ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the history of the 1956 students' movements in Romania to explore the fate of women who suffered the consequences of the extended measures that were introduced in its aftermath to crush any form of opposition to the Soviet-backed Romanian government. It also examines the ways in which state repression had an impact on the women who were involved in various Romanian partisan organisations in the 1950s. The chapter provides a contextual background to the investigation of women's experiences of repression in Romania. During the first days of the Hungarian revolt, when it was still unclear how events would unfold, a number of measures were introduced in Romania that reflected the government's sense of insecurity and fear. The secret police in Communist Romania was set up, being given the juridical right to determine cases of political crimes and to arrest and interrogate any suspected persons involved.
