Nicole Valéry Grossu


Nicole Valéry Grossu was a Romanian Christian writer, journalist and anti-communist activist.

Biography

Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu was born on 4 July 1919 in Turnu Măgurele, Romania. She was a niece of Iuliu Maniu.

Early years

A graduate of the Bucharest Conservatory, Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu joined the National Peasants' Party during World War II. Between 1945-1947, she served as editor of Dreptatea, the official newspaper of the National Peasants' Party.

Detention years

Following the installation of the Communist Regime in Romania, the National Peasants' Party, along with most of the other political parties, was outlawed. On 24 August 1949 Nicoleta Valeria Bruteanu was arrested by the Communist secret police. Although she was never formally charged with or sentenced for any crime, she spent four years in prison as a political detainee. She recounted her ordeal in an autobiographical novel, titled Prisoner arise, that was originally published in French. The book was eventually translated into several languages. The Romanian movie Bless you, prison, based on this novel and directed by Nicolae Mărgineanu, was released in 2002.

Marriage

In April 1957, she married the writer and Christian activist Sergiu Grossu. In 1959, her husband was arrested by the communist authorities for his activity in Oastea Domnului, a spiritual renewal movement associated with the Romanian Orthodox Church. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but he was released after serving only three years, in 1962.

Exile

In 1969, Nicole and Sergiu Grossu were permitted to leave Romania. They eventually settled in Paris, France, after having been granted political asylum by the French Government.
There, they founded the publishing house Catacombes and served as editors of a magazine with the same name; they also founded the association La Chaine, and hosted the show "Duh şi Adevǎr" on Radio Trans-Europa, dedicated to defending religious liberty in the countries behind the Iron Curtain.

Final years

At the end of 1995, Nicole Valéry Grossu was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cell cancer primarily affecting lymph nodes. She underwent aggressive chemotherapy treatment at the Foch Hospital in Paris. Despite all efforts to save her life, she died on 14 December 1996 in Paris. Granting her deathbed wish, her husband had her mortal remains returned to Bucharest. She was laid to rest alongside her parents in the Sfânta Vineri cemetery.

Literary works