Chamber of commerce and industry Deva

Collection

Holding institution:: National Archives of Romania, Hunedoara county directorate

Holding institution (official language):: Serviciul judeţean Hunedoara al Arhivelor Naţionale Române

Scope and content:: The fonds comprises the files of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Deva from 1924 to 1950. It includes statistics concerning the industrial and commercial firms from Hunedoara county, their social capital, fields of activity, taxes paid, merchandise traded and lists of prices. The files document the founding and closure of firms, authorisations and licenses issued. During the Second World War this institution implemented the antisemitic policy of expropriating Jewish properties, the so-called “Romanisation”. The following files contain Jewish references: File No. 5/1924 - list of registered merchants in Alba Iulia; File No. 6/1924 - list of pedlars from Alba Iulia; File No. 1/1925 - licence applications for craftsmen; No. 9/1925 - forms registered by Arad courts; No. 2/1941 - “Romanisation” of Jewish properties; File No. 3/1942 - Jewish shops taken over by Romanians; No. 17/1942 - “Romanisation” of Jewish firms.

Archival history:: The fonds was in the custody of the Popular Council of Hunedoara county, being transferred to the Hunedoara county directorate of the Romanian National Archives in 1971. It was inventoried in 2007 and made available to researchers.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Deva was founded upon the decree of 23 November 1923 of the Romanian government. Its main task was to sustain and protect the interests of the industrial and commercial firms and to promote the economic development of the area. Its obligations also included informing the state authorities about factors favouring or impeding economic activity, to register and follow up industrial and commercial firms and to present annual reports about the results in these fields. Its authority covered the enterprises and companies of Hunedoara and Alba counties. In 1934 it was subordinated to the Chamber in Arad, becoming one of its branches. This lasted until 1936 when its autonomy was restored. During the Antonescu dictatorship it became instrumental in implementing the expropriation of Jewish properties. After 1945 its former tasks from interwar period were restored until 1949 when the Communist regime put an end to the existence of these institutions.

Subject terms:: Plunder; Professions; Professions--Crafts; Trade and commerce

System of arrangement:: The fonds is organised in two series, including thematic files with records arranged in chronological order.

Finding aids:: Inventories no. 88 and 303, held by the Hunedoara county directorate of the Romanian National Archives.

Yerusha Network member:: Romanian Institute for the Research of National Minorities

Author of the description:: Tóth Levente, archivist - Protestant Theological Institute - 2019; Ladislau Gyémánt, emeritus professor - 2019