Professor George Manu – Exceptional character and hero of honour
Good thing I have the jacket, because lo and behold, a series of isolations are triggered. They must have orders from every cell to isolate. Specific methods of intimidation. In our cell, the fate of Aristide Puiu and myself was decided. For what reasons? Various: Aristide Puiu because he sang, me because I spoke too loudly, and so on. […] We talked all day. We discuss various subjects (religious, political, etc.) and share memories. […]
Our cell on the ground floor corresponds to one of the isolation cells in the basement. One day Professor George Manu, one of the great figures of contemporary Romanian life, appeared there. He was with Dumitru Chica, an old friend with whom he had the pleasure of sharing a cell. Professor George Manu is the one who gives us material to learn English. He is a real encyclopaedia in all fields. But above all, he is a great moral figure. Descendant of the Cantacuzins and nephew of General Gheorghe Manu, hero of the struggle for independence, this man, Romanian, scholar and Christian, is an illustrious representative of the family crest. It is a real honour to meet such a man and to enjoy his esteem and sympathy.
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Some say that Professor George Manu is dead. We can’t believe it. Unfortunately, it is true. A great personality, Professor George Manu (atomic scientist, versatile intellectual, exceptional character, hero of honour) was killed by the Bolsheviks. He was put under constant physical and moral pressure to surrender. He died a dignified and tough death, a true descendant of the princely lineage of the Cantacuzins and the magnificent lineage of General Gheorghe Manu, the hero of Independence. He who said in his last words at his trial in 1948: “Everything I did was to destroy communism and I am sorry that I did not succeed”, could only die in this way!
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To follow in the footsteps of Professor George Manu is to honour one’s own life and its meaning.
(Liviu Brânzaș – Ray from the Catacomb)