a 'punishment'.
My father confessed after all: he was threatened and he didn't want to be tortured. And they had terrible methods of torture: people were beaten, kept in freezing cold water up to their waist for days, or they were given freezing cold showers followed quickly by hot showers; it was insupportable. Plus, they forced people to listen to tapes on which they had recorded the screams of others who had been tortured, and all that went on until you confessed. After they took his gold, my father was sentenced to one year and four months imprisonment for illegal possession of gold. He didn't go to prison right away because he had a nervous breakdown and was committed to a mental hospital. He was desperate, felt he had lost everything: his practice, his work, his gold. He had no means to survive. After he came out of hospital, he went to prison. That was in 1960, but he only did four months because some sort of pardon was introduced and he was allowed to go home. He never worked after that.
I was in my third year at university, and I was at home at the time - I was sick. So one time father didn't come home for lunch, and we were worried. We called the police and found out he was there, for some 'information'. He only came home the next morning with two policemen. They sat in one room, while my father went up into the attic and brought all the gold, 120 grams, and a few family jewels that were in the house, which my mother wore daily. They took all, made a report, and then took with them two precious carpets as well, and a radio, as a 'punishment'.
My father confessed after all: he was threatened and he didn't want to be tortured. And they had terrible methods of torture: people were beaten, kept in freezing cold water up to their waist for days, or they were given freezing cold showers followed quickly by hot showers; it was insupportable. Plus, they forced people to listen to tapes on which they had recorded the screams of others who had been tortured, and all that went on until you confessed. After they took his gold, my father was sentenced to one year and four months imprisonment for illegal possession of gold. He didn't go to prison right away because he had a nervous breakdown and was committed to a mental hospital. He was desperate, felt he had lost everything: his practice, his work, his gold. He had no means to survive. After he came out of hospital, he went to prison. That was in 1960, but he only did four months because some sort of pardon was introduced and he was allowed to go home. He never worked after that.
Period
Location
Brasov
Romania
Interview
Edita Adler