GENERAL INFORMATION ON SIGHET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A063600290001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 1, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 24, 1962
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the IInited States within the me
19, U.9.0. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which is any manner to an unauth
COUNTRY Rumania C.~ ~ /~
SUBJECT General In ormation on
Sighet
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
1., Sighet (4756N - 2353E) is a district capital in the province
of Maramures: (At the beginning of 1961, the historical
names were again applied to a number of provinces. For
example, Baia ,Mare reverted to its .previous name', Maramures;
Oradea to Crisana; and Timisoara to Banat.) In mid-August
1961,th7~~population of Sighet numbered 20,000'including
about 10,000 Hungarians, 8,000 Rumanians and 2,000
Ruthenians. During the early 1940''s the city had supported
a population of some 35,000.
2. During the period from World War II to mid-1961, there was
no development of the city .except for the construction of
four blocks of workers' housing,?which were erected"for the
employees of the lumber processing trust. In recent years,
there had been much talk about establishing a~ large combine
connected with the lumber industry in Sighet but, by mid-
1961, nothing had been done along that line.?
3. Along the Rumanian-Soviet frontier, 'which was about one~kilo-=
meter from Sighet, was a strip of plowed earth about four to
five. meters wide which was replowed after.it had-'rained or ,"~.
after it had been disturbed by footprints. The frontier
was also marked by a mesh fence about 1.5 meters high, along
which, at 500-meter intervals, stood watch towers manned by
the Frontier Guards: The frontier guards.of both~~countries
maintained patrols on their respective sides of the border
and, when necessary, met by the bridge at Camara la'S,ighe-t
(4756N - 2355E),
4. Sighet wad' a transshipment station, especially for goods
moving between the USSR and Rumania. There were no facilities
STATE I X I ARMY I X I NAVY Ix
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X";'field distribution by "#".)
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REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR. ;;2;4; July 1962
NO. PAGES 6
REFERENCES RD
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for changing the wheels of rolling stock, .but three .of the
seven tracks in Sighet station were of broad (Soviet) gauge.
Two Soviet rail lines entered Sighet, as follows;
a. The main line from Teresva (4800N - 2342E) entered
Rumania at the village of Cimpulung La Tisa (4759N - 2346E).
Trains on that line were boarded by Rumanian frontier
guards at the bridge over the Tisa River, about two kilo-
meters from Cimpulung La Tisa.
b. The second liner from Ocna Slatina (probably Slatina-
Doly at 4758N - 2352E) in the USSR crossed .into Rumania
at Camara La Sighet, some three kilometers from Sighet9
and continued on to Teresva and Kralovo (Korolevo,
4809N - 2308E), Since the bridge at Camara La Sighet was
very weak and could not support more than four railroad
cars9~the line was used only for switching cars from place
to place.
5.
Following are details about changes of street names in Si het:
g
Present name Former Rumanian name Former Hungarian name
Strada Crisan
Strada Crisan
`
Raktar Ucca
Strada 23 Aug
ust
Str. Mihail Pavel
S "
zlatinai Ut
Calea Republi
cii
Str. Rege.le
'
Lonyai Ut
Strada Garii
Ferdinand
Strada Garii
A1lomas Ucca ,
Str. 30 Decemb
rie
Str, Regele Caro l
Szel Ucca
Strada 1~Mai
Strada Regina Maria
Sajto Ucca
Str . Dx'agos Vo
da
Str . Dargos Voda
K
amarai Ut
Strada Tisei
Strada Tisei
Tisza, Ucca
Str, Partidulu
i
S:t:r. Cimitirului
Temeto Ucca
Str . Mihai '~~ '.~':
Viteazu
, ,r ~ :.
l
. Str . Mihai
Viteazul
_
Liceum Ucca
Str. Vasile
Alecsandri
Str. Gheorghe ~c;.,~ tc
C
Str. Vasile
Alecsandri
;~Str. Gheorghe
Szinhaz Ucca
I a
Ut
osbuc
Cosbuc
r
P
Piata Republicii
Strada Perl
,Strada Stalin
Str. Bogdan .Voda
Str. Lenin
8iata Unirii
Piata Liberi~atii
Not known
Not known
Str. Bogdan Voda
Not known
S-E-C_R_F_m
Foter
Not known
Not known
Rakoczi Ut
Szilagyi Istvan Ut
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Str. Deportatilor
Not known
Zsido Ucca
Str. Ion.Creanga
Str. Ion Creanga
Teglas Ucca
Not known
St. Tache Ionescu
Torvenyszek Ucca
Not known
Not known
Korona Ucca
Str. Petofi
Str. Gradina Morii
Malomkert Ucca
Sirx. Avram Iancu
Str. Avram Iancu
Not known
Str. Ghiorghi
Dimitroy
. Str. Spitalului
Korhaz Ucca
Str. Ghemrghe~- .
_.
Str. Gheorghe
Asztalos.Sandor
Sincai
Sincai
Ucca
Str. Gheorghe Doja
Str. Karl Marx
Strada 9 Mai
Str. Mihai
Kogilniceanu
~Str. Filimon Sirbu
Str. Plugarilor
Str. Izei
Str. Titu
Maiorescu
Not known
Str. Octavian Goga
Not known
Str. Mihai
Kogilniceanu
Str. Abatorului
Str. Plugarilor
Str. Izei
Str. Titu
Maiorescu
Rozsa Ucca
Fe lsokert al j a Ucca
Timar Ucca
Tanar Ucca
Banzsalgo Ucca.
Foldmuves .Ucca
Iza Ucca
Szalavan Ucca
6. Locations and descriptions of public institutions in Sighet
in mid-~96fi were as follows:
a. The municipal council (Sfatul .Popular Orasenesc) was ,in
the former City Ha119 a one-story building on Piata
Republicii, The Civil Defense Organization (ALA) and the
Association of Volunteers for Aiding in.t;he Defense of the
Homeland (AVSAP) were also :located in .this building.
b. A one-story building (200 by 30 meters) on Piata
Republicii.contained9 in .one wing9 the -income .tax bureau
on the first floor and the District Trade Union Council
~~
on the groundfloor. That wing had formerly housed only
the income :tax bureau. Another wing, which previously
had served as the Prefectura9 was occupied by the District
Council offices. ~.
c.
The
in
had
District Headquarters .of the Securitate was located
a former private home on Strada Mihai Viteazul which
only one floor and was about 10 meters .square.
d.
The district and city Militia offices were .in a.one-story
building about 15 meters square which stood near .the
~Securitate Headquarters.
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e. The.single-story building (20 by 15 meters) which had once
housed only the central post office and the telegraph
office, contained the central telephone exchange .as well
in mid-1961. The city's telephones were semi-automatic ?
though the work of making .them fully automatic was already
in progress. The telephone numbers .ran from l to 900.
?.? The central telephone exchange maintained a special depart-
ment w1i~Lch handled connections .with the USSR, The line
used for .that purpose was supported by black, wooden poles
and ran along,?S.trada 23 August, Strada Ghiorghi Dimitrov
and St?r~ada Gheorghe Sincai to the telephone e~c.hange on
Strada Bogdan Voda, then along Strada Bogdan Voda toward
Cluj and Bucharest.
f. The city and district committees .of the Communist Party
and the Union of Working Youth (UTM) were.in a building.
(12 by 10 meters) on :Strada Partidului constructed by t;he
Hungarians during World War II for the road-paving de -
partment.
The city and district courts, the prosecution, the notary
public and the .lawyers' office were in a two-story
building at irhe corner of Strada Bq~dan Voda and the former
?Strada Tache Ionescu.
h. The prison, a very large two-story building, stood between
;Strada Gheorghe Sincai.and the building housing the city
and district courts. This penal institut-ion .was known
for .its very strict discipline, and the .inmates. were all
serving long terms. Iul_iu Maniu and Ion Mihalach~ had
once been imprisoned there. ,
i. The district branches of the State Bank ..and the Agri-
cultural Bank were in the one-story building on Calea
Republicii at the corner of Strada Mihai Viteazul which
had, once housed the National Bank.' The Investments Bank
had been transferred from .Sighet .to .Viseul De :mss .(4.743.N-
,,,. 2426E),l
7, ~ In, mid-19,61, the city's schools..?~vere located as follows
a, A coeducation school with 11 grades ,operated .in a two-?
story building (30 by 20 meters),on Strada Mihai Viteazul
at the corner of Strada Filimon $irbu. Unti1.1959, the
school had maintained a department in which the language
of instruction was Hungarian. After the Bolyai University
in Cluj was closed down, however, the authorities had dis-
banded that department on the grounds that, since-the
Hungarian=~lan~uage university no longer existed, students
speaking Hungarian should become accustomed to studying
in Rumanian so they would be able.to continue their studies
at the university level without difficulty.
b. The teachers' college was located in a one-story building
(70 by 20 meters) on Strada Partidului at the corner o,f
Piata Republicii.
c. The Forestry Technicians' School occupied three one-story
buildings on ?Strada Partidului..
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8. The following .military installations were located in ;.Sighet:
a. Barracks .in a number of one and two-story buildings,
within a compound of about 500 by 300 meters located on
:Strada Dragos.V'oda, housed a regiment of Frontier"Guards.
The barracks ,had previously ,been occupied by the Fifth
Mountain Artillery Battalion, the Ninth Mountain Infantry
Battalion, and the tenth Mountain Infantry Battalion.
The headquarters.of the town garrison force was also at
the same location.
b. The quarters ,of the local fire fighting brigade were in
a large .one-story building on .Strada Bogdan Voda, opposite
Strada Dragos Voda. The brigade consisted of 50-60
soldiers and was ,equipped with two fire-trucks.
c. The military commissariat was .in a former private house,
with only one floor, on;Sarada Gheorghe.
9. The ~luncitoresc movie .thea`~er~,wirth a capac"ity ,of about 600,
was located at the corner of Piata ftepublicii, between
Strada Bogdan Voda and .Strada Deportatilor. .Films .were
~thvwn at 1700, 1900. and 2100 hours ,throughout the week, and
on :Sundays there was also a matinee performance at :1500 hours.
Occasionally the building was also used .for theatrical per-
formances, public meetings, etc. In mid-191 a theater was
under construction at the cultural center, replacing the
former secondary sc,hool.of the Reformed Church.
.10. Industrial plants in:Sighet included the following:
a. The U.I,L, No. 1 was .a ,lumber processing plant which also
produced boards and .boxes. It-was located between~~Strada
Crisan and the .railroad station and employed about 400
workers in three shifts.
b. The Comraiprod plant, on :Strada Dragos .Voda, employed
approximately 350 .workers .in two shifts .and produced boxes
barrels and furniture.
c. The Unitatea plant produced knitted-wear. It was located
on :_Strada Mihai Viteazul and employed some 4.00 workers.
Its dyeing department was.on.Strada.Bogdan Voda opposite
the post office, where another factory,of the same type
was ,being established.
d. Partizanul brush factory on~Strada Avram Iancu at the
.corner .of Strada Ghiorghi.Dimitrov also employed .about
400 workers.
e. The~old hydroelectric power station on the.Tisa Riven at
~~Strada 23 August was no .longer in .use. A new one', which
was.activ~.ted at the end of 1960, was .located .near Piata
Tirgului on Strada Bogdan Voda. Sighet used 220.volt
alternating current, but was not connected with the
.national grid. The city did .not suffer from power shortages.
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11. Sighet contained the following medical institutions:
a. The state hospital occupied .a very large site .bounded by
Strada Ghiorghi Dimitrov, Strada Avram Iancu and the rail-
road tracks. It contained all the usual .wards, including
maternity and tuberculosis wards, as .well as an insane,
asylum and a branch of the national organization of pre-
ventive medicine, Sanepid. With 1,000 beds, the hospital
was inadequate for the .demands made on it and was frequently
so crowded that two patients .were placed in the same bed.
b. The children's hospital, a two-story building with a
capacity of .150, stood on the bank of the Tiza River at the
end of Strada Petofi.
c,. The blood bank was located on Strada Gheorghe Sincai,.be-
hind the fire fighting brigade.
12. The district u~ehicular transport company (IRTA) garages were
on Strada 23 August, opposite the old power station. The
IRTA station was near the Signet railway station.
13~ large-size sketch of the layout
' o ~ own of Si
h
t
g
e
showing the locations of the :various
institutions and industrial plants.
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1.
Railroad station
2.
Strad~riaan
3.
Strada 23 Anguat
1~.
Calsa Republicif
5.
Galles (~ari3
6.
Calea 30 Jbcembrie
7.
Calea 1 Mad
8.
Ca1ea Dragoa Voda
9.
Caalea Tiaei
10.
Calea Pai^tidului
]1.
Calea Mihai Titeaeul
12.
Calea Taaile Alecaandri
13.
Ca7.ea 2udor Tladimireacu
],li.
Caalsa aheorghe Coabua
15.
Plata 8epnblicii
16.
Plata Partidului
17.
Plata Pert
18.
Plata Stalixi
19.
Plata Bogdan Toda
20.
Plata Lenin
21.
Plata Deportatilor
22.
Plata Ion Creanga
23.
Formerly 8trada ~3che Toaeacu
2It.
Formerly corona IIeca
25.
Strada PetotY
~~~
%~3td~~ ~ . ~.~ autanatlc
Aorra,,~ w~:n& _ and
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26. Strada Avram Iancu
Pate 2 of Lea~*+A-
2~. Strada ~3.orghi Dimi~
28. Strada t$eorghe 3ittcai
29. 3trada Gheorghe Doha
30. Formerly Fecake Ucca and ~tilla Ucca
31. Formerly Pacairta Ucca
32. Strada Karl Marx
33. Strada 9 Mai
3~. Strada Mihail aogilnicear~,
35. Strada Pilimon 5~,~
36. 3trada Iasi
37. Strada Plugari,7,or
38. Strada Titu Maiorescu
39. U.S.L. I~r. 1 (lumber Pr'oces sing plant
'~? Drurracka of Frontier O'uarda regent and head carte
1~1 Camara La S q ra
igtiet railroad station
~t2. Compraiprod Factor3r
43. Fire brigade
fit. Securitate Headquarters
b5. Militia offices
~. Coeducational 11-year wool
~t7. City and I},bytrict Party $~ ~ Co~ni.tteea
48. Municipal Counoil, AT.A and ASAP oPf3cea
!t9? Inaome tax bureau and district trade
union council
50. District Council
51. Reformed Church
d.c?14d~~i f~ ~'~ 3u~s,7all~NNNi
dcaa;,r~ ?~3 and
aealeasiiicatloo
of town
8ar'r'iaot~-
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53. Central post offiae~ telegraph office and central telephone exchange
5l~. State and Agricultural banks
55. savings Hank
56. Teachers ~ Co].legs
57. Forestry techn9.cians~ school
58. Dyeing department oY the Unitatea Factory and a similar factory urjder
59. iinitatea Factory construction
60. Partisanul P1artE
61. Old power station
62. New power station
63'. 11-year U1crs~t.nian school
61i. Cultural center (under construction)
65. Muncitoreso Movie Theater
66. Courts, eta.
67. Prison
68. State hospital
69. Childrsn~s hospital
70. Blood bank
71. Garages o~ the District Transport Compar~r (I.R. T.A. )
?2. Station of the District Transport Compau~r (I.R.T.A.)
?3. Cematery
7~t. Cec~etery
75. Church
76. Church
77. Church
Pa~s~ oZ Legend
52. Military commissariat
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?8. ]rza River
79. To Salva aad Clv~
80. ~'o Borea and Viaetil ,tie, Sir
81. Tv Baraa and Viz~eut Ds Apr
82. Tioa River
~; ?
--- ; aUPans4lr?
~~~~~ ~;n~ ;~U
;~ _ Uc`:wiu^~tfat
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