Ghizela Vass
Encyclopedia
Ghizela Vass a Romania
n Communist
, was an activist and politician of the Romanian Communist Party
(PCR). In its 2007 report, the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
identified her as one of the two main agents of the Communist regime
involved in policies pertaining to external affairs
.
Born in Iaşi
, Vass went through seven years of elementary school, later attending the Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy
. A seamstress by trade, she joined the textile workers’ union in 1930 and was part of International Red Aid
Chişinău
from 1931 to 1933. She joined the Romanian Communist Party, then illegal, in 1933. After the King Michael Coup of August 23, 1944, she held a number of positions in the PCR (which soon after became the Romanian Workers' Party, PMR), starting as a member of the Bucharest
county party committee bureau. In 1948 she joined the Ilfov County
party committee.
Vass served as adjunct to the chief of the Organizational Section of the Central Committee of the PMR; president of the county committee of party member verification from Reşiţa
, secretary of the Bucharest city party committee (from January 1953); chief of the Women’s Party Work Section of the Central Committee of the PMR (1955 – 24 January 1956); inspector for the Central Committee of the PMR and coordinator of the Foreign Cadres and Foreign Relations Sections of the Central Committee of the PMR (until January 1957); chief of the Foreign Relations Section of the Central Committee of the PMR (January 1957 –November 1965); chief of the International Section of the Central Committee of the PMR (from November 1965); and adjunct to the chief of the International Relations and International Economic Cooperation Section of the Central Committee of the PCR (1975 – February 1982). She retired in February 1982.
Vass was an alternate member of the Central Committee of the PMR (23 February 1948 – 27 May 1952) and a member of the Central Committee of the Romanian PMR (later PCR) (27 May 1952 – 22 November 1984). She served in the Grand National Assembly from 1952 to 1957, elected for the Focşani
district, Regiunea Bârlad
. She was awarded membership in the following orders: “Steaua Republicii Populare Române”, class III (1948); class II (1964); “Ordinul Muncii”, class II (1948); class I (1962); “Apărarea Patriei”, class II (1949); “23 August”, class II (1959); and “Tudor Vladimirescu”, class II (1966). Additionally, she was given the title “Erou al Muncii Socialiste din RSR” (Hero of Socialist Labour of the Romanian Socialist Republic) in 1971.
She was married to Ladislau (László) Vass (b. 1912), himself a Central Committee member, and lived for many years on Zambaccian Street, nr 1, in Bucharest
. She had two daughters; one left for the United States
in 1980, the other (a professor at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest
) had a son, Bogdan Olteanu
, the former president of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, was an activist and politician of the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
(PCR). In its 2007 report, the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
The Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania , also known as the Tismăneanu Commission , is a commission instituted in Romania by President Traian Băsescu to investigate the Communist regime and provide a comprehensive report allowing for the condemnation of...
identified her as one of the two main agents of the Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
involved in policies pertaining to external affairs
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
.
Born in Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, Vass went through seven years of elementary school, later attending the Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy
Stefan Gheorghiu Academy
The Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy The Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy The Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy (Romanian: Academia Ştefan Gheorghiu, in full: Academia de învăţămînt social-politic Ştefan Gheorghiu de pe lîngă CC al PCR - approx...
. A seamstress by trade, she joined the textile workers’ union in 1930 and was part of International Red Aid
International Red Aid
International Red Aid was an international social service organization established by the Communist International...
Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
from 1931 to 1933. She joined the Romanian Communist Party, then illegal, in 1933. After the King Michael Coup of August 23, 1944, she held a number of positions in the PCR (which soon after became the Romanian Workers' Party, PMR), starting as a member of the Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
county party committee bureau. In 1948 she joined the Ilfov County
Ilfov County
Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest...
party committee.
Vass served as adjunct to the chief of the Organizational Section of the Central Committee of the PMR; president of the county committee of party member verification from Reşiţa
Resita
' is a city in western Romania and the capital of Caraş-Severin County, in the Banat region. Its 2004 population was 83,985.- Etymology :The name of Reşiţa, might comes from the Latin recitia, meaning "cold spring", as the great historian Nicolae Iorga once suggested, presuming that the Romans...
, secretary of the Bucharest city party committee (from January 1953); chief of the Women’s Party Work Section of the Central Committee of the PMR (1955 – 24 January 1956); inspector for the Central Committee of the PMR and coordinator of the Foreign Cadres and Foreign Relations Sections of the Central Committee of the PMR (until January 1957); chief of the Foreign Relations Section of the Central Committee of the PMR (January 1957 –November 1965); chief of the International Section of the Central Committee of the PMR (from November 1965); and adjunct to the chief of the International Relations and International Economic Cooperation Section of the Central Committee of the PCR (1975 – February 1982). She retired in February 1982.
Vass was an alternate member of the Central Committee of the PMR (23 February 1948 – 27 May 1952) and a member of the Central Committee of the Romanian PMR (later PCR) (27 May 1952 – 22 November 1984). She served in the Grand National Assembly from 1952 to 1957, elected for the Focşani
Focsani
Focşani is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population of 101,854.-Geography:...
district, Regiunea Bârlad
Regiunea Bârlad
Regiunea Bârlad was one of the newly established administrative divisions of the People's Republic of Romania, copied after the Soviet style of territorial organisation.-History:...
. She was awarded membership in the following orders: “Steaua Republicii Populare Române”, class III (1948); class II (1964); “Ordinul Muncii”, class II (1948); class I (1962); “Apărarea Patriei”, class II (1949); “23 August”, class II (1959); and “Tudor Vladimirescu”, class II (1966). Additionally, she was given the title “Erou al Muncii Socialiste din RSR” (Hero of Socialist Labour of the Romanian Socialist Republic) in 1971.
She was married to Ladislau (László) Vass (b. 1912), himself a Central Committee member, and lived for many years on Zambaccian Street, nr 1, in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. She had two daughters; one left for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1980, the other (a professor at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest
Polytechnic University of Bucharest
Universitatea Politehnica din Bucureşti is a technical university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in 1864 based on the older technical school of Gheorghe Lazăr and it was renamed "Politehnica" in 1920.-History:...
) had a son, Bogdan Olteanu
Bogdan Olteanu
Bogdan Olteanu is a Romanian politician and lawyer. He was the president of the Chamber of Deputies between 2006 and 2008....
, the former president of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania is the deputy elected to preside over the meetings in the lower chamber of the Parliament of Romania...
.