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'''Valter Roman''' (also spelled '''Walter Roman''') was born '''Ernst Neulander''' (also spelled '''Ernő Neulander''') on October 9, 1913 at Nagyvárad, ] (today ], ]). He died on November 11, 1983 in Romania. Valter Roman was a major activist of the ]. '''Valter''' or '''Walter Roman''' (born '''Ernst''' or '''Ernő Neuländer'''; ], ]-], ]) was a ]n ] politician, activist, soldier and engineer, one of the high-ranking members of the ] (PCR) and active inside several other communist parties during his lifetime (the ], the ], and the ]).<ref>Mihailov</ref>


He was the father of ], himself a politician of the ].


==Early years== ==Biography==
===Early life===
Born in Nagyvárad (today ], part of ] at the time), he was the child of ] parents whose first language was ].<ref>''Final Report'', p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320</ref> Roman obtained an ] degree in ] (]).<ref>''Final Report'', p.45; Mihailov; Tismăneanu, p.124</ref>


===Spanish Civil war and World war II===
Jewish origin.<ref>Raportul Tismaneanu</ref>
Initially active inside the PCR's ] section,<ref>Tismăneanu, p.99</ref> he was a volunteer in a Romanian artillery unit of the ] during the ]<ref>''Final Report'', p.105; Mihailov; Tismăneanu, p.124, 239, 320</ref> &mdash; according to one source, it was then that he first adopted the name ''Valter Roman'', while also using the pseudonym bore the name ''G. Katowski''.<ref>Tismăneanu, p.320</ref> Roman was wounded twice before leaving for the ].<ref name="JurnalNat1"/>


Roman worked at the ] plane factory in 1938-1941, and later for one of the ] sections, and, during ], for the Institute for Scientific Research (1941–1945).<ref>Mihailov</ref> At the time, Roman also headed the ] radio station of the Comintern (''România Liberă'').<ref>''Final Report'', p.45, 60; Tismăneanu, p.124, 163</ref> He returned to Romania in July 1945 as the political ] of General ], commander of the Soviet-organized ].<ref>Mihailov</ref>
Electrotechnical engineering degree obtained in Brno (Czechoslovakia).<ref>Raportul Tismaneanu</ref><ref name="JurnalNat1">{{ro icon}} </ref>


==Communist activist== ===High profile===
Under the ], Roman became a ] general (] after May 1, 1948) with political responsabilites (Chief of the Army Directorate for Education, Culture, and Propaganda, 1946; Chief of the Superior Political Direction of the Romanian Army and ], 1947-1951), and Minister of Telecommunications (March 29, 1951-January 24, 1953).<ref>''Final Report'', p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320</ref>


Close to the ] "Muscovite wing" of the PCR,<ref>''Final Report'', p.59; Tismăneanu, p.162, 163</ref> he came into conflict with the leadership around ]. Purged from the PCR and Army on charges of "]" and "espionage",<ref>''Final Report'', p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320</ref> he was ] after the death of ] in 1953,<ref>''Final Report'', p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320</ref> He was also head of ] (1954-1983).<ref>''Final Report'', p.60; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320, 334</ref>
Valter Roman has been a member of four Communist Parties: ], ], ], and ].<ref name="JurnalNat1"/> Roman has been a volunteer in an Romanian artillery unit of the ],<ref>Raportul Tismaneanu</ref> where he was wounded twice before going to the ].<ref name="JurnalNat1"/>


In 1956 and 1957, as a high-ranking member of the Communist Party, Valter Roman was involved in deciding Romanian policies in regard to the ], which threatened to spark similar actions in Romania: after the ] invaded ], he accompanied Gheorghiu-Dej and the writer ] and other local Communists to ], where the three of them reviewed the situation and expressed approval of Soviet policies.<ref>''Final Report'', p.77; Tismăneanu, p.338</ref> Later on, he was involved in interrogating ] during his detainment in ], while also ensuring contacts between Nagy and Soviet officials.<ref>''Final Report'', p.77-78; Tismăneanu, p.192, 338</ref>
According to ], Roman worked at the ] plane factory (1938-1941), at one of the ] sections, and then at the Institute for Scientific Research (1941 – 1945). According to the Tismaneanu Report, Roman directed the Romanian-language radio station of the Comintern "Romania Libera".


In 1961, he was also among the Party leaders who spoke out against ] and other former leaders who had been marginalized by Gheorghiu-Dej.<ref>''Final Report'', p.80, 86-87; Tismăneanu, p.196, 212</ref> After Gheorghiu-Dej's death, he approved of the change in course indicated by ], and joined in condemning the ] (at the time, he notably quoted ]'s statement that "] and truth are inseparable").<ref>''Final Report'', p.105; Tismăneanu, p.347</ref> Elected to the ] on ], ], he was in office until his death.<ref>''Final Report'', p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 239</ref>
Valter Roman returned to Romania in July 1945 as political ] of general Mihail Lascăr, the commander of the Soviet-organized ].<ref>The book on Hungarians, which references other books.</ref>


A ''Hero of the Socialist Labor'', Roman was also employed as a University professor.
===Communist Romania===


==Works==
In Romania, Roman became a Romanian Army general with political attributions. According to the Tismaneanu Report, Roman was epurated from his Army position in the early 1950s, but was later rehabilitated and named by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej director of the publishing house of the party.
⚫ ===Sociology of the science===
⚫ *''Revoluţia industrială în dezvoltarea societăţii'' ("The ] in Social Development")
⚫ *''Eseuri despre revoluţia ştiinţifică şi tehnică'' ("Essays on the Scientific and Technical Revolution")


===Memoir===

⚫ *''Sub cerul Spaniei'' ("Under the Skies of Spain")
Various political positions held by Valter Roman:
* Jul 24, 1965 - Nov 11, 1983:Member of the ] of ]
* 1947 - 1951: Chief of the Superior Political Direction of the Romanian Army
* 1954 - 1983: Director of the Political Editing House
* Mars 29, 1951 - Jan 24, 1953: Minister of the Post and Telecommunications
* 1946: Chief of the Army Direction for Education, Culture, and Propaganda
* 1951: Vice-president of the SRSC

Valter Roman has been implicated in the negotiations concerning ]'s detainment in ] after the ] was defeated.<ref>http://www.kappa.ro/news/dimineata/dm-220.html</ref>

Becomes a ] (General Maior?) on May 1, 1948.

Hero of the Socialist Work (Erou al muncii socialiste).

University professor.

==Publications==

⚫ Sociology of the science:
⚫ * Revolutia industriala in dezvoltarea societatii (The Industrial Revolution in the Development of the Society)
⚫ * Eseuri despre revolutia stiintifica si tehnica (Essays on the Scientific and Technical Revolution)

Memorialistics:
⚫ * Sub cerul Spaniei (Under the skies of Spain)


==References== ==References==
*{{ro_icon}} of the ]
<references/>
*Paula Mihailov, in '']'', February 28, 2007</ref>
*], ''Stalinism pentru eternitate'', ], ], 2005 ISBN 973-681-899-3 (translation of ''Stalinism for All Seasons: A Political History of Romanian Communism'', ], ], 2003, ISBN 0-52-023747-1)


==Bibliography== ==Further reading==
⚫ *Andreea Andreescu, Lucian Nastasă, and Andrea Varga (eds.), ''Minorităţi etnoculturale. Mărturii documentare. Maghiarii din România (1945-1955)'' ("Ethno-cultural Minorities. Documentary Evidence. The Magyars of Romania (1945-1955)"), CRDE Publishing House, ], 2002 ISBN 973-85305-4-7
* Gheorghe CRIŞAN. Piramida puterii (The Pyramid of the Power). Second edition. ], Pro Historia publishing house, 2004. ISBN 978-973-85206-9-1. *Gheorghe Crişan, ''Piramida puterii'' ("The Pyramid of Power"), second edition, Pro Historia publishing house, ], 2004 ISBN 978-973-85206-9-1
* Mic dictionar enciclopedic.
⚫ * Andreea ANDREESCU, Lucian NASTASĂ, and Andrea VARGA, editors. Minorităţi etnoculturale. Mărturii documentare. Maghiarii din România (1945-1955). EN: Ethnocultural minorities. Documents. The Hungarians of Romania (1945-1955). ], CRDE Publishing House, 2002, 920 p., ISBN 973-85305-4-7.


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Revision as of 18:27, 28 February 2007

Valter or Walter Roman (born Ernst or Ernő Neuländer; October 9, 1913-November 11, 1983) was a Romanian communist politician, activist, soldier and engineer, one of the high-ranking members of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) and active inside several other communist parties during his lifetime (the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, the French Communist Party, and the Communist Party of Spain).

He was the father of Petre Roman, himself a politician of the post-1989 period.

Biography

Early life

Born in Nagyvárad (today Oradea, part of Austria-Hungary at the time), he was the child of Jewish parents whose first language was Hungarian. Roman obtained an electrotechnical engineering degree in Brno (Czechoslovakia).

Spanish Civil war and World war II

Initially active inside the PCR's agitprop section, he was a volunteer in a Romanian artillery unit of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War — according to one source, it was then that he first adopted the name Valter Roman, while also using the pseudonym bore the name G. Katowski. Roman was wounded twice before leaving for the Soviet Union.

Roman worked at the Kalinin plane factory in 1938-1941, and later for one of the Comintern sections, and, during World War II, for the Institute for Scientific Research (1941–1945). At the time, Roman also headed the Romanian-language radio station of the Comintern (România Liberă). He returned to Romania in July 1945 as the political locum tenens of General Mihail Lascăr, commander of the Soviet-organized Horia, Cloşca şi Crişan Division.

High profile

Under the communist regime, Roman became a Romanian Army general (Major General after May 1, 1948) with political responsabilites (Chief of the Army Directorate for Education, Culture, and Propaganda, 1946; Chief of the Superior Political Direction of the Romanian Army and Chief of Staff, 1947-1951), and Minister of Telecommunications (March 29, 1951-January 24, 1953).

Close to the Ana Pauker "Muscovite wing" of the PCR, he came into conflict with the leadership around Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. Purged from the PCR and Army on charges of "Titoism" and "espionage", he was rehabilitated after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, He was also head of Editura Politică (1954-1983).

In 1956 and 1957, as a high-ranking member of the Communist Party, Valter Roman was involved in deciding Romanian policies in regard to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, which threatened to spark similar actions in Romania: after the Red Army invaded Hungary, he accompanied Gheorghiu-Dej and the writer Mihai Beniuc and other local Communists to Budapest, where the three of them reviewed the situation and expressed approval of Soviet policies. Later on, he was involved in interrogating Imre Nagy during his detainment in Snagov, while also ensuring contacts between Nagy and Soviet officials.

In 1961, he was also among the Party leaders who spoke out against Iosif Chişinevschi and other former leaders who had been marginalized by Gheorghiu-Dej. After Gheorghiu-Dej's death, he approved of the change in course indicated by Nicolae Ceauşescu, and joined in condemning the 1968 Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia (at the time, he notably quoted Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea's statement that "socialism and truth are inseparable"). Elected to the Central Committee on July 24, 1965, he was in office until his death.

A Hero of the Socialist Labor, Roman was also employed as a University professor.

Works

Sociology of the science

  • Revoluţia industrială în dezvoltarea societăţii ("The Industrial Revolution in Social Development")
  • Eseuri despre revoluţia ştiinţifică şi tehnică ("Essays on the Scientific and Technical Revolution")

Memoir

  • Sub cerul Spaniei ("Under the Skies of Spain")

References

Further reading

  • Andreea Andreescu, Lucian Nastasă, and Andrea Varga (eds.), Minorităţi etnoculturale. Mărturii documentare. Maghiarii din România (1945-1955) ("Ethno-cultural Minorities. Documentary Evidence. The Magyars of Romania (1945-1955)"), CRDE Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2002 ISBN 973-85305-4-7
  • Gheorghe Crişan, Piramida puterii ("The Pyramid of Power"), second edition, Pro Historia publishing house, Bucharest, 2004 ISBN 978-973-85206-9-1
  1. Mihailov
  2. Final Report, p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320
  3. Final Report, p.45; Mihailov; Tismăneanu, p.124
  4. Tismăneanu, p.99
  5. Final Report, p.105; Mihailov; Tismăneanu, p.124, 239, 320
  6. Tismăneanu, p.320
  7. Cite error: The named reference JurnalNat1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. Mihailov
  9. Final Report, p.45, 60; Tismăneanu, p.124, 163
  10. Mihailov
  11. Final Report, p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320
  12. Final Report, p.59; Tismăneanu, p.162, 163
  13. Final Report, p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320
  14. Final Report, p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320
  15. Final Report, p.60; Tismăneanu, p.124, 320, 334
  16. Final Report, p.77; Tismăneanu, p.338
  17. Final Report, p.77-78; Tismăneanu, p.192, 338
  18. Final Report, p.80, 86-87; Tismăneanu, p.196, 212
  19. Final Report, p.105; Tismăneanu, p.347
  20. Final Report, p.45; Tismăneanu, p.124, 239
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