Jewish deportation from Maramures witnessed by a local pastor
EXCELLENT
Based on 48 reviews
Posted on Tripadvisor
KL LWonderful Romania a d guide -Oct 2025 Gelu was our local guide for the 10day trip in Romania. We were so lucky to have a local folk who relates very well their country cultures and values, and also an experienced journalist to tell us more about their history, He even shared his personal experience on the street protest during government changing time, that really brought the country history to life to us!!Apart from the beautiful scenery in Brasov he brought us to, and the very special Sibui houses with 'eyes' on the roofs, he told superb stories about the history and meaningful wall paintings in those churches we visited, and the highlight was at the merry cemetery at maramures,. He took the effort to explain or translate those script on the stones to allow us to appreciate the special culture there.We were like a true family during the trip!! We thoroughly enjoyed his tour.íPosted on Tripadvisor
Ron MThe best way to experience the real Transylvania Having Gelu as our guide in Romania was like travelling with a very knowledgeable good mate. That is a real bonus for the personalised tours he operates. We took this tour whose main focus is in the province of Transylvania. This region is so beautiful with much of the area in an enormous and gentle landscape but bounded by the massive Carpathian Mountain range that transcends the whole country. Its cites including Sibiu, Sighisoara and Brasov are as beautiful, historic, vibrant and welcoming, and well and truly comparable to their Western European cousins (but often without the hoards of tourists). The region's architectural highlights include remarkable sites like Peles Castle, the fortified churches of Carta and Viscri, the renowned Bran Castle, and many outstanding orthodox churches, each part of a unique European heritage. Gelu’s extensive knowledge of Romanian history, including his insights living during the Soviet era, provided a very personal perspective. Also a keen hiker, he guided us on lovely walks to the top of the mountain overlooking Brasov and walks around the stunning Balea Lake. We were treated to safe encounters with wildlife including Romania's famous bears sometimes seen even at the side of local roads. His driver George ensured comfortable transport in his spacious SUV, allowing Gelu to spend additional time commenting about life in Romania and its recent rapid modernization. Another delightful part of our journey was that several times Gelu pleasantly surprised by detouring from the planned itinerary to visit small towns or very recent renovations such as to walled town fortifications that had just opened to the public. Culinary experiences were another part of the tour, with Gelu providing expert recommendations for traditional and modern cuisine at local restaurants and cafes and we even dined with local families. Finally, with Gelu's keen enthusiasm for his job, you might find long travel days so make sure you are well rested before you start your travels! ;o)Posted on Tripadvisor
robi4513Extremely knowledgeable guides A VIP experience One of the best experiences ever.The Trandafir brothers left nothing to chance: from airport pick up to hotel reservations, entertainment, entrance fees.Posted on Tripadvisor
huiyliewPassionate, Knowledgeable and Truly Dedicated Guide We were so lucky to have Gelu as our guide in Romania! He is incredibly passionate about his country’s culture and history, and his stories brought every place to life. In Brasov and Sibiu, he seemed to know every nook and corner — from hidden alleys to the best photo spots.At the Merry Cemetery, Gelu patiently interpreted the witty tombstone inscriptions for us, helping us understand the deeper meaning behind this unique tradition. He was always patient, dedicated, and helpful — even assisting us with our luggage without hesitation.Thank you, Gelu, for making our Romania trip so memorable. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to experience Romania with a guide who truly loves and knows his country! 🇷🇴✨Posted on Tripadvisor
LoveTravel311037Traveling with Gelu If you plan to visit Romania, your first step is to contact Gelu. Gelu is an ideal guide: knowledgeable, personable, articulate, and flexible. His enthusiasm in relating the remarkable history and culture of Romania, his love of nature, his ability to connect with a wide variety of people are all evident and contagious. As a bonus, Gelu's journalistic background adds significantly to what he has to offer. In sum, your journey in Romania will be greatly enhanced by Gelu's companionship.Posted on Tripadvisor
Inspire64865233688Outstanding 12-Day Tour with Jello – Highly Recommended! Dear Jello,Thank you for planning and guiding such a wonderful 12-day trip through Transylvania, Maramureș, and Bukovina. Your professionalism, vast knowledge, and engaging style—always with patience, humor, and warmth—made the journey unforgettable.We especially enjoyed visiting unique villages, painted monasteries, palaces, and Jewish heritage sites, all while experiencing Romania’s breathtaking landscapes. Every detail, from local guides to hotel arrangements, was perfectly organized and tailored to our wishes.We will always remember you (and George the driver!) with great appreciation and warmly recommend you to anyone looking for an exceptional travel experience in Romania.Posted on Tripadvisor
Katherine CMemorable experience Great tour We visited Brasov, Sighisoara and Maramures. Each place is so unique and has its own character.Glad that we have Gelu, who escorted us throughout the tour. He is so passionate about the history and the country. I learn a lot on Romania. A very memorable experience.Posted on Tripadvisor
Lettice CGreat tour. True experience It was wonderful in joining this Transylvania tour. The sites we visited are magnificent including Sighisoara, Wooden church, Merry Cemetery, Steam train of Maramures. All have their distinct cultural characteristics. Staying at Maramures village is a very local experience and can get a good understanding of the people’s life there.More important, with Gelu as our guide, his passion and knowledge about the places enhance our understanding on Romania as a whole. It is very lucky to have the chance to meet him.Posted on TripadvisorKwok wing talon LGod bless these lovely people of Maramures This part of the world is almost completely blank to us from Hong Kong as much as Maramures to Hong Kong. It is really a good blessing to have Gelu as escorting the whole trip with us. Gelu just well planned the routes but instead of pushing, he led us to explore the local essences of these places and legendary local figures by our own approaches. He just provided the platform and we decided our own paces and determined how to mingle with many different people. It has displayed explicitly that Gelu is devoted much to the Country that raised him and he is very eager to share with us how deep he cares about these places & people.Posted on Tripadvisor
Esther KNot just any European trip A great trip to Sighisoara & Maramures with Gelu our guide who’s so passionate about Transylvanian culture & traditions. It ended up not just a trip to any European country but a truly special experience. Pleasantly surprised by how well traditions are preserved in Maramures. The cooking class, visits to the village photographer, the craftsmen, the cemetery & wooden churches, and even the horse cart ride were all close encounters with the locals & their culture. Great itinerary well thought of. We feel lucky to come across this travel agency. George who planned our trip was very responsive, came up with ideas that made our trip more enjoyable & gave us advices. They are perfect for private small groups that look for a special cultural experience in Romania.
A small family business, we offer the best experiences of Transylvania, this Romanian and European region so rich in history and cultural heritage, with an exceptional, unspoiled natural environment.
▶ Gelu Trandafir
Follow us
on Facebook
Follow us
on Twitter
@RoTourGuide
Read our reviews
on Tripadvisor
Contact us
+40-723.303.310
A shame for humanity, Jewish deportation was also a tragedy for rural Maramures. A village priest noted in his diary about the forced removal of his countrymen.
A few diary pages on display at the Ellie Wiesel Museum in Sighet bring us into the terrible weeks of April-May 1944, when about 13,000 Jews from Sighet and the villages of Maramureș were deported to Auschwitz
We are in the spring of 1944, during Holy Week. Father Grigore Dăncuș, the Romanian Greek-Catholic priest of the Botiza village, makes his usual diary entries.
On March 26, he records:This morning, at 6 A.M., it was confirmed by radio that Hungary had been occupied by German troops. This was communicated from London [ i.e. BBC Radio - London, from where Romanians got their uncensored information during the Hungarian and then German- Hungarian occupation of northern Transylvania] as early as Monday, March 20. The Romanian population that learned of the entry of German troops was frightened, saying that the Germans are worse than the Hungarians, because the Germans don't leave anything behind where they pass, they take everything with them. They don't damage anything, they just pack it up and send it to their own country.
Father Grigore Dăncuș, Botiza
April 16, 1944 (Passover) As early as about three weeks before, an order came from the top that all Jews, from the age of seven and upwards, should wear on their chests a yellow-colored star made of cloth. A few days afterward the anxiety began to prevail among the Jewish population. Anxiety grew day by day. Anxiety turned to panic in Holy Week. Nobody knew what was going to happen but they were expecting some kind of event.
A modest Jewish community poses in front of one of the many synagogues in Sighet (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)
"The Jews left the village to an unknown destination"
On Easter Sunday, April 16, 1944, at 6:30 in the morning, a patrol of gendarmes arrived in the village. There followed a meeting with the communal civil authorities, after which, at about half past 8 o'clock, it was announced by drumbeats that no Jew was allowed to leave his home for three days. Immediately after this, two commissions of gendarmes and civil authorities were formed, which commissions went from house to house, evacuating all Jews and sealing the houses, the movable property (livestock) being given to the Christians for their care and use. This lasted three days, until the third day of Passover. All the Jews were interned in the synagogue, being allowed to take with them bedclothes, two rows of blankets and food for 14 days. On the third day of Passover, they were deported from the village to Dragomirești, where the ghetto of Jews from the entire Iza [Iza valley] was formed. They were loaded onto carts which owners were forced to transport for free. This is how all of the Jews left the commune to an unknown destination.
"Some of them died marching, some of them were shot"
Today, May 22, 1944, as I am writing these lines, all the Jews are already gone from Dragomirești as well, not knowing where they will stop. They were transported from Dragomirești to the Vișeul de jos railway station. On this occasion some of them died marching, and some of them were shot as they tried to leave. At the Vișeul de Jos railway station, special German wagons were waiting for them, which had no windows, but only a simple cut in the ceiling for ventilation. In these wagons they were loaded and then locked and sealed. From here they went in the direction of Sighet, other than this, to this day, nothing is known of their fate.
"Not a single Christian was glad over the fate of the Jews, on the contrary"
We now know that four transports from Sighet to Auschwitz took place between May 16 and May 22, deporting almost 13,000 people.
Father Grigore Dăncuș from Botiza continues his diary notes:It was a great sorrow all this time. Not a single Christian was glad over the fate of the Jews, on the contrary they were pitied deeply. Although it was the feast of the Rising of the Lord whom the Jews had persecuted to death on the cross, a fact of which Christians are aware, yet immediately after their internment in the synagogue began, the Christians did not cease to bring them all kinds of food to the synagogue. And this they did not only while the Jews were here [i.e. in their Botiza village], but also after they were transported to Dragomirești. And there women went almost every day and brought them food. They also received food from the priest's family. The only person who rejoiced at this event was secretary Bodnar [maybe he was the secretary of the local town hall], a Hungarian.
VIDEO: The traumatic memories of the deportation of Jews from Maramures
7-DAY PRIVATE TOUR: Join our time-travel machine to discover MARAMURES and the SAXON HEARTLAND of Transylvania
Surdesti wooden church: 300 years of carpentry craftsmanship
Visit the Desesti wooden church to feast your eyes
Rural MARAMURES
Magical places to stay in Transylvania: BREB village
A shame for humanity, Jewish deportation was also a tragedy for rural Maramures. A village priest noted in his diary about the forced removal of his countrymen.
EXCELLENTBased on 48 reviewsPosted on TripadvisorKL LWonderful Romania a d guide -Oct 2025 Gelu was our local guide for the 10day trip in Romania. We were so lucky to have a local folk who relates very well their country cultures and values, and also an experienced journalist to tell us more about their history, He even shared his personal experience on the street protest during government changing time, that really brought the country history to life to us!!Apart from the beautiful scenery in Brasov he brought us to, and the very special Sibui houses with 'eyes' on the roofs, he told superb stories about the history and meaningful wall paintings in those churches we visited, and the highlight was at the merry cemetery at maramures,. He took the effort to explain or translate those script on the stones to allow us to appreciate the special culture there.We were like a true family during the trip!! We thoroughly enjoyed his tour.íPosted on TripadvisorRon MThe best way to experience the real Transylvania Having Gelu as our guide in Romania was like travelling with a very knowledgeable good mate. That is a real bonus for the personalised tours he operates. We took this tour whose main focus is in the province of Transylvania. This region is so beautiful with much of the area in an enormous and gentle landscape but bounded by the massive Carpathian Mountain range that transcends the whole country. Its cites including Sibiu, Sighisoara and Brasov are as beautiful, historic, vibrant and welcoming, and well and truly comparable to their Western European cousins (but often without the hoards of tourists). The region's architectural highlights include remarkable sites like Peles Castle, the fortified churches of Carta and Viscri, the renowned Bran Castle, and many outstanding orthodox churches, each part of a unique European heritage. Gelu’s extensive knowledge of Romanian history, including his insights living during the Soviet era, provided a very personal perspective. Also a keen hiker, he guided us on lovely walks to the top of the mountain overlooking Brasov and walks around the stunning Balea Lake. We were treated to safe encounters with wildlife including Romania's famous bears sometimes seen even at the side of local roads. His driver George ensured comfortable transport in his spacious SUV, allowing Gelu to spend additional time commenting about life in Romania and its recent rapid modernization. Another delightful part of our journey was that several times Gelu pleasantly surprised by detouring from the planned itinerary to visit small towns or very recent renovations such as to walled town fortifications that had just opened to the public. Culinary experiences were another part of the tour, with Gelu providing expert recommendations for traditional and modern cuisine at local restaurants and cafes and we even dined with local families. Finally, with Gelu's keen enthusiasm for his job, you might find long travel days so make sure you are well rested before you start your travels! ;o)Posted on Tripadvisorrobi4513Extremely knowledgeable guides A VIP experience One of the best experiences ever.The Trandafir brothers left nothing to chance: from airport pick up to hotel reservations, entertainment, entrance fees.Posted on TripadvisorhuiyliewPassionate, Knowledgeable and Truly Dedicated Guide We were so lucky to have Gelu as our guide in Romania! He is incredibly passionate about his country’s culture and history, and his stories brought every place to life. In Brasov and Sibiu, he seemed to know every nook and corner — from hidden alleys to the best photo spots.At the Merry Cemetery, Gelu patiently interpreted the witty tombstone inscriptions for us, helping us understand the deeper meaning behind this unique tradition. He was always patient, dedicated, and helpful — even assisting us with our luggage without hesitation.Thank you, Gelu, for making our Romania trip so memorable. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to experience Romania with a guide who truly loves and knows his country! 🇷🇴✨Posted on TripadvisorLoveTravel311037Traveling with Gelu If you plan to visit Romania, your first step is to contact Gelu. Gelu is an ideal guide: knowledgeable, personable, articulate, and flexible. His enthusiasm in relating the remarkable history and culture of Romania, his love of nature, his ability to connect with a wide variety of people are all evident and contagious. As a bonus, Gelu's journalistic background adds significantly to what he has to offer. In sum, your journey in Romania will be greatly enhanced by Gelu's companionship.Posted on TripadvisorInspire64865233688Outstanding 12-Day Tour with Jello – Highly Recommended! Dear Jello,Thank you for planning and guiding such a wonderful 12-day trip through Transylvania, Maramureș, and Bukovina. Your professionalism, vast knowledge, and engaging style—always with patience, humor, and warmth—made the journey unforgettable.We especially enjoyed visiting unique villages, painted monasteries, palaces, and Jewish heritage sites, all while experiencing Romania’s breathtaking landscapes. Every detail, from local guides to hotel arrangements, was perfectly organized and tailored to our wishes.We will always remember you (and George the driver!) with great appreciation and warmly recommend you to anyone looking for an exceptional travel experience in Romania.Posted on TripadvisorKatherine CMemorable experience Great tour We visited Brasov, Sighisoara and Maramures. Each place is so unique and has its own character.Glad that we have Gelu, who escorted us throughout the tour. He is so passionate about the history and the country. I learn a lot on Romania. A very memorable experience.Posted on TripadvisorLettice CGreat tour. True experience It was wonderful in joining this Transylvania tour. The sites we visited are magnificent including Sighisoara, Wooden church, Merry Cemetery, Steam train of Maramures. All have their distinct cultural characteristics. Staying at Maramures village is a very local experience and can get a good understanding of the people’s life there.More important, with Gelu as our guide, his passion and knowledge about the places enhance our understanding on Romania as a whole. It is very lucky to have the chance to meet him.Posted on TripadvisorKwok wing talon LGod bless these lovely people of Maramures This part of the world is almost completely blank to us from Hong Kong as much as Maramures to Hong Kong. It is really a good blessing to have Gelu as escorting the whole trip with us. Gelu just well planned the routes but instead of pushing, he led us to explore the local essences of these places and legendary local figures by our own approaches. He just provided the platform and we decided our own paces and determined how to mingle with many different people. It has displayed explicitly that Gelu is devoted much to the Country that raised him and he is very eager to share with us how deep he cares about these places & people.Posted on TripadvisorEsther KNot just any European trip A great trip to Sighisoara & Maramures with Gelu our guide who’s so passionate about Transylvanian culture & traditions. It ended up not just a trip to any European country but a truly special experience. Pleasantly surprised by how well traditions are preserved in Maramures. The cooking class, visits to the village photographer, the craftsmen, the cemetery & wooden churches, and even the horse cart ride were all close encounters with the locals & their culture. Great itinerary well thought of. We feel lucky to come across this travel agency. George who planned our trip was very responsive, came up with ideas that made our trip more enjoyable & gave us advices. They are perfect for private small groups that look for a special cultural experience in Romania.
A few diary pages on display at the Ellie Wiesel Museum in Sighet bring us into the terrible weeks of April-May 1944, when about 13,000 Jews from Sighet and the villages of Maramureș were deported to Auschwitz
We are in the spring of 1944, during Holy Week. Father Grigore Dăncuș, the Romanian Greek-Catholic priest of the Botiza village, makes his usual diary entries.
On March 26, the local pastor records:This morning, at 6 A.M., it was confirmed by radio that Hungary had been occupied by German troops. This was communicated from London [ i.e. BBC Radio - London, from where Romanians got their uncensored information during the Hungarian and then German- Hungarian occupation of northern Transylvania] as early as Monday, March 20. The Romanian population that learned of the entry of German troops was frightened, saying that the Germans are worse than the Hungarians, because the Germans don't leave anything behind where they pass, they take everything with them. They don't damage anything, they just pack it up and send it to their own country.
Father Grigore Dăncuș, Botiza
April 16, 1944 (Passover) As early as about three weeks before, an order came from the top that all Jews, from the age of seven and upwards, should wear on their chests a yellow-colored star made of cloth. A few days afterward the anxiety began to prevail among the Jewish population. Anxiety grew day by day. Anxiety turned to panic in Holy Week. Nobody knew what was going to happen but they were expecting some kind of event.
A modest Jewish community poses in front of one of the many synagogues in Sighet (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)
"The Jews left the village to an unknown destination"
On Easter Sunday, April 16, 1944, at 6:30 in the morning, a patrol of gendarmes arrived in the village. There followed a meeting with the communal civil authorities, after which, at about half past 8 o'clock, it was announced by drumbeats that no Jew was allowed to leave his home for three days. Immediately after this, two commissions of gendarmes and civil authorities were formed, which commissions went from house to house, evacuating all Jews and sealing the houses, the movable property (livestock) being given to the Christians for their care and use. This lasted three days, until the third day of Passover. All the Jews were interned in the synagogue, being allowed to take with them bedclothes, two rows of blankets and food for 14 days. On the third day of Passover, they were deported from the village to Dragomirești, where the ghetto of Jews from the entire Iza [Iza valley] was formed. They were loaded onto carts which owners were forced to transport for free. This is how all of the Jews left the commune to an unknown destination.
"Some of them died marching, some of them were shot"
Today, May 22, 1944, as I am writing these lines, all the Jews are already gone from Dragomirești as well, not knowing where they will stop. They were transported from Dragomirești to the Vișeul de jos railway station. On this occasion some of them died marching, and some of them were shot as they tried to leave. At the Vișeul de Jos railway station, special German wagons were waiting for them, which had no windows, but only a simple cut in the ceiling for ventilation. In these wagons they were loaded and then locked and sealed. From here they went in the direction of Sighet, other than this, to this day, nothing is known of their fate.
"Not a single Christian was glad over the fate of the Jews, on the contrary"
We now know that four transports from Sighet to Auschwitz took place between May 16 and May 22, deporting almost 13,000 people.
Father Grigore Dăncuș from Botiza continues his diary notes:It was a great sorrow all this time. Not a single Christian was glad over the fate of the Jews, on the contrary they were pitied deeply. Although it was the feast of the Rising of the Lord whom the Jews had persecuted to death on the cross, a fact of which Christians are aware, yet immediately after their internment in the synagogue began, the Christians did not cease to bring them all kinds of food to the synagogue. And this they did not only while the Jews were here [i.e. in their Botiza village], but also after they were transported to Dragomirești. And there women went almost every day and brought them food. They also received food from the priest's family. The only person who rejoiced at this event was secretary Bodnar [maybe he was the secretary of the local town hall], a Hungarian.
VIDEO: The traumatic memories of the deportation of Jews from Maramures
7-DAY PRIVATE TOUR: Join our time-travel machine to discover MARAMURES and the SAXON HEARTLAND of Transylvania
Surdesti wooden church: 300 years of carpentry craftsmanship
Visit the Desesti wooden church to feast your eyes
Rural MARAMURES
Magical places to stay in Transylvania: BREB village
A small family business, we offer the best experiences of Transylvania, this Romanian and European region so rich in history and cultural heritage, with an exceptional, unspoiled natural environment.
▶ Gelu Trandafir
Follow us
on Facebook
Follow us
on Twitter
@RoTourGuide
Read our reviews
on Tripadvisor
Contact us
+40-723.303.310
