Arnold Leinweber at the target shoting competition

This is the 'Flamura Rosie' ['Red Flag'] target shooting team at the Baneasa shooting range [outskirt of Bucharest], in 1952. The first one from the left on the upper row, next to the flag, is me, Arnold Leinweber. I had just finished 3rd at the target shooting competition. I worked from 1948 as a head of the administrative service of the district committee of the Romanian Communist Party. Then I moved to the Ministry of Trade, where I worked as a financial inspector until 1951. I did these things because I was given the opportunity to. The Party and union leadership were impressed by these achievements, which belonged, after all, to a man who had only been to a vocational school. In 1952, I applied for a transfer to the Public Food Trust, as a financial economist. They sent me to work at the 'Spartac' Central Sporting Council, which included all the employees in trade, finances, cooperatives and the food industry. I was in charge with analyzing the financial problems which had come up in this association. As I was good at target shooting, I joined the team of the 'Spartac' Association. I competed with Iosif Sarbu, Carmen Stanescu, Herscovici, a multiple national champion, and many other worthy sportsmen that this country had in those days. [In the 1950's] we created a band at the ministry. The Ministry of Trade was located on Victoriei Ave., on the spot where the Bucharest Hotel lies today. We had the theater hall where the meetings were held, and we had three employees who played the instruments, plus some lad from another division, who played the violin and the piano - and the band was born. I was the drummer. We started with Russian songs - this is how everything started. My coworkers couldn't believe their eyes when they saw who played the drums - they all knew me because I was the head of the inventory and logistics department, and anyone who needed a chair, a filing cabinet, a carpet, a typewriter, pencils, paper etc. had to come to me. [In 1960] I returned to the ministry as a financial economist and I was transferred to the Chemical Materials Wholesale Trade Enterprise in Bucharest. I worked with about 36 suppliers and there were times when I had to sign thousands of contracts. I supplied the entire capital - this is what I did in my last 20 years of activity, until I retired, on 1st September 1980.