Letter of the Six

The Letter of the Six (Romanian: Scrisoarea celor șase) was an open letter signed in March 1989 by Silviu Brucan, together with five other Romanian Communist dignitaries (Gheorghe Apostol, Alexandru Bârlădeanu, Grigore Răceanu, Corneliu Mănescu, and Constantin Pîrvulescu).[1][2][3][4][5]

The letter's content

The document, which was immediately broadcast on Radio Free Europe, BBC Radio, and Voice of America, was a left-wing critique of the policies of the president Nicolae Ceaușescu,[4][6] and it led to the swift arrest and interrogation of the signatories by the Securitate (the secret police), and then to their house arrest at various locations.[2] The Securitate depicted Brucan as one of several "hostile, inveterate, elements" and "the agent of foreign imperialist secret services".[3] Although lacking in actual popular support,[7] the letter was argued to be the among most important and influential acts of opposition during its period, and a notorious break with the tradition of strict obedience and party discipline.[7]

Authorities' reaction

Four of the six were moved from their houses in the exclusivist district of Primăverii to places like the outskirts of Bucharest and the other two were detained:[8]

Despite increased pressure, most contributors to the protest refused to withdraw their statement.[7] Brucan later accused Apostol of having given in to pressures.[10]

References

  1. ↑ (Romanian) Mirona Hrițcu, "Silviu Brucan e gata să-și îngroape profeția" ("Silviu Brucan Is About to Outlive His Prophecy"), in Cotidianul, February 5, 2005
  2. 1 2 3 (Romanian) "Politologul Silviu Brucan a decedat la vârsta de 90 de ani" ("The Political Scientist Silviu Brucan Has Died at the Age of 90"), in Gardianul, September 16, 2006
  3. 1 2 (Romanian) D. Tănăsescu, "Dosare de cadre. Fișete desferecate" ("Personnel Files. Unfettered Lockers"), in Magazin Istoric, no. 40, 1998
  4. 1 2 (Romanian) Vladimir Tismăneanu, "Dubioasa convertire a lui Silviu Brucan" ("Silviu Brucan's Dubious Conversion"), in 22, September–October 2006
  5. ↑ Cioroianu, p.487; Neumann, p.180; Tismăneanu, Stalinism pentru eternitate, p.262-263, 310
  6. ↑ Neumann, p.180; Tismăneanu, Stalinism pentru eternitate, p.262-263
  7. 1 2 3 Tismăneanu, Stalinism pentru eternitate, p.263
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dennis Deletant, Ceaușescu and the Securitate: Coercion and Dissent in Romania, 1965-1989, M.E. Sharpe, London, 1995, ISBN 1-56324-633-3.
  9. ↑ (Romanian) Ondine Gherguț, "Brucan, condamnat în procesul cu Vasile Lupu" ("Brucan, Sentenced in His Trial with Vasile Lupu") in Evenimentul Zilei, February 15, 2002
  10. ↑ Tismăneanu, Stalinism pentru eternitate, p.292

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