Abstract

The present work discusses the life of the Romanian theologian Antonie Plamadeala (1926-2005) in the1940s-1950s. More specifically, it tells the story of his refuge from Bessarabia to Romania, of his run from Romania’s secret police (Securitate) and of his years of incarceration as a political prisoner for alleged ties to the Legionary Movement, known for its Fascist, paramilitary and anti-Semitic activity and rhetoric. This work argues that Plamadeala was most likely not a Legionary, as initially accused by Securitate. Instead, his arrest may have been caused by his involvement in the resistance movement against the Communist regime, first through his involvement with the publication of the newspaper The Echo of Bessarabia and, later, via his association with Legionaries and ties with the Vladimiresti monastery, known for its blunt stand against Communism in the 1950s. In regards to his experience in prison, this thesis suggests that Plamadeala’s prison years were determinetal to his inner identity and character.