I n t r o d u c t i o n

My middle name is Klim and my first name is Kalman. In Romania, I was known only by my Russian middle name Klim, while in America I am known only by my Hungarian/Jewish first name Kalman..

This is a true story of my great escape from Communist Romania at a time when leaving Romania was more than difficult, it was impossible! So for those not familiar with the political situation in Romania in the late sixties under the unscrupulous dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, we need to start with a small political background of Romania. Moving on, we continue with a little background of myself and of my efforts to legally leave Romania. The apparent insurmountable obstacles that I had to face during that period of time are revealed in chronological order.

1 9 6 9

The turning point came on Sunday April 6, 1969 --a day that triggered a frantic race against time. The next and my last six (6) days in Romania from Sunday April 6, 1969 to Saturday April 12, 1969, were critical with many traps awaiting me. After describing all this, we enter into the meat of the story -- the great escape! My first days in America and my first job in Chicago will also be part of this surreal story.

  

For your convenience, the Table of Contents (TOC) below identifies every part of the story with the corresponding page link. Thus, from this Table, which acts as your navigational center, you can access directly any part of the story. However, to truly enjoy this story, as in a mystery novel, you should not skip any of the parts. So, happy reading and, if your are ready to begin, simply click on the Continue button below.

S p e c i a l  M e m o r i a l  L i n k :

..