Mihai A. Panu | West University of Timisoara (original) (raw)

Papers by Mihai A. Panu

The rise of anti-Semitism in interwar Romania triggered an unprecedented deterioration of various... more The rise of anti-Semitism in interwar Romania triggered an unprecedented deterioration of various intrasocietal relations and a systematic radicalization of the political sphere. Especially after the outbreak of World War 2, Romania experienced major internal political and social upheavals and was also exposed to an increased external geopolitical pressure. This paper attempts to investigate a particular manifestation of anti-Semitism, namely the so-called aryanization at regional level. In Romania, the National Socialist idea of aryanization was adapted to the national socio-political circumstances and took the form of ethnically motivated Romanianization policies. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the process of transferring Jewish property into Romanian and German possession according to the implemented aryanization laws. Another important goal of the paper is to highlight the social and ideological predispositions for anti-Semitism and therefore aryanization, in multiethnic regions such as the Banat. The ideological instrumentalization of social attitudes represents an important indicator in the dynamics of anti-Semitism and simultaneously, a key aspect for understanding the emergence of anti-Semitism in particular context.

The emergence and development of radical movements in 20 th century Europe can be understood as s... more The emergence and development of radical movements in 20 th century Europe can be understood as sub-phenomena of the so called primacy of the ideology. The ideologization of social and political life in the context of emerging totalitarian regimes is strongly related to some background factors such as science, religion or education. In interwar Romania a distinct feature of ethno-nationalism resides significantly in the scientific discourse of the Romanian eugenic school. In this respect this paper attempts to highlight the type of relation between science and ideology in the context of rising Romanian interwar nationalist rhetoric. The main objective of this analysis is to answer the following question: What were the main characteristics of the Romanian eugenic movement and how did it become ideologically instrumentalized? INTRODUCERE Evenimentele majore care au influen at decisiv istoria secolului al XX-lea î i au originea de cele mai multe ori în condi ion rile structurale i evolu iile sistemice care au favorizat apari ia unui proces de hiperideologizare a sistemului social-politic european. Acest primat al ideologiei a avut, dup cum bine se tie, consecin e dramatice i de lung durat la nivel global. Patologiile sociale i politice ale secolului trecut nu pot fi pe deplin în elese doar prin restrângerea demersurilor analitice la nivelul diversit ii i structurii factorului ideologic. În acest sens, reconsiderarea importan ei pe care unele fenomene secundare elementului pur ideologic (precum religia, tiin a, educa ia) au avut-o, devine imperativ. Asemenea

This paper attempts to generally deal with the problem of national identity in interwar Romania, ... more This paper attempts to generally deal with the problem of national identity in interwar Romania, focusing primarily on the mechanisms of ethnic representation in the eugenic scientific discourse as part of this identity construction. In this respect a major objective of this analysis is to answer the following question: What is the contribution of the Romanian eugenic school in generating the national-identity related concepts such as " ethnic elite " ? The concept of " ethnic elite " is symptomatic and decisive for understanding the key factors in the process of national identity formation in 20 th century Romania.

The primacy of totalitarian ideologies in interwar Europe represents even nowadays a major histor... more The primacy of totalitarian ideologies in interwar Europe represents even nowadays a major historiographical challenge due to its multicausal character and various forms of appearance. This paper attempts to analyze the anti-Semitic phenomenon in interwar Romania primarily by taking into account its determinant factors. We assume that the emergence of radical ideologies in Central and Eastern Europe can optimally be understood if both regional and systemic causes are properly highlighted. The regional causes include local societal predispositions, ethno-cultural cleavages and speciÞ c political movements. On the other hand the systemic causes imply predominantly geopolitical factors and the repartition of power in the international system. Moreover we assume that the emergence and manifestations of extremism can be considered a direct result of political disputes between ethno-cultural groups which were systematically exposed to ideological and propaganda pressure.

The socio-political order emerging after World War I triggered some unprecedented radical phenome... more The socio-political order emerging after World War I triggered some unprecedented radical phenomena which led to a genuine primacy of totalitarian ideologies in most European countries. Romania prematurely experiences the rising pressure of both internally and externally motivated political extremism. The democratic values were therefore altered and the multiethnic national profile became a major challenge, in terms of governance potential, for the political elites of that time. This paper attempts to investigate and highlight the major role played by the Romanian integral nationalism in the process of shaping and implementing the so-called aryanization measures especially in the regions having a significant Jewish minority. Given the fact that such particular instances of Romanian anti-Semitism were insufficiently analyzed, both in Romanian and European historiography, it is scientifically relevant to proper investigate the emergence and development of aryanization by taking into account its regional manifestations.

The socio-political context of interwar Romania represents a major historiographical challenge. G... more The socio-political context of interwar Romania represents a major historiographical challenge. Given the circumstances of increased political extremism, the Romanian eugenic movement gradually became ideologically entangled. The main objective of this paper is to highlight the discursive strategies used for constructing an ideologically desirable gender identity. In this respect, concept such as national interest, gender role, ethnicity or bio-typology of women will be analyzed as part of the broader Romanian eugenic project.

The European interwar period became famous for its radical socio-political phenomena and most imp... more The European interwar period became famous for its radical socio-political phenomena and most importantly for the emergence of colliding ideological visions. This paper attempts to investigate the impact and consequences of Nazi-propaganda in interwar Romania and the key role played by the German diplomatic mission as ideological transmitter. The main goal of this analysis is to highlight how the German diplomatic structures in Romania became ideologically entangled, contributing therefore to the process of planning and supervising the Nazi propaganda campaigns.

The manifestations of political radicalism in the Romanian interwar society represented a complex... more The manifestations of political radicalism in the Romanian interwar society represented a complex and manifold phenomenon. Regions having an evident multicultural profile such as Banat experienced a rapid deterioration of the inter-societal relationships as a result of continuous ideological indoctrination and propaganda. This paper attempts to analyze the concrete manifestations of two strong interlinked phenomena, National Socialism and anti-Semitism, by investigating the related social attitudes. In this respect, the archive documents and press will be used as main documentation sources.

The interwar period represents an important historical interval for the Romanian socio-political ... more The interwar period represents an important historical interval for the Romanian socio-political configuration of the 20 th century. The multicultural character of the Romanian society after the Great Union in 1918 was seriously affected by the gradual ascension of right radical movements, especially in ethnic heterogenous regions, such as Banat. The major assumption of this analysis is that nationalism in interwar Romania was considerably influenced by the use of discursive strategies. This paper attempts to answer the following question: Which were the main discursive strategies used by the extreme-right movement in the interwar Banat press ? In this respect, the dynamic and the instances of nationalism in interwar Romania, especially in the region of Banat, represent the conceptual framework of this paper. Nevertheless the analysis is focused on the precise case of discourse strategies used in the Banat press. Therefore an important part of the paper is dedicated to the case study concerning the publication considered to be the most emblematic for the extreme-right movement in the Banat: the periodical "Svastica Banatului".

Books by Mihai A. Panu

În peisajul academic actual geopolitica începe să joace un rol din ce în ce mai important. După c... more În peisajul academic actual geopolitica începe să joace un rol din ce în ce mai important. După ce a fost exilată ani de-a rândul în sfera plină de tabuuri a conformismului ideologic, această disciplină revine în actualitate mai ales prin forţa împrejurărilor. Sfârşitul secolului al XX-lea şi începutul secolului al XXI-lea constituie o perioadă cât se poate de efervescentă din perspectiva relaţiilor internaţionale, în pofida calmului global preconizat după destrămarea blocului comunist. Cu sau fără jocuri ideologice, lumea continuă să aibă o aplecare vizibilă spre logica relaţiilor de putere, iar tentaţia conflictelor nu pare să fie înăbuşită de valurile democratizării. Despre geopolitică nu se poate vorbi întotdeauna cu detaşare sau fără rezerve. Ea a fost văzută constant ca un indicator al patologiilor puterii şi al setei expansioniste pe care au avut-o statele mai mici sau mai mari. O istorie a geopoliticii nu se subsumează relaţiilor internaţionale, dar nici nu poate fi suprapusă pe domeniul istoriei politice.

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României Capcanele ideologiei : opţiuni politice ale etn... more Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României Capcanele ideologiei : opţiuni politice ale etnicilor germani în România interbelică / ed.: Mihai A. Panu. -Cluj-Napoca : Mega, 2015 Bibliogr. Index ISBN 978-606-543-631-2 I. Panu, Mihai A (ed.) 323.1(=112.2)(498)