Eric Sorlien

First Free City

December 20, 2019 Today at noon in Timisoara the sirens blared throughout the city for 3 minutes to mark the moment Timisoara earned the status of a city free from Communism December 20, 1989 The borders with Hungary, Yugoslavia and the USSR have been closed. Ceausescu has returned from Iran and called an emergency sessionContinue reading “First Free City”

The Army’s Loyalty Shifts

December 19, 1989 This day brought more terror and confusion. There was shooting all over the city. The prime minister promised to release the political prisoners, but ignored the demand to remove Ceausescu. On the following day in Bucharest, Ceausescu gave a televised speech promising to defeat the “terrorists and hooligans” in Timisoara. He talkedContinue reading “The Army’s Loyalty Shifts”

Food Rationing

Here is a quote about rationing in Timisoara from The Washington Post by writer Mary Battiata titled “How Romania’s Bloody Revolution got its Start in Timisoara” 12/31/1989 “Until recently the city had a slightly higher standard of living than the rest of the country. For years, a citizen here could get a pound more meatContinue reading “Food Rationing”

“Down with Ceausescu”

December 18, 1989 Riots and protests persisted. On orders of Ceausescu security forces cracked down on demonstrators with lethal force. The dreaded secret police (the Securitate) had joined the forces and began to assault the demonstrators by shooting into the crowd sometimes from their perches in nearby buildings. Ceausescu, not realizing the gravity of theContinue reading ““Down with Ceausescu””

The Massacre

Today, December 17, is a day of mourning in Timisoara with ceremonies marking this thirty year anniversary of the massacre including a speech by President Klaus Iohannis, wreath laying and religious services. On this day in 1989, a huge crowd came together in Timisoara. The crowd marched on the Communist headquarters. They now included universityContinue reading “The Massacre”

Protestors and Police Re-Group

Earlier today hundreds of Timisoara’s citizens gathered with candles and flags long ago ripped of its Communist emblem, to march in a “Freedom March” to the church where 30 years ago the Revolution began. By December 16, 1989 support for Pastor Laszlo Tokes had grown and evolved into a general protest against the Ceausescu regime.Continue reading “Protestors and Police Re-Group”

The Beginning of the Revolution

The Revolution began on December 15, 1989 with the house arrest of Reformed Pastor Laszlo Tokes who had dared to speak out against the regime. The Hungarian Reformed Church represented a substantial minority of Romania based largely in Transylvania. After his house arrest, the townspeople anticipated the “disappearance” of Tokes. Tokes had already escaped manyContinue reading “The Beginning of the Revolution”

Megalomania

TV Travel Editor and Host, Rick Steves gives a good summary of what happened in Romania and particularly Bucharest in the 1980s. From “Rick Steve’s Europe” Romania Episode 9 Season 5 11\5\2016 Transcript of Segment on Bucharest (my own)“Bucharest’s Old Town is lucky to survive the CommunistContinue reading “Megalomania”

Remembering 1980s Romania

I have collected items that I obtained from my travel there in 1990, 1994 and from eBay pertaining to the 1980s life in Communist Romania. This is the decade of worsening deprivation and oppression that peaked in 1989; the year of the execution of dictator Ceausescu and his wife Elena on Christmas Day. This monthContinue reading “Remembering 1980s Romania”

My First Blog Post

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken. — Oscar Wilde. This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.