Register of the Georges de Serdici, baron, papers

Finding aid prepared by Laura Cosovanu
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 1999, 2014
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu


Title: Georges de Serdici, baron, papers
Date (inclusive): 1947-1990
Collection Number: 91016
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: In Romanian, French, English and Swedish
Physical Description: 16 manuscript boxes (4.0 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Correspondence, memoranda, press releases, depositions, legal documents, and printed matter, relating to political conditions in Romania; the trial of Iuliu Maniu, Vasile de Serdici and other leaders of the Partidul National Taranesc in 1947; Romanian émigré affairs; the Comitetul National Rom^an and other anti-communist organizations; and a lawsuit for defamation brought against Cicerone Ioanitoiu in France in 1985.
Creator: Serdici, Georges de, baron, 1920-

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1991.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Georges de Serdici, baron, Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Chronology

1920 Born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Son of Vasile de Serdici, former Romanian landowner and one of the leaders of the Romanian National Peasant Party (Partidul National Taranesc), one of the most important parties during the inter-war period
1947 Co-defense attorney in the trial organized by the Soviet NKVD and the Romanian communist secret services (Securitate) against the leadership of the Romanian National Peasant Party, including Iuliu Maniu and Vasile de Serdici
1948 March Escaped illegally from Romania. Since then, has been living in Sweden, Great Britain, and Germany, running his own businesses in real estate, oil, and shipping, and engaging relentlessly in anti-communist activities
1982-1990 Secretary General of the Romanian National Peasant Party, currently the majority party of the ruling coalition of Romania
1989 Won the lawsuit he brought against Cicerone Ioanitoiu in 1985

Biographical note

Son of Vasile Serdici, former Romanian landowner and one of the leaders of the Romanian National Peasant Party (one of the most important parties during the interwar period). Co-defense attorney in the trial organized by the Soviet NKVD and the Romanian Communist secret services (Securitatea) in 1947 against the leadership of the Romanian National Peasant Party. In 1948 he escaped illegally from Romania. Since then he has been living in Sweden, Great Britain, and Germany, running his own businesses in real estate, oil, and shipping, and engaging relentlessly in anticommunist activities. Between 1982 and 1990 he was the secretary general of the Romanian National Peasant Party, currently the majority party of the ruling coalition of Romania.

Scope and Content

Georges de Serdici's papers cover mainly the years he spent as an émigré in the U.S., after 1948. His writings and correspondence deal mostly with émigré affairs and with the lawsuit for defamation he brought against Cicerone Ioanitoiu in 1985.
The grounds for this lawsuit lie in the publication of Ioanitoiu's book entitled Tombes sans croix (Tombs without a cross). In this book related to the trial organized in 1947 by the NKVD and by the Romanian communist secret service, Securitate, against the elite democratic politicians, Ioanitoiu depicts Georges de Serdici's father (Vasile) as a "traitor." He accused Vasile de Serdici of delivering the archives of the National Peasant Party (PNT) to the communists, and of betraying the PNT's leader during the 1947 trial. Ioanitoiu also emphasized that this behavior was characteristic of Serdici, who left the army during war time in 1918 in order to serve as a witness to Prince Carol (future Carol II, King of Romania) in his wedding to Zizi Lambrino.
Bringing Alexandre Cretzianu, Emil Ghilizean, Cornel Bianu and others as witnesses, Georges de Serdici proved to the Court the irrelevance to the case of the second accusation, and the groundlessness of the first one. Like all political prisoners in Romania during the 1940s-1960s, his father was tortured both physically and psychologically, and administrated drugs, thus rendered many times irresponsible for his actions. That fact, corroborated by the proof that V. Serdici did not have in his possession any archival materials to deliver to the communists, enabled Georges de Serdici to win the case in 1989.
Also of special importance in the collection are the materials related to the Romanian section of Radio Free Europe, and its alleged collaboration with Securitate (see files 1-5 in box 6 and files 1 and 6-8 in box 7).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Romania -- Emigration and immigration
Anti-communist movements
Romania -- Politics and government -- 1944-1989
Political crimes and offenses -- Romania
Maniu, Iuliu, 1873-1953
Comitetul Național Român
Serdici, Vasile de, baron, 1889-1953
Ioaniţoiu, Cicerone
Partidul Naţional Ţărănesc

 

BIOGRAPHICAL FILE 1947-1983

Scope and Contents note

Biographical notes, personal questionnaire, and resumes, arranged alphabetically by physical form
box 1, folder 1

Biographical notes 1947-1983

box 1, folder 2

Personal questionnaire for non-U.S. citizens of Radio Free Europe 1957

box 1, folder 3

Resumes n.d.

 

CORRESPONDENCE 1948-1990.

General note

See also NATIONAL ACTION and LAWSUIT AGAINST CICERONE IOANITOIU

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence kept in original chronological files
box 1, folder 4

Includes correspondence with Alexandre Cretzianu, Alexandru Ghika, Grigore Niculescu Buzesti 1948.

box 1, folder 5

1949

box 1, folder 6

Includes correspondence with Raoul Bossy 1950.

box 1, folder 7

Includes correspondence on Carol Davila; with International Federation of Free Journalists of Central and Eastern Europe and Baltic and Balkan Countries, and with National Committee for a Free Europe 1951.

box 1, folder 8-9

Includes correspondence with Dwight Eisenhower, Fundatia Regala Universitara "Carol I", Sabin Manuila, National Estonian Council, Constantin Visoianu 1952.

box 2, folder 1

Includes correspondence with Fundatia Regala Universitara "Carol I" 1953.

box 2, folder 2

Includes correspondence with International Peasant Union 1954.

box 2, folder 3

Includes correspondence with Comitetul National Roman, Free Europe Committee, Radio Free Europe 1955.

box 2, folder 4

Includes correspondence with the Human Rights Division of the United Nations, International Peasant Union 1956.

box 2, folder 5

Includes correspondence with International Peasant Union 1957.

box 2, folder 6

1959

box 2, folder 7

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1963.

box 2, folder 8

1964

box 2, folder 9

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1965.

box 2, folder 10

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1966.

box 2, folder 11

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1967.

box 2, folder 12

Includes correspondence with Alexandre Ghika, Ion Ratiu 1968.

box 2, folder 13

Includes correspondence with Corneliu Coposu, Ion Ratiu 1969.

box 2, folder 14

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1970.

box 3, folder 1

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1971.

box 3, folder 2

Includes correspondence with Michael, King of Romania, and Ion Ratiu 1972.

box 3, folder 3

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1973.

box 3, folder 4

1974

box 3, folder 5-6

Includes correspondence with Gerald Ford, Ion Ratiu 1975.

box 3, folder 7

Includes correspondence on Ion Ratiu 1976.

box 3, folder 8

Includes correspondence on Ion Ratiu 1977.

box 4, folder 1

Includes correspondence with Ion Ratiu 1978.

box 4, folder 2-3

Includes correspondence with John Connaly, Ion Ratiu 1979.

box 4, folder 4

1980

box 4, folder 5

1981

box 4, folder 6-7

Includes correspondence with Radu Campeanu; Michael, King of Romania; and with Radio Free Europe 1982

box 5, folder 1-2

Includes correspondence with Michael, King of Romania 1982.

box 5, folder 3-6

Includes correspondence with Radio Free Europe 1983.

box 6, folder 1-2

Includes correspondence on Vlad Georgescu, with Radio Free Europe, and Ion Ratiu 1983.

box 6, folder 3-6

Includes correspondence with Max Campbelmann, Radio Free Europe, and on Vlad Georgescu 1984.

box 7, folder 1-2

Includes correspondence with Denis Diletant, Helmuth Kohl, and on Vlad Georgescu 1984.

box 7, folder 3

Includes correspondence with Denis Diletant and with Ronald Reagan 1985.

box 7, folder 4

1986

box 7, folder 5

Includes correspondence with Ronald Reagan 1987.

box 7, folder 6-9

Includes correspondence with George Bush, John Whitehead, U.S. Department of State, and on Radio Free Europe 1988.

box 8, folder 1-3

Includes correspondence with Corneliu Coposu, Michail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan 1988.

box 8, folder 4-8

Includes correspondence with Charles, Prince of Wales; Mikhail Gorbachev; Michael, King of Romania; Michael Schapira; Leonid Zamiatin 1989.

box 8, folder 9

Includes correspondence with Corneliu Coposu 1990.

 

SPEECHES AND WRITINGS 1948-1989

Scope and Contents note

Articles, papers, radio broadcast transcripts, miscellaneous writings and notes, arranged chronologically by title
box 9, folder 1

"O Clarificare a domnului George Serdici," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 2

"O Examinare a vestilor din tara," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 3

"Fuga din Romania," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 4

Notes on the Communist trial of the leaders of the Romanian National Party (PNT), Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 5

"Primire romaneasca," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 6

"Report of the Regional Union of Free Journalists in Sweden," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 7

"Secretar General," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 8

Speech for the Estonian National Council, Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 9

"Tragica drama a poporului roman," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 10

"La vie politique roumaine," Typescript n.d.

box 9, folder 11

"Rumansk Fascist Ryskt Trumfass Mot Maniu," Svenska Dagbladet, Typescript 1948 May 5.

box 9, folder 12

"Apell," Typescript 1952 June.

box 9, folder 13

"Ny Rod Giv I Rumanien," Typescript 1952 June 28.

box 9, folder 14

Comments printed in two Swedish newspapers regarding the alleged action against the Romanian legations in Stockholm and Copenhagen in Typescript 1955, 1955 February 16.

box 9, folder 15

"Cazul Lahovari," Dagens Nyheter, Typescript. Includes Romanian translation 1955 March 3.

box 9, folder 16

"Det Galler en Manniska," Typescript. Includes Romanian translation 1956 March 3.

box 9, folder 17

"Appeal," Typescript 1956 June.

box 9, folder 18

"La Rascruce de Drumuri," Vocea Libertatii, Typescript 1957 December 1.

box 9, folder 19

"German Minority in Romania," Typescript 1958 January.

box 9, folder 20

"Cinste lor," Vocea Libertatii, Typescript 1958 May.

box 9, folder 21

"Pina cind," Typescript 1963 May.

box 9, folder 22

"Punere la punct," Typescript 1963 June.

box 9, folder 23

"Citeva cuvinte in plus," Typescript 1963 July.

box 9, folder 24

"Ginduri pentru o noua indreptare a Actiunei Nationale," Typescript 1964 June-July.

box 9, folder 25

"Ziarul La Nation roumaine si fruntasii P.N.T.," Typescript 1964 September.

box 9, folder 26

"Framintarea exilului," Typescript 1964.

box 9, folder 27

"Declaratiile Domnului George Serdici," Vocea Libertatii, Typescript 1969.

box 9, folder 28

"President Nixon's Visit to Romania," Typescript 1969 July.

box 9, folder 29

"Romanian Greeting," International Herald Tribune, Typescript 1969 August 1.

box 9, folder 30

"Lifting the Vail of Confusion," B.I.R.E. 1969 September

box 9, folder 31

"Avertisment," Typescript 1971.

box 9, folder 32

"Criza Comitetul National Roman," Typescript 1975 February 20.

box 9, folder 33

"La Roumanie d'aujourd'hui a Dlui Ion Ratiu," Typescript 1975 June 10.

box 9, folder 34

"Conferinta Peneuropeana de Securitate de la Helsinki," Typescript 1975 June 23.

box 9, folder 35

"Importanta lui Rene Theo si a lui B.I.R.E.," Typescript 1977 November.

box 9, folder 36

"Comunicare din Partea Dlui George Serdici, Secretarul General al Partidului National Taranesc," Typescript. Includes English translation 1982 November.

box 9, folder 37

"6 Martie 1945," B.I.R.E. 1983 March

box 9, folder 38

"Punere la Punct," Typescript 1983 April 21.

box 9, folder 39

Statement relating to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Typescript. Includes Romanian translation 1983 July 13.

box 9, folder 40

"Statement by Mr. George Serdici, Secretary General of the Romanian National Peasant Party, on the Recent Visit to Romania of Mr. George Bush, the Vice President of the United States," Typescript. Includes Romanian translation 1983 October.

box 9, folder 41

"Trading with Romania," Newsweek, Typescript 1983 December.

box 9, folder 42

"La Roumanie face au Kremlin," La Suisse 1984 August 18

box 9, folder 43

"Interview dat de catre domnul George Serdici doamnei Constatinescu si ziarului Curierul Romanesc dela Agered, Suedia," Typescript 1988 April 19.

box 9, folder 44

"Communicate," Typescript. Includes Romanian translation 1988 April.

box 9, folder 45

"Exilul Nostru Ar Putea Avea o Simnificatie," 1988 April-June

box 9, folder 46

"Vasile Serdici," Typescript 1988 June 28.

box 9, folder 47

"Romania: Communist Truths," Typescript 1989 September.

box 9, folder 48

"Communicato," Typescript 1989 May.

box 9, folder 49

"Note," Typescript 1989 July 9.

box 9, folder 50

Miscellaneous notes. Holographs and typescripts

 

SUBJECT FILE 1952-1990.

General note

Communiqués, declarations, memoranda, regulations, speeches and writings by others, studies, clippings and other printed matter

Scope and Contents note

Communiqués, declarations, memoranda, regulations, speeches and writing by others, studies, clippings and other printed matter, arranged alphabetically by subject
box 10, folder 1

B.I.R.E. (Buletin de informatie pentru romanii din exil)

box 10, folder 2

Campeanu, Radu

box 10, folder 3

Dialog

box 10, folder 4

Lambrino, Zizi

box 10, folder 5

National Peasant Party. Includes communiqués, copy of Iuliu Maniu's testament, regulations, and notes concerning the activity of the NPP's members in exile

box 10, folder 6

Pacepa, Ion

box 10, folder 7

Radio Free Europe

box 10, folder 8

Ratiu, Ion

 

Romania - Politics and government

box 10, folder 9

1944-1989

box 10, folder 10

1989-

box 10, folder 11

Romanian Nation ( La Nation roumaine). Includes German translation

box 10, folder 12

Romanians in France

box 10, folder 13-15

Miscellany

 

"NATIONAL ACTION" 1951-1970.

General note

Includes correspondence, memoranda, minutes of meetings, notes, protocols, and reports, relating to the activity of Romanians in foreign countries (Europe and the U.S.) and of the Comitetul National Roman

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, memoranda, and minutes of meetings, notes, protocols, and reports, arranged chronologically. The term "National Action" was used by Georges de Serdici to refer to the activity of Romanians in foreign countries (Europe and the U.S.)
box 11, folder 1

1951-1952

box 11, folder 2

1960-1963

box 11, folder 3-7

1964-1965

box 11, folder 8-9

1966-1970

 

LAWSUIT AGAINST CICERONE IOANITOIU 1982-1990.

General note

Correspondence with the lawyers, interpreters and witnesses; clippings; excerpts from history books; legal reports; proceedings; translations; testimonies of witnesses; miscellaneous legal evidence

Scopen and Contents note

Correspondence with the lawyers, interpreters, and witnesses; clippings; excerpts from history books; legal reports; proceedings; translations; testimonies of witnesses; miscellaneous legal evidence, arranged chronologically
box 12, folder 1

1982

box 12, folder 2-4

1983

box 12, folder 5-8

1984

box 13, folder 1-6

1985

box 14, folder 1-6

1985

box 15, folder 1-7

1986

box 16, folder 1

1987

box 16, folder 2-3

1988

box 16, folder 4

1989

box 16, folder 5

1990