ABSTRACT

The collapse of the Soviet empire, exhilarating as it may be for geopolitical reasons, as well as encouraging to the people of the captive nations who may realistically hope for a freer life, brings with it serious aftershocks. Perhaps the most urgent need before the people who have recently undergone a change of regime, as in Romania, is the need to carve out an identity. Writes Vladimir Tismaneanu, the foremost American student of Romania's Communist history: One of the prevailing illusions during the post-communist euphoric stage was that xenophobia and other outbursts of the tribalist, pseudo-communitarian, and mystical-romantic spirit would remain merely a marginal phenomenon. The country's ethnic minorities are sizeable, making up nearly 12 percent of Romania's population. Hence a mixture of ethnic, ideological, and geopolitical considerations all play a part in the complex of attitudes toward Jews and other minorities in Romania. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.