Leon Lichtblau
Encyclopedia
Leon Lichtblau was a Romania
n socialist and communist militant, and Soviet
statistician who was executed during the Great Purge
.
He was born in Bucharest
, Romania, in the family of a Jewish
architect. While studying at Gheorghe Lazăr High School, he attended the scientific conferences organised by the local folk university
. Here he met and befriended several young workers, who introduced him to socialists ideas. In 1918, when socialist militants Gheorghe Cristescu
, Alecu Constantinescu
and Ecaterina Arbore
were arrested by the German authorities occupying southern Romania, Leon was one of the organisers of a public demonstration demanding their release. He was also a participant in the manifestations which accompanied the departure of the German Army, being noted for his pro-revolutionary
and anti-monarchical
chants.
On December 13, 1918 Leon Lichtblau was arrested along with other militants during a large workers' demonstration in Bucharest. Sent to trial for "rebellion and unrest", he was reproached by the presiding judge for his political opinions. To the judge's allegation that students, and people of intellectual background in general, shouldn't be taking part in the socialist movement, he replied by reading a list of socialist leaders, whom he identified as his role models. In 1920, after completing high school, he enrolled in the University of Bucharest
's Faculty of Mathematics. In the same year he accommodated anarchist Max Goldstein
while the latter was preparing for the bombing of the Romanian Senate.
In 1921 he went to Iaşi
to support the local workers' movement, but soon returned to Bucharest, narrowly escaping arrest during the crackdown on the Socialist Conference taking place in the former city. Back in Bucharest he participated in the May 1921 Congress of the Socialist Party of Romania
, where he supported the party's affiliation with the Comintern
. In the summer of that year he was part of the Romanian delegation to the Second Congress of the Young Communist International
in Moscow
. On his return to Romania he found out that the authorities were offering a 200,000 lei
reward for his and others communists' capture, and went into hiding. On October 15, the 2nd Army Corps issued an arrest warrant on his name. Pressure was put on his family to reveal his location, his home was repeatedly searched
, his brother interrogated, while his sister was forced to sign a declaration condemning Leon's activities to be allowed to finish her studies at the Bucharest Conservatory
. Leon Lichtblau eventually fled the country, staying in Vienna
, and, after being expelled from Austria, in Berlin
. In 1922, as part of the Dealul Spirii Trial, he was sentenced in absentia
to lifetime forced labour, and another arrest warrant was issued for him.
Not able to return to Romania, Leon settled in Moscow, adopting the pseudonym Adolf Cristin. Here he graduated in economics from the Institute of Red Professors
in 1926, later becoming the head of the Industry Department of the Central Office of Economic Accounting of the USSR. At the request of the communists in Romania, he translated a part of Lenin's works in Romanian, under the coordination of David Fabian. For a short time in 1928 he was a member in Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Romania, along with fellow exiles Fabian and Elek Köblös
. He was arrested on April 5, 1937, during the Stalinist purges
. On April 25, 1938 he was indicted with "spying and provocative activities and membership in a right-wing counter-revolutionary organisation", and was executed on the same day. Leon Lichtblau was posthumously rehabilitated by a decision of the Soviet Supreme Court
on October 3, 1956, as well as by a commission of the Romanian Communist Party in 1968.
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 socialist and communist militant, and Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
statistician who was executed during the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
.
He was born 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....
, Romania, in the family of a Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
architect. While studying at Gheorghe Lazăr High School, he attended the scientific conferences organised by the local folk university
Folk high school
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...
. Here he met and befriended several young workers, who introduced him to socialists ideas. In 1918, when socialist militants Gheorghe Cristescu
Gheorghe Cristescu
Gheorghe Cristescu was a Romanian socialist and, for a part of his life, communist militant. Nicknamed "Plăpumarul" , he is also occasionally referred to as "Omul cu lavaliera roşie" , after the most notable of his accessories.-Early activism:Born in Copaciu Gheorghe Cristescu (October 10, 1882...
, Alecu Constantinescu
Alecu Constantinescu
Alexandru "Alecu" Constantinescu was Romanian trade unionist, journalist and socialist and pacifist militant, one of the major advocates of the transformation of the Romanian socialist movement into a communist one....
and Ecaterina Arbore
Ecaterina Arbore
Ecaterina Arbore, Arbore-Ralli or Ralli-Arbore , daughter of Zamfir Arbore , was a Romanian, Soviet and Moldovan communist activist and official.-Early life:She trained towards a medical...
were arrested by the German authorities occupying southern Romania, Leon was one of the organisers of a public demonstration demanding their release. He was also a participant in the manifestations which accompanied the departure of the German Army, being noted for his pro-revolutionary
Communist revolution
A communist revolution is a proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, typically with socialism as an intermediate stage...
and anti-monarchical
Abolished monarchy
Throughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
chants.
On December 13, 1918 Leon Lichtblau was arrested along with other militants during a large workers' demonstration in Bucharest. Sent to trial for "rebellion and unrest", he was reproached by the presiding judge for his political opinions. To the judge's allegation that students, and people of intellectual background in general, shouldn't be taking part in the socialist movement, he replied by reading a list of socialist leaders, whom he identified as his role models. In 1920, after completing high school, he enrolled in the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
's Faculty of Mathematics. In the same year he accommodated anarchist Max Goldstein
Max Goldstein
Max Goldstein , also known as Coca, was a Romanian revolutionary, variously described as a communist and an anarchist.Born in Bârlad to a Jewish family, he worked as a clerk and moved to Bucharest, where he became a Communist sympathizer...
while the latter was preparing for the bombing of the Romanian Senate.
In 1921 he went to 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...
to support the local workers' movement, but soon returned to Bucharest, narrowly escaping arrest during the crackdown on the Socialist Conference taking place in the former city. Back in Bucharest he participated in the May 1921 Congress of the Socialist Party of Romania
Socialist Party of Romania
The Socialist Party of Romania was a Romanian socialist political party, created on December 11, 1918 by members of the Romanian Social Democratic Party , after the latter emerged from clandestinity...
, where he supported the party's affiliation with the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
. In the summer of that year he was part of the Romanian delegation to the Second Congress of the Young Communist International
Young Communist International
The Young Communist International was the parallel international youth organization affiliated with the Communist International .-International socialist youth organization before World War I:...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. On his return to Romania he found out that the authorities were offering a 200,000 lei
Romanian leu
The leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani . The name of the currency means "lion". On 1 July 2005, Romania underwent a currency reform, switching from the previous leu to a new leu . 1 RON is equal to 10,000 ROL...
reward for his and others communists' capture, and went into hiding. On October 15, the 2nd Army Corps issued an arrest warrant on his name. Pressure was put on his family to reveal his location, his home was repeatedly searched
Search and seizure
Search and seizure is a legal procedure used in many civil law and common law legal systems whereby police or other authorities and their agents, who suspect that a crime has been committed, do a search of a person's property and confiscate any relevant evidence to the crime.Some countries have...
, his brother interrogated, while his sister was forced to sign a declaration condemning Leon's activities to be allowed to finish her studies at the Bucharest Conservatory
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
. Leon Lichtblau eventually fled the country, staying in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and, after being expelled from Austria, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In 1922, as part of the Dealul Spirii Trial, he was sentenced in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
to lifetime forced labour, and another arrest warrant was issued for him.
Not able to return to Romania, Leon settled in Moscow, adopting the pseudonym Adolf Cristin. Here he graduated in economics from the Institute of Red Professors
Institute of Red Professors
The Institute of Red Professors was an institute of graduate-level education in the Marxist social sciences located in the Orthodox Convent of the Passion, Moscow. It was founded in February 1921 to address shortage of Marxist professors but only about 25% of its graduates continued an academic...
in 1926, later becoming the head of the Industry Department of the Central Office of Economic Accounting of the USSR. At the request of the communists in Romania, he translated a part of Lenin's works in Romanian, under the coordination of David Fabian. For a short time in 1928 he was a member in Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Romania, along with fellow exiles Fabian and Elek Köblös
Elek Köblös
Elek Köblös was an Austro-Hungarian-born Hungarian and Romania communist activist and political leader. He was also known by the pseudonyms Balthazar, Bădulescu, and Dănilă.-Early years:...
. He was arrested on April 5, 1937, during the Stalinist purges
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
. On April 25, 1938 he was indicted with "spying and provocative activities and membership in a right-wing counter-revolutionary organisation", and was executed on the same day. Leon Lichtblau was posthumously rehabilitated by a decision of the Soviet Supreme Court
Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR
Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR was created in 1924 to the Supreme Court of the USSR as a court for the higher military and political personnel of Red Army and Fleet...
on October 3, 1956, as well as by a commission of the Romanian Communist Party in 1968.