George Manu – The princely dignity in the communist prisons

George Manu had ganglion tuberculosis… The medical officer could only prescribe treatment on the advice of the prison commander and the political officer. The day after his diagnosis, George Manu was summoned by the prison commander, Colonel Crăciun, who asked him for a statement of dissociation. George Manu answered the colonel’s request in the negative and was then taken back to the barracks. I have the account of this episode directly from George Manu, with whom I communicated every day while I was above the cell in which he was isolated.

Two or three months later, the same doctor… diagnosed him with pulmonary tuberculosis. He met again with Colonel Crăciun, who made his treatment conditional on a statement to that effect. George Manu, who was not a man to compromise, again replied in the negative, but this time, a little irritated, his reply was harsher. On the same day, he was given strained food, i.e. only sauce. This diet continued for several months, and George Manu was soon unable to stand up. However, his lessons in geography, history, English, philosophy, etc. continued with the same feverish pace, either in Morse code on the wall or in Morse code on the thread…

Finally, after some time, two or three weeks, the same doctor… diagnosed him with tubercular meningitis. That same day, Professor Manu was called in again by Colonel Crăciun, who had several bottles of streptomycin and other Western antibiotics on his desk.

– You see these,” Colonel Crăciun tells George Manu, “these are the drugs that can save you. Look at them, they’re just Western medicines that you trust! Give me the declaration and I’ll save you!

This time George Manu answers: No.

That was his last answer…

(Gabriel Bălănescu – From the Kingdom of Death, Gordian Publishing House, Timisoara, 1994, p. 218)