Contesting the Memory of Romanian Communism: Gender, Ethnicity, and Law in Post-Communist Mnemonic Struggles

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

The memory of Romanian communism remains a deeply contested space, shaped by competing narratives, political interests, and social attitudes. This panel examines three key areas of mnemonic contestation: gendered memories of reproductive oppression, the racialized construction of hostility in state archives, and the role of law in shaping the collective memory of totalitarianism. The first paper explores the competing digital narratives surrounding the legacy of Decree 770, juxtaposing activist-led efforts to document reproductive trauma with state-sponsored nostalgia that seeks to rehabilitate aspects of socialist life. The second paper interrogates how the Securitate’s archival practices reinforced ethnic stigma against the Romani, embedding exclusionary narratives that persist in post-memory politics. The third paper analyzes how law constructs collective memory, focusing on trials of communist-era abuses and specifically the Ursu case, to argue that judicial rulings contribute to a hegemonic memory regime that normalizes late communism and redefines totalitarian repression. Taken together, these papers reveal how memory struggles continue to shape Romanian society, demonstrating how gender, ethnicity, and law function as critical sites of both mnemonic struggle and potential historical reckoning.

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Stefan Cristian Ionescu, Chapman U

Papers

• Gendered Memories of Romanian Communism: Between Recuperative Activism and Ambiguous Nostalgia - Monica Ciobanu, SUNY Plattsburgh

• Hostility and the Aftermath of Memory: The Romani in Securitate Files - Delia Popescu, Le Moyne College

• Law and the Collective Memory of Communism in Romania: The Ursu Case - Mihaela Serban, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Discussant

• Stefan Cristian Ionescu, Chapman U