Simion Bughici

Simion Bughici
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania
In office
July 10, 1952 – October 3, 1955
President Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Preceded by Ana Pauker
Succeeded by Grigore Preoteasa
Personal details
Born December 14, 1914
Iasi
Died February 1, 1997 (aged 82)
Bucuresti

Simion Bughici (b. Simon David,[1] December 14, 1914 – February 1, 1997) was a Romanian communist politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania.[2]

Life and career

Bughici was born in Iasi to a Jewish family of klezmer musicians (His father and two brothers perished during Iasi pogrom in June 1941). He joined the Communist Party of Romania in 1933. During World War II, Bughici was imprisoned at Vapniarka concentration camp in Transnistria.[3] He served as an Ambassador of Romania to Soviet Union in 1949–1952. In July 1952, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania replacing Ana Pauker who was sacked by the communist leadership aided by Joseph Stalin.[4][5] Appointment of Bughici disassociated Pauker's downfall with anti-semitism widely seen in Eastern Europe at the time.[6] Bughici worked as the minister until October 1955. During his political career, he also served as the Vice Prime Minister of Romania.[7]

Other offices that he held were that of head of Centrocoop, Minister of the Food Industry and vicepresident of the Communist Party Control Commission (Colegiul Central de Partid) (1969-1974).[8][9]

He was married to Ana Friedman, a history teacher and school principal.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Comitetul Central al P.C.R. Colegiul Central de Partid - litera A, Prefață" (in Romanian). arhivelenationale.ro. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Leaders of Romania". Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  3. ↑ Tismăneanu, Vladimir (2003). Stalinism for all seasons: a political history of Romanian communism. United States: The Regents of the University of California. p. 131. ISBN 0-520-23747-1. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  4. ↑ From the research departments of Radio Free Europe: East Europe. Situation report. Rumania, Volume 4. 1967. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  5. ↑ Deletant, Dennis (1995). Ceauşescu and the Securitate: coercion and dissent in Romania, 1965–1989. United States: M.E.Sharp, Inc. p. 47. ISBN 1-56324-633-3. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  6. ↑ Levy, Robert (2001). Ana Pauker: the rise and fall of a Jewish Communist. United States: The Regents of the University of California. p. 301. ISBN 1-56324-633-3. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  7. ↑ "Foreign Affairs Commission". Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  8. ↑ "Cine a fost Nicu Ceausescu? Ispita comunismului dinastic (II)" (in Romanian). Contributors.ro. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Decretul nr. 157/1971 privind conferirea unor ordine ale Republicii Socialiste România" (in Romanian). Lege5.ro. Retrieved December 6, 2013.