Dr. Avram Imbroane | |
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| Born | December 9, 1880 |
| Died | September 23, 1938 (aged 57) |
| Nationality | Austro-Hungarian Romanian |
| Occupation(s) | Romanian Orthodox priest, politician, industrialist, playwright |
| Years active | ca. 1907–1938 |
| Known for | Nationalist fighter for the union of Banat with Romania |
Avram Imbroane (December 9, 1880 – September 23, 1938) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician, businessman, and Orthodox priest. Born in the western half of Banat, he was active in nationalist agitation among that region's Romanian community, and later also in Transylvania. By the time of World War I, he supported secession and the unconditional union of Transylvania and the Banat with the Kingdom of Romania. He fled Austria-Hungary and engaged in propaganda work—first in Romania, then among the Transylvanian prisoners-of-war in the Russian Republic. In late 1918, he returned to the Banat and became an active participant in the unionist struggle, participating in the assemblies of the Great Union.
After 1919, Imbroane set up his own political party, the National Union from Banat, which stood on an independent nationalist platform against both the autonomist Romanian National Party and the traditional parties of the Romanian Kingdom. He served in the Assembly of Deputies, becoming its vice president in 1920, and, like his Transylvanian friend Octavian Goga, joined the People's Party. Imbroane's political career became tied to that of Constantin Argetoianu — like Argetoianu, he was frequently accused of running a spoils system centered on state enterprises such as the Reșița works. He followed Argetoianu into the Democratic Nationalist Party, but soon after left that group and rallied with his former nemesis, the National Liberal Party. He remained affiliated with that party for the remainder of his life, although he frequently clashed with its central structures.
Imbroane ended his work in politics with a final stint as Secretary of the Culture and Religious Affairs Ministry, remembered for his disputes with the Romanian Roman Catholics. In his final years, he was involved with the management of Banatian industries and banks, and also worked to develop regional standards in education and culture. He also campaigned for the rights of Romanians in Yugoslavia, and was left aggrieved by the partition of the Banat.