Vacations under Socialism
Annotation
In this oral history interview conducted in Braşov, Romania, during the summer of 2003, “E” discusses traveling under Socialism. She notes that, despite the fact that the country was led by an uneducated dictator, people—that is working people—always received a two week, state-subsidized vacation. Since this benefit is no longer guaranteed by the State, a number of women felt this aspect of life was better under Socialism because everyone was guaranteed days of rest.
This source is a part of the Women in Romania teaching module.
Text
Vacations under Socialism
E. born 1948, office worker under communism, currently a homemaker, married, one child,
interviewed in Braşov, Romania, summer, 2003.
[We had] 15 days minimum of vacation. We would do a tour: “Now we’ll go to Moldavia and visit all the
monasteries and we’ll stop at the Black Sea”.... It was very curious... we had a crazy dictator with a fourth
grade education, that is he didn’t have schooling... but... until 1976, you found everything in stores... the
Black Sea, the Romanian coast was full... I can’t say that this period was bad, because women had jobs,
earned money... you were entitled to a ticket of rest.... I went with my husband and in 12 days we saw
Kiev, Leningrad, and Moscow.
Source: Anonymous Interviewee, interview by Jill Massino, oral histories, Brasov, Romania (Summer,
2003), tape, Indiana University Institute for the Study of History and Memory.
Credits
Anonymous Interviewee, interview by Jill Massino, oral histories, Brasov, Romania (Summer, 2003), tape, Indiana University Institute for the Study of History and Memory.