Ceaușescu Execution Site

The military garrison at the southern edge of Târgoviște was the site of the trial and execution of Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena on Christmas Day 1989. A small museum on the grounds preserves the courtroom, the wall against which they were shot, and the bullet holes — the most visceral monument to the end of communism anywhere in Europe.

The visit is sobering rather than dramatic. The barracks are still partially used by the military, so opening hours are limited and a guide is mandatory. Visits should be arranged in advance through the town's tourist office.

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A story
The trial lasted under two hours. The judge read out the charges; Elena Ceaușescu shouted that the court was illegitimate; Nicolae refused to recognise it. Forty-five minutes later the verdicts were read, the couple were marched to the wall, and three soldiers — chosen from volunteers — fired. The bodies are preserved in the museum and a stenographic transcript of the trial is on the wall.

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