• Memorial to the Victims of the 1941 Pogrom
A memorial plaque on the Jewish cemetery of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, honours the victims of the pogrom of 1941. Between January 20 and 24, 1941, the Iron Guard, until then part of the government, attempted a military coup. A bloody struggle ensued, in the course of which members of the Iron Guard attacked Jews: they murdered at least 120 Jews during the riots.
Image: Bucharest, 1941, Ruins of the Sephardic Cahal Grande synagogue, which was destroyed during the riots, Yad Vashem
Bucharest, 1941, Ruins of the Sephardic Cahal Grande synagogue, which was destroyed during the riots, Yad Vashem

Image: Bucharest, February 2006, Memorial plaque on the Jewish cemetery in front of graves of the victims of the pogrom, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
Bucharest, February 2006, Memorial plaque on the Jewish cemetery in front of graves of the victims of the pogrom, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
After only five months in power, Marshal Ion Antonescu came into conflict with the fascist Iron Guard - also known as the »legionnaires« - which had been part of the government since September 1940. One of the reasons for the power struggle was the question of how the Romanian Jews were to be expropriated and expelled. In September 1940, the Iron Guard began to mercilessly terrorise the Jews by means of violence, expulsion and expropriation. Antonescu, however, wanted the state to gradually introduce bureaucratic measures against the Jews. Moreover, he was afraid that the Iron Guard and its allies could become to powerful thanks to the looted Jewish property. Antonescu wanted all expropriated Jewish property to be handed over to the state, not to benefit individual organisations. On January 20, 1941, Antonescu dismissed the minister of the interior as well as other office holders from the Iron Guard. This prompted a revolt of the Iron Guard: their supporters armed and entrenched themselves in strategically important buildings in Bucharest, especially in police headquarters. The Iron Guard's propaganda - as previously - was mainly directed against the Jews, whom they blamed for the government crisis. In the following days, the »Legion« used the chaos in Bucharest to brutally attack the Jewish population. Supporters of the Iron Guard beat, abused and murdered Jews. On January 22, the minister of the interior issued an order by which the Jewish quarters of Bucharest were to be attacked. At least 120 Jews were killed during the pogrom. The Romanian army did not intervene. Only on January 23, 1941, did the army launch countermeasures against the Iron Guard, suppressing the revolt on January 24, 1941.
Image: Bucharest, 1941, Ruins of the Sephardic Cahal Grande synagogue, which was destroyed during the riots, Yad Vashem
Bucharest, 1941, Ruins of the Sephardic Cahal Grande synagogue, which was destroyed during the riots, Yad Vashem

Image: Bucharest, February 2006, Memorial plaque on the Jewish cemetery in front of graves of the victims of the pogrom, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
Bucharest, February 2006, Memorial plaque on the Jewish cemetery in front of graves of the victims of the pogrom, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
There were about 102,000 Jews in Bucharest in 1941, among them many refugees from the countryside who hoped they would be safer in the midst of a large Jewish community. At least 120 Jews died in Bucharest during the pogrom which was committed by the Iron Guard during its attempted military coup.
Image: Bucharest, 1941, People wounded in the pogrom lying in the street, Yad Vashem
Bucharest, 1941, People wounded in the pogrom lying in the street, Yad Vashem

Image: Bucharest, February 2006, Gravestones of the victims of the Bucharest pogrom of January 1941, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
Bucharest, February 2006, Gravestones of the victims of the Bucharest pogrom of January 1941, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
A memorial plaque on the Sephardic cemetery in the south of Bucharest commemorates the victims of the pogrom of January 20 to 24, 1941. Many of the victims were buried here.
Image: Bucharest, February 2006, Gravestone of one of the victims of the pogrom of 1941, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
Bucharest, February 2006, Gravestone of one of the victims of the pogrom of 1941, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold

Image: Bucharest, February 2006, Hebrew and Romanian inscription on the memorial plaque, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
Bucharest, February 2006, Hebrew and Romanian inscription on the memorial plaque, Stiftung Denkmal, Roland Ibold
Name
Monumentul Victimelor Pogromului din 1941
Address
Șoseaua Giurgiului 162
40682 Bucureşti