Sighet Prison Memorial

Sighet has a prison that was used from 1948 to 1977 mostly to house political prisons. The prison was closed in 1977 due to Romania's obligation to comply with international laws that came into effect in 1977 - UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights. It would be a violation of international law to continue the detainment of persons for political reasons.

The Prison was made into a Memorial Museum in the last few years. It is a memorial to the thousands of people and families who suffered from communist persecution in Romania.

The Prison is chillingly placed in the center of the town of Sighet.

It was shocking to see the horrible conditions that were endured and to learn about the stories of the people who were imprisoned - mostly for political reasons because they opposed communism, supported the resistance movement, were intellectuals/students with the power/will to organize anti-communist campaigns, or were formerly top-level government officials prior to the communist take over.

Prison cells were a small and narrow space with no heat (absolutely freezing in this cement icebox), no toilets, and high windows above head level which were sometimes blocked to prevent light as a punishment. Some prisons were prevented from sitting or laying down by having their metal-rack beds/cots removed.

Many techniques and instruments of torture were used - electric shock, being hung upside down, having to stand in water up to your knees for extended periods of time. There were specific isolation cells called "Black Cells" with no windows, no light, prisoners were chained by their ankles to the center of the cell naked and only given 1/2 food rations.

Both men and women were imprisoned. Women who were pregnant in prison would have the baby taken away 3 months after the birth. The children were put into orphanges without ever knowing their identity!

Families were never told if their relatives in prison were sick, dead, or well. Sometimes families had to pay for their relatives to be fed or clothed.