Cahul district prefecture and its subordinated preturas and town halls

According to the 1918 act of union of Bessarabia with Romania, there were introduced changes in the territorial-administrative division of the territory between Prut and Dniester rivers. The territory of Bessarabia was divided into counties, which were divided into several districts. The lower administrative unit was a commune, which united several localities. At the head of each district, there were the prefects. District prefectures managed political, administrative, and economic life of the district. The prefectures had several district councils (apart from various departments) which consisted of five committees: a control and administrative committee, a financial committee, an economic committee, a committee of cults and education, a committee of sanitation, a committee of public works (of construction). Administration of the subordinated preturas was headed by a sub-prefect with its own staff of officials - a sub-prefecture. In 1925, the post of sub-prefect was abolished and the post of praetor was introduced. Management of the subordinated preturas has become known as a pretura. The Pretura did not have any structural subdivisions, nor did it use the right of a legal entity. All of these bodies ceased to exist in Bessarabia in 1940, but were returned in 1941-44. In 1941-44 Romania also included territory between the rivers Bug and Dniester. The territory of the left bank of the Dniester river was divided into 3 districts: Dubasari, Ribnita, and Tiraspol. Documents of archival funds of prefectures, subordinated preturas and city halls are not fully preserved. 

Based on the EHRI NARM 2067.1 entry in Romanian and the USHMM RG-54.006M finding aid 

Cahul district prefecture and its subordinated preturas and town halls 

Translated by Anastasia Felcher 

Îndrumătorul Arhivei Naţionale a Republicii Moldova (partea II-a, 1918 – începutul secolului XXI, ediţia a II-a, revăzută şi completată). Chişinău, 2012: 38 

3861 items 

The inquiring file on the requests of the locals of Leova to get their Romanian citizenship reconfirmed; the requests and various identifying documents of Jewish people asking to be confirmed their Romanian citizenship (several photographs included); the list of inhabitants of Iargora village who received Romanian citizenship in 1924 (the lists contains some Jewish names and numerous German names, most of them are registered as “repatriated”, sometimes “missing”; personal files of the public servant of prefecture – Herțenștein Clara; personal files of the public servant of pretura plasei Ștefan cel Mare ‐ Șvarț Ita et al. 

NARM 

Public access, no restrictions on access 

Restrictions on use. Fair use only. Use only for scientific purposes (not for commercial use) 

Copies at USHMM RG-54.006M