About
Ana Pauker, née Rabinsohn in 1893 into an Orthodox Jewish family, was a major figure of Romanian communism. A founding member of the Romanian Communist Party in 1921, she went into exile in the USSR, where she rose through the Comintern ranks. Arrested in Romania in 1935, she was released in 1941 in a prisoner exchange. After World War II, she became the de facto leader of the party and was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1947, becoming the first woman in the world to hold that post. She facilitated the emigration of many Romanian Jews to Israel. Victim of antisemitic purges, she was removed from power in 1952, arrested in 1953, and expelled from the party in 1954. She died in 1960 without being rehabilitated.
* 1893-12-28 — † 1960-06-03
Key milestones
- 1921Founding member of the Romanian Communist Party.
- 1947Appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, the first woman in the world to hold this position.
- 1952Removed from all positions during antisemitic purges.
Themes
CommunismAntisemitismWomen in politicsCold WarJewish emigration
Sources: oxfordreference.com · encyclopedia.yivo.org