Two personal documents of a Jew named Alexander Cohen – a worker’s booklet and a certificate for winning first place in a motorcycle and motorsport competition. Communist Romania, 1950s.
CARNET DE SALARIZARE PENTRU SALARIAȚII DIN INTREPRINDERI ȘI INSTITUȚIUNI DE STAT – Salary booklet for employees in industrial enterprises and state institutions – salary booklet of a Jewish worker named Kohan Alexandru – Alexander Cohen at a factory in Communist Romania – the beginning of the totalitarian regime under Soviet influence, 1950. On the first page appear quotes from Lenin: “Labour productivity is the most important and principal factor for the victory of the new social order, ” and from Stalin: “The great significance of competitions lies in the fact that they cause a fundamental change in people’s attitude towards work, turning it from a heavy and burdensome task into a matter of honour, glory, virtue, and heroism.” Also included are words from the Communist ruler of Romania, Gh. Gheorghiu-Dej, on the superiority of the socialist system over the capitalist one, as it brings about harmonious cooperation between various factories and prevents competition. Details of the cardholder – a Jew named Alexander Cohen who worked in a factory as an electrician (funcția: electrician), starting from August 28, 1950. Professional training: graduate of theoretical studies (handwritten line: absolvent liceu teoretic), employed at Government Construction Enterprise No. 12 (Întreprinderea de Construcții) in the city of Deva – a city in western Romania. Alexander’s handwritten signature and personal details appear throughout the booklet. The booklet was used to record salary, work attendance, and at times also information about tax deductions or social payments. 32 pages. Very good condition.
CONSIULIU RAIONAL SPORTIV “CONSTRUCTORUL” PETROȘANI DIPLOMĂ – Regional Sports Council “Constructorul” Petroșani – certificate – awarded to comrade (tov. tovarășul) Kohn Alexandru from the Constructorul Deva factory, for winning first place in a motorcycle and motorsport competition held on October 23–24, 1954, in honour of the second congress of the Romanian Workers’ Party and the 37th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution (Soviet Union, 1917). Signed: Chairman of the Sports Council, M. Florea. Size: 24×21 cm. Along the decorated margins are written the various sports disciplines that took part in the competition. Very good condition.
In Communist Romania (1947–1989), industrial factories were a cornerstone of the regime’s economic policy. They were expropriated from private owners and became state property as part of a sweeping nationalization process that began immediately after the communists came to power. The factories were managed according to centralized planning (Five-Year Plans), under strict government supervision, and ideological propaganda was regularly integrated into daily work as a means of re-educating the workers. Working conditions were often harsh, with low wages, rigid discipline, and no possibility for protest. After the war, many Jews who remained in Romania were economically disenfranchised and were forced to join this labor market, often in contradiction to their professional background (many had been merchants, doctors, engineers, or lawyers before the war). Thousands were assigned to public factories, sometimes by coercion or out of necessity, in roles such as technicians, clerks, electricians, and engineers. A small number were integrated into management or instructional roles, primarily those with ties to the Communist Party or educated individuals who supported the regime. Many Jews saw factory work as a means of survival and a way to attain a certain degree of economic stability—until opportunities to emigrate to Israel became available (mainly in the 1950s and 1960s).
