Gheorghe Gaston Marin

Gheorghe Gaston Marin (born Grossmann on April 14, 1918, Pădureni, Vaslui County) is a Romanian former communist politician who had many roles under Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej and Nicolae Ceauşescu. Late in his life, he emigrated to Israel.Fact|date=May 2008

Born into a Jewish family, Marin studied electrical engineering at Grenoble, France (between 1936 and 1941). A member of the French Resistance, he was given charge of the FTP-MOI's south-western region. In July 1944 he instigated the revolt at the dn|Tarn mines, one of the first steps in the French liberation from German occupation. In August 1944, Gaston liberated the French city of Carmaux, capturing 120 German soldiers. A few days later, he also liberated Albi, the capital of the Tarn region.Fact|date=May 2008

After the start of Communist Romania, he became Councillor of the Romanian Council of Ministers in 1945-1949 and Minister of the Economy in 1948-49; he was part of Romania's delegation to the Paris Peace Conference. From 1949 to 1954, Gaston Marin was Minister of Electrical Energy and Electrical Industry, and then, up to 1965, President of the Planning Committee. In 1955-1966, he served as President of State Committee for Nuclear Energy, and was (1962-1969) Vice-president of the Ministerial council, as well as Minister of Metallurgy, Mining, Chemistry, Transport and Telecommunications, Building, Chemical Industry, and National Trading.Fact|date=May 2008

In 1963, after attending John F. Kennedy's funeral, he established diplomatic relations with the Western world, including the United States. Those steps were highly encouraged by the US government and US President Lyndon B. Johnson, and gained Romania a privileged communist country status.Fact|date=May 2008

From 1969 to 1982, Marin was President of the Pricing Committee, until being removed from official positions by Ceauşescu, being by far the last Gheorghiu-Dej supporter to be eliminated from the Romanian government.

He had been a member of Poalei Zion in his youth and, in 1989, made aliyah (emigrated to Israel).

References

*Gheorghe Gaston Marin, "În serviciul României lui Gheorghiu-Dej. Însemnări din viaţă.", Ed. Evenimentul Românesc, Bucureşti, 2000.

External links

* [http://www.cadranpolitic.ro/supliment2.asp A Romanian-American Partnership during the Cold War]