Elisabeta Rizea, a Romanian anti-communist resistance fighter, died on Sept. 6. Cause of death was not released. She was 91.
The communists came to power in Romania in 1945. In response, Rizea joined the resistance and spent four years providing the guerillas with food and money. She was eventually captured by the Romanian militia, sentenced to seven years in prison and branded "an enemy of the people." When anti-communist leader Gheorghe Arsenescu was arrested in 1961, Rizea's sentence was extended another 25 years.
During her incarceration, Rizea was tortured for her beliefs. She was hung up by her hair from a hook and beaten unconscious.
"After they took the table from under my feet, they started to beat me with a stick until I bled. They broke some ribs, and I fainted," Rizea once said.
Under terms of a general amnesty, Rizea was released from prison in 1964. Thirty-five years later, her story was published in Romanian newspapers and featured in documentaries about the communist era.
I am romanian, I lived under the reds and I hope Elizabeta is secure in heavens. If there were more people fair and truth-speakers, we would be free.
Posted by Luci Sandor on November 4, 2003 7:23 PMI will never forget.
Posted by Cezar Covrig on November 10, 2003 11:56 PMDo not forget the great culture produced in Romania after WW2.
Posted by jerry smith on November 11, 2003 5:01 AMSome may say contemporary romanians are lacking faith and integrity, that is allmost true, and it is so because Elisabeta Rizea, is only one. The other millions of romanians had chosen the easy way out. Now, after the comunism is gone, we could say that most of them had chosen NOT to be Elisabeta Rizea. Why? Because... take a look: who`s Elisabeta Rizea today? An heroic memory of few thousand people, mostly romanians. But we are allmost 22 milions in that country!
Posted by anonim on February 7, 2004 3:00 PMi can`t forget how she said: i love romanian people so much; i will do even more for them.
Posted by magdalena on February 29, 2004 9:30 AMIn Romania, in this days, "Academia Catavencu" organize the gathering founds for an memorial monument in the honnor of she - Elisabeta Rizea.
I invite you all, that can read this, to join;
the proposed place for the monument is the place of "Free Press House" - in the place of Lenin statue. We don't need it anymore - the Lenin statue - and it's a good and diserved upsides for she - against the one that she and all those people fight and died.
I will try to quote (by copy paste, so I will succeded), one of the journalist that are involved in the project, and that i like best - it's Liviu Mihaiu - and it's in romanian - at least the grammar and speeling are ok:
"Pentru monumentul
unei femei monumentale
Intotdeauna am crezut cu sfintenie ca, inaintea Metroului, a
literaturii realismului socialist sau a televizorului color
mioritic, motivul real de mandrie al romanilor au fost cei
15 ani de rezistenta anticomunista in munti. De aceea ii
rugam pe toti cei care cred ca istoria merita ceva mai mult
decat trufia „originii sanatoase“ sa
telefoneze la redactie sau sa semneze la adresa de e-mail:
elisabetarizea at catavencu.ro. Initiativa noastra vizeaza
ridicarea unui monument pentru o taranca eroina, simbol al
rezistentei anticomuniste: Elisabeta Rizea, cea pentru al
carei sat, Nucsoara, Securitatea a mobilizat timp de zece
ani cel mai mare numar de securisti pe cap de locuitor din
intreaga istorie a represiunii. Locul ar fi piedestalul
fostei statui a lui Lenin din Piata Presei Libere sau cel al
Ostasului Sovietic de pe Bd. Kiseleff, pentru simplul motiv
ca mai intai a existat Elisabeta Rizea si, mult mai apoi,
libertatea cuvantului.
Liviu Mihaiu"
The forgotten mistakes will repeat.
NEVER FORGET! NEVER FORGET! NEVER FORGET!
Better dead than red!
Posted by Alex - Bucharest on May 11, 2005 5:11 AMit's not easy to understand what this woman has been trough. actually, it's practically impossible. not many people know who she was and many don't understand what communism ment to romania and eastern europe. i don't think she would have wanted a statue, but we need it, so we can learn about uor history and our heroes. and elisabeta rizea from nucsoara is one of those heroes.
Posted by simona on May 25, 2005 11:29 AM