During the national-Legionary state, Nicolae Purcărea was included in the Brotherhoods of the Cross, the youth structure of the Legionary Movement. He did not participate in the rebellion in January 1941, but he continued to carry out legionary activity, even if this was forbidden by the government led at the time by General Ion Antonescu.

The arrest of its leader led to the fall of the entire Brașov organization; Nicolae Purcărea was arrested on 15th of September 1942. He was 18 years old when he went on trial at the Military Court Brașov and was sentenced to 15 years of forced labor. He was sent to Văcărești Prison, then to the Pitești Penitentiary - recently built - where he was imprisoned for more than a year.

In January 1944, he was transferred to the Alba Iulia Prison, the need for new recruits in the war that was threatening Romania’s borders led to the suspension of the convictions of young legionaries and to their release. Amongst them was Nicolae Purcărea, who was quickly sent to be instructed for war. The change on August 23, when Romania turned against Germany to become the ally of the Soviet Union, gave him the opportunity not to be sent to the front and he even had the chance to successfully pass the admission exam, becoming a student at the Academy of Economic Studies in Brașov.