September 28, 2021, will mark 75 years since Jehovah’s Witnesses held the first national convention in Romania. It was organized in the aftermath of the second world war and during a period of intense persecution. Despite efforts by opposers to stop the convention, it was a resounding success.

The convention was held on September 28 and 29, 1946, at the Roman Arenas in Bucharest. A train was chartered to transport some of the delegates to the convention. Attempting to interfere with travel to the convention, the powerful Orthodox clergy took measures to force the train to make several unscheduled stops, delaying its arrival.

Brothers already in the convention city began to gather at the station at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, the day before the convention, in anticipation of the train’s scheduled 10:00 a.m. arrival. Undeterred by the delay, they waited patiently until 6:00 p.m. when the train finally rolled into the station.

Because the war had destroyed thousands of homes, few accommodations were available. In one instance, the brothers purchased straw and spread it out on the lawn of a brother who lived near the convention location. The weather was warm, so families could sleep comfortably under the stars.

There were some 3,400 in attendance for the Saturday morning program. The crowd learned that The Watchtower would resume being published in Romanian and Hungarian twice a month. During the convention, the brothers distributed some 1,000 copies of the first edition to attendees. The magazine, for a time, contained additional study articles so that the brothers could catch up on information they had missed during the war.

The attendance swelled to some 15,000 on Sunday for the public talk. Among those in attendance were Romanian government officials, police, and Orthodox priests dressed in their official garb. The brothers learned that the clergy had arranged for barrels of gasoline to be placed near the convention site with the intent of causing an explosion during the program. Working with the authorities, the brothers were able to thwart the plan.

During the program, one of the priests tried to take over the platform, but the brothers prevented him. A brother told the priest: “There is no need for an Orthodox priest to address this assembly, but you are most welcome to take a seat and listen.” The priest made no further attempts to disrupt the program. Later, Romania’s attorney general commented on the orderliness of the assembly.

Despite the threats, our brothers were not intimidated, explained Brother Vasile Sabadâş, now 96, who attended the convention. “I don’t remember an ounce of fear,” he said. “Fear was not the problem. The brothers were used to being persecuted. They did not fear one bit.”

Vasile further explained that the convention served to strengthen the unity among Jehovah’s people in Romania. Many had studied the Bible and were baptized during the war. Because of being new in the truth, some were divided over their opinions of the war. But after the convention, Vasile said: “The brothers left united, joyful, and happy.” He added: “I wished the convention would have continued. It was very hard to say goodbye to the brothers.”

Today, our brothers and sisters are able to worship without interference in Romania. In 2020, over 39,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses were active in the country, and in 2021, over 100,000 people observed the Memorial of Christ’s death, a new record for Romania.

The determination of our brothers in Romania to overcome any obstacle to meet together is commendable. We thank Jehovah for blessing and safeguarding his people during that historic theocratic event.—Hebrews 10:24, 25.