Mandatory enforced residence

The terror unleashed by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej became even more bitter after 1948. Inspired by the Soviet Union, the extermination of anti-communist fighters spread rapidly and became a kind of proletarian virtue, the numbers of whom were reported to Moscow on a weekly basis. As the Danube-Black Sea Canal only partially solved the mass destruction of the intelligentsia and the bourgeoisie, numerous labour camps were set up.

Thus the Romanian Bărăgan was populated with deportees, mainly ‘landlords’, ‘enemies of the people’, ‘bandits’, ‘criminals’, etc. Massive labour forces were concentrated under absolutely free skies, with the deportees reserving the right to suffer and remain silent in order to survive in the great socialist camp.

D.O. – compulsory residence or forced residence – was a new punishment that had not been tried in any court and was not followed by any punishment. It came from somewhere in hiding, which added a certain number of months to your suffering in the dungeon, because D.O. was not counted in years. This domicile was given to you by the political officer and the management of the prison you left, according to the number of denunciations you had in your file, written by those with whom you shared your problems and sufferings.

(Grigore Caraza – Bloody Aiud)