On December 1,
\n2021, the Central Bank of Romania issued a new bank bill worth 20 Lei, that is
\napproximately 4 Euro, featuring Ecaterina Teodoroiu, a heroine of the First
\nWorld War. Also in December last year, the government adopted a law whereby
\n2022 is devoted to Smaranda Br\u0103escu, the first female parachute jumper. The two
\nfigures pay homage to the heritage and efforts of Romanian women throughout
\nhistory and a tribute to those who gave their lives alongside men. Ecaterina
\nTeodoroiu and Smaranda Br\u0103escu were two women who experienced great hardships,
\nyet had the strength to continue pursuing their passion and vocation.<\/p>\n
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Ecaterina
\nTeodoroiu was the heroine-symbol of the First World War. The woman-soldier who
\ndidn’t want to stay behind the frontline, but always sought to be in the heat
\nof battle, Ecaterina Teodoroiu was born in 1894 in Gorj County into a peasant
\nfamily. She was a hardworking pupil, and before getting admitted in a
\nhigh-school in Bucharest, where she wanted to become a teacher, she graduated
\nthe German school in T\u00e2rgu Jiu. She also enrolled in a medical school for
\nnurses. Romania entered the war in August 1916, a decision met with enthusiasm by
\nthe population, many young people choosing to enlist. Ecaterina Teodoroiu was
\namong them, signing up for the hard life of war. For her participation in the battles,
\nEcaterina was decorated and promoted to lieutenant, second class. On August 22,
\n1917, her regiment got stormed by the German army, sending the Romanian army on
\nthe retreat. Ecaterina Teodoroiu got shot in the head by two bullets fired from
\na machine gun. She died on the spot. Historian Ioan Scurtu says Ecaterina
\nTeodoroiu became a legend of the Great War. <\/p>\n
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Ever since
\n1917-1918, Ecaterina Teodoroiu became a legend. Those who fought beside her,
\npart of her own unit, told stories of her bravery, courage and heroics. The fact
\nthat a woman got to fight in actual battles become highly symbolic. When she
\ngot out of hospital, she got requests to stay work for the Red Cross together
\nwith other women, including Queen Mary, but she refused. She said she belonged
\non the frontline, was eager to stay and fight. In 1921, as Romania marked 100
\nyears since Tudor Vladimirescu’s uprising, her earthly remains were transported
\nto the monument in M\u0103r\u0103\u0219e\u0219ti in T\u00e2rgu Jiu. A special sarcophagus was built in
\nher honor by sculptor Mili\u021ba P\u0103tra\u0219cu. King Ferdinand and Queen Mary, historian
\nNicolae Iorga, Marshal Alexandru Averescu as well as everyone who contributed
\nto leading Romania and building a symbol for the 800,000 Romanians who died in
\nthe war, sought to praise Ecaterina Teodoroiu. <\/p>\n
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Smaranda Br\u0103escu
\nwas born in 1897 in Tecuci, eastern Romania. She was the first woman-pilot, the
\nfirst woman-parachute jumper and the first woman to train military pilots in
\nRomania. She displayed true grit and followed her passion with extraordinary
\ntenacity. She became European champion in parachute jumping in 1931 at the age
\nof 34, when she jumped 6,000 meters, setting a new European record, as well as world
\nchampion in 1932, when she jumped 7,400 meters at the Sacramento tournament in
\nthe United States, setting a world record that would last 20 years. She is the
\nrecipient of the Aeronautics Virtue Order, Golden Cross class. She was equally
\ndevoted to her intellectual training. Smaranda graduated the Fine Arts Academy
\nin Bucharest, the decorative art and ceramics department. <\/p>\n
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Ana-Maria
\nSireteanu, Smaranda Br\u0103escu’s great granddaughter, recalls Smaranda Br\u0103escu\u021bs
\nstrength of character could not be broken even after a very serious accident: <\/p>\n
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In Satu Mare, after
\na jump, her parachute swept her away and she injured both her legs. This could
\nalso be a sign for anyone looking for earthly remains, as her leg injuries
\nwould show. She spent 5 months in the hospital and a very talented doctor
\nperformed surgery and she managed to recover. 7 months later, after having
\nsustained such extensive injuries, she managed to set the European and world
\nrecords, in 1931 and 1932. That is evidence of her extraordinary motivation and
\nwillingness to bring glory to her country. <\/p>\n
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During the war,
\nSmaranda was a member of the famous white squadron, a squadron of medivac
\nplanes on the eastern front and later on the western front in Transylvania,
\nHungary and Czechoslovakia. She signed a memorandum condemning the rigged
\nelections of November 1946. Wanted by the communist authorities, Smaranda Br\u0103escu
\ndisappeared. She is thought to have spent the last days of her life at a
\nnunnery, dying on February 2, 1948, aged 51. (VP)<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ecaterina Tedoroiu and Smaranda Br\u0103escu continued to serve as role-models long after their death<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":131393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41141],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-131392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-history-show"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n