[14] In 1942–1943, during World War II he was imprisoned for his political activity (notably, in the Târgu Jiu internment camp),[15] and, as a member of a paramilitary grouping,[16] played a secondary part in the events of 23 August 1944 that led to the downfall of the Ion Antonescu regime.

[17] During this time, although present among the few active leaders of the Party around general secretary Ștefan Foriș,[18] he became a supporter of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej's faction (dominated by imprisoned activists).

[21] In 1946-1947, he was a member of Romania's delegation to the Paris Peace Conference (headed by Gheorghe Tătărescu) and was briefly employed by Ana Pauker at the Foreign Ministry, before being dismissed for having an unsatisfactory level of political conviction.

[24] He supported Gheorghiu-Dej's nationalist policy, eventually becoming foreign minister of Romania in 1957 (replacing Grigore Preoteasa), holding office for six months, and serving in the delegations establishing closer contacts with the People's Republic of China during the Sino-Soviet split and a détente with France in 1959.

[25] Regarded, according to the claims of dissident journalist Victor Frunză [ro],[26] as Gheorghiu-Dej's chosen successor, Maurer was head of state (President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly of Romania) from 1958 to 1961.

[30] Among others, Maurer helped silence potential opposition from inside the Party by withdrawing his support for Corneliu Mănescu and welcoming Ceaușescu's directives, before being himself criticized and sidelined (at the same time as his collaborator Alexandru Bârlădeanu).

[24] In 1989, Maurer's earlier support for Ceaușescu led the sidelined PCR members who were planning to state their opposition to the regime by drafting the so-called Letter of the Six (Gheorghe Apostol, Alexandru Bârlădeanu, Silviu Brucan, Constantin Pîrvulescu, and Grigore Răceanu) not to enlist his assistance in the process.