Markus Glaser

Markus or Marcu Glaser (April 25, 1880 – May 25, 1950) was an Imperial Russian-born German cleric, Apostolic Administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iaşi.

Biography

Early career and wartime assignment Born in the village of Landau in what is now Ukraine to a Black Sea German family deported from southern Russia, he studied at the Saratov seminary before continuing his education at the Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum in Rome. He took a doctorate in philosophy and theology before being ordained in Minsk in 1907. From that year until 1916, he taught at and was deputy director of the Saratov seminary. In 1916, he was transferred to Chişinău, with duties covering the province of Bessarabia until 1920. In 1924, he was named secret chamberlain to Pope Pius XI, and papal prelate in 1930.

Troubles with the Soviets and death Requests by the nuncio for official recognition of Glaser's position were denied by the Religious Affairs Ministry in April and June 1945. In April 1946, minister Mihai Ralea explained that to do so might anger the Soviet occupiers, as Glaser was born in Ukraine and had been active on what was now Soviet territory. Starting in 1945, he was subjected to a series of lengthy and difficult interrogations before Soviet authorities lasting four years and dealing with his activity in Odessa and Iaşi, as well as a supposed visit to Germany in 1942. He initially refused to appear and only did so after repeated threats from NKVD officers.