The Restitution of Jewish Jobs in the Aftermath of the Antonescu Regime

Abstract

After the collapse of the Antonescu regime (on 23 August 1944), the restitution of jobs—together with the restitution of property—emerged as a major aspect of the process to reestablish justice. This involved righting the wrongs perpetrated against Jews during the antisemitic policy of Romanianization (1940–1944), the replacement of Jewish employees with ethnic Romanians and the transfer of Jewish property to gentiles. This chapter explores the restitution of jobs to former Jewish holders in post-Antonescu Romania. It focuses on the implementation of the restitution law no. 641/1944, on the ways local Jews pursued their labor rights, and on the reactions of gentile citizens to this process of restitution. Antisemitism continued to run strong in Romanian society and, sometimes, gentile managers or fellow workers resented the return of their Jewish colleagues. The restitution of Romanianized jobs proved to be a difficult and complex process—especially until the adoption of the restitution law (in December 1944)—that encountered the opposition of various categories of coworkers and public opinion. Nonetheless, thanks to active and sustained petitioning and lobbying from Jews who were affected, it was often successful during the first postwar years. Eventually, communist nationalization and repressive policies affected the livelihoods of many Jews, especially entrepreneurs, artisans, and liberal professionals. These developments, together with other factors, influenced the emigration of a majority of the Romanian Jews.