Holocaust-Era Mass Grave Found in Romania

Bodies of 100 Jews, including women and children, are discovered
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 5, 2010 2:09 PM CDT
Holocaust-Era Mass Grave Found in Romania
Forensic experts examine human remains in a forest near Popricani, northern Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010.   (AP Photo/ Evenimentul Zilei Daily, Vlad Stoicescu)

The bodies of roughly 100 Jews killed by Romanian troops during World War II have been found near the town of Popricani, the AP reports. The find, some 220 miles from Bucharest, offers further proof that Romanian authorities actively participated in the Holocaust—despite official attempts over the years to play down the country's collaboration with Germany.

The grave contains the bodies of men, women, and children shot in 1941, says the Elie Wiesel National Institute. Though no records existed of the site, piecemeal information began reaching historians in 2002. An initial search found nothing, but it resumed in 2009 and culminated in the find this week. About 280,000 Jews are thought to have been killed in Romania by either German or local troops during the reign of dictator Ion Antonescu, a Nazi ally.
(More mass graves stories.)

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