Nicolae Mazăre (en)

Nicolae Mazăre – “the most polite of the young”

I remember two of Gafencu’s friends from Aiud: Marin Naidin and Nicolae Mazăre, both eminent, admirable, conquerors, exceptional. I don’t know if they escaped after the great “fire” in which they burned in 1949 and early 1950, the year in which thousands of prisoners died in Aiud and in other camps and dungeons throughout the country. Nicolae Mazăre, a native of Vălenii de Munte, was a pupil with eight years of schooling, but with a special tendency to study. He had a great talent for languages. He learnt French, German, Bulgarian and even Gypsy slang. He was the type of […]

“Nicu’s most precious thing was his big soul”

I met Nicu at the lead mines in Maramureș, but we became close friends at the Periprava colony. For a long time we were both part of the service team of the electrical plant in the colony: he, as an electrician inside and I as an electrician outside. When Mr. Titi Petrescu, the external electrician, left for home, I moved to the colony’s electrical plant, where Mr. Anton Lavrici, from Brașov, was in charge. Nicu belonged to the generation of Marinică Naidim, Virgil Maxim, with whom he had also spent years in prison, in Galda and elsewhere. He was arrested […]

Neculai – Pure soul, maidenly and eager for harmony

In him who has a pure, virginal soul, the highest calls spoke. I knew him well. He’s shy, like a girl. When I saw him get tougher, I smiled because his soul is so good that I never imagined he could hit anyone. Very intelligent and harmonious. The thirst for the highest ideals brought us together. A friendship that cannot be overshadowed by any power, because it is based on love. Neculai’s friendship with me was a real miracle for me, because personal will was completely absent. God worked through love and truth. (Valeriu Gafencu, characterisation made in Aiud, 1945 […]