Oliviu Gherman

Oliviu Gherman
Member of the National Salvation Front Council
In office 22 December 1989 – 26 December 1989
President of the Senate of Romania
In office 22 October 1992 – 22 November 1996
Preceded by	Alexandru Bârlădeanu
Succeeded by	Petre Roman
Member of the Senate of Romania
In office 9 June 1990 – 27 August 2001
Ambassador of Romania to France
In office 4 September 2001 – 4 June 2004
President of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania
In office 10 July 1993 – January 1997
Preceded by	Himself (as president of the Democratic National Salvation Front) Marius Cîrciumaru (as president of the Romanian Socialist Democratic Party)
Succeeded by	Ion Iliescu
President of the Democratic National Salvation Front
In office 11 October 1992 – 10 July 1993
Preceded by	Ion Iliescu
Succeeded by	Himself (party merged with the Romanian Socialist Democratic Party into the Party of Social Democracy in Romania)
Personal details
Born	(1930-04-26)26 April 1930 Sânmihaiu de Sus, Turda County, Kingdom of Romania
Died	11 August 2020(2020-08-11) (aged 90) Bucharest, Romania
Resting place	Govora Monastery [ro]
Political party	Romanian Communist Party (1963–1989) National Salvation Front (1989–1992) Democratic National Salvation Front (1992–1993) Party of Social Democracy in Romania (1993–2001) Social Democratic Party (2001–2020)
Occupation	Professor, politician
Profession	Physicist
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Cluj University of Bucharest
Thesis	(1957)
Doctoral advisor	Șerban Țițeica
Academic work
Institutions	University of Cluj University of Craiova

Oliviu Gherman (26 April 1930 – 11 August 2020) was a Romanian physicist, politician, university professor, and diplomat.

Born in 1930 in Sânmihaiu de Sus village, Turda County (now part of Mihai Viteazu commune, Cluj County), he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Cluj in 1952.[1] For his graduate studies, he went to the University of Bucharest, where he obtained his PhD in 1957, with thesis written under the direction of Șerban Țițeica.[2] Gherman then started his academic career at the University of Cluj, becoming dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in 1965.[1] From 1958 to 1960 he worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.[1][3] In 1966 he moved to the University of Craiova, where he served as department chair, dean, and prorector. In the 1970s he was a researcher, and from 1973 a senior researcher at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste.[1] He kept his faculty position in Craiova until 1998.[3]

After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Gherman started on a political career. He served as a senator in the 1990–1992, 1992–1996, 1996–2000, and 2000–2004 legislatures. He was first elected in Dolj County on the lists of the FSN party, then elected senator in the electoral constituency No. 41 of Bucharest.[4] During his parliamentary activity, Oliviu Gherman was member of the following parliamentary friendship groups:

• in the 1990–1992 legislature: the State of Israel and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
• in the 1996–2000 legislature: Republic of Ivory Coast and Republic of South Africa;
• in the 2000–2004 legislature: India and Republic of South Africa.

In the legislature 1996–2000, Gherman was a member of the commission for privatization and administration of state assets (since September 1999), the commission for culture, art and mass media (since December 1996) and the Committee on Labor, Family and Social Protection (until September 1999). Gherman was the president of the FDSN party (later PDSR), during 1992–1996.

In 1995, Gherman was conferred a Doctor honoris causa degree by the Moldova State University.[1][3]

Gherman resigned from the Senate on 27 August 2001 and was replaced by Constantin Alexa [ro]. Gherman was a F.S.N. senator. (1990–1992), F.D.S.N. (1992–1996), P.D.S.R. (1996–2000, 2000–2004), president of the F.D.S.N. (1992–1996), and President of the Senate (1992–1996). From 2001 to 2004, Gherman was ambassador of Romania to France.[5][6]

He died on 11 August 2020 at the age of 90.[7]

References

1. Constantinescu, Radu; Saliu, Lucian; Steinbrecher, György; Uliu, Florea (2010). "In Honorem. Oliviu Gherman – 80 years old, a lifetime dedicated to Physics" (PDF). Romanian Journal of Physics. 55 (9–10): 883–886.
2. Oliviu Gherman at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. Uliu, Florea (2020). "Ne-a părăsit Prof. Univ. Dr. Gherman Oliviu (26 Aprilie 1930 – 11 August 2020), o mare personalitate a fizicii din România, Doctor Honoris Causa al Universității de Stat din Republica Moldova" (PDF). Fizica și Tehnologiile Moderne (in Romanian). 18 (3–4): 118–122.
4. "Oliviu Gherman. Sinteza activității parlamentare în legislatura 1996-2000". www.cdep.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 14 August 2022.
5. "Professor Oliviu Gherman on his 75th anniversary" (PDF). cis01.central.ucv.ro. 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
6. "Ambasadorul României în Franța, rechemat în țară". ziare.com (in Romanian). 12 March 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
7. "A murit fostul președinte al Senatului Oliviu Gherman. Anunțul făcut de Adrian Năstase". stirileprotv.ro (in Romanian). 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2022.