On May 6, 2025, the National Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism of the Romanian Academy will host a commemorative session titled “75 Years since the Night of the Dignitaries.” This event focuses on a significant and tragic moment in Romania’s history: the night of May 5-6, 1950, during which dozens of former officials from the period 1918-1944 were arrested and imprisoned by the newly established communist regime.
The session will be held in the Auditorium of the Romanian Academy, starting at 10 AM, and will feature a welcoming address by the Academy’s President, Academician Ioan-Aurel Pop, as stated in a press release from the Academy.
The year 1950 marked the communist regime’s determination to eliminate any form of opposition within Romanian society. On the night of May 5-6, the event known in historiography as the “Night of the Dignitaries” took place. This involved the arrest of numerous former leaders from the interwar period, including two former Prime Ministers, Gheorghe Tătărescu and Ion Gigurtu, as well as Alexandru Lapedatu, a former president of the Romanian Academy, and several historians and Academy members like Gh. I. Brătianu, Constantin C. Giurescu, and Ion Nistor. After their arrest, many were taken to the Sighet prison, where some perished, and their remains were never recovered.
The commemorative session will feature presentations detailing the historical events from 75 years ago, biographical reflections on those who suffered at Sighet prison, and analyses of the memoirs written by those arrested on May 5-6, 1950.
The event will conclude with a mini-recital by soprano Alina Bottez, accompanied on the piano by Ieronim Buga. This artistic moment is dedicated to the memory of the Romanian cultural and political figures arrested that night, who symbolize democratic values and were victims of a repressive regime that wielded power through force.
Access for the press and the public will be free.
