Assisi
Part 1
- The Main Players
This
is a story that needs to be told. It is a story of generosity, of
faith, of friendship, and of great courage. It is a story that
affected me personally as one of the most important people in my
life, a man who is very much like a father to me, is a
“sopravvissuto” - a survivor of the Holocaust. Abraham is my
hero and, although he had nothing to do with this particular story, I
dedicate this blog entry to him, for it is his love of life, his
reverence for nature, and his very real understanding of freedom that
continue to inspire me each day. And to all the Assisani who hid,
protected, and kept alive 300 Jews during 1943-1944, I thank you.
I had
the pleasure this morning of having coffee with Paolo Mirti, a nephew
of Don Aldo Brunacci, one of the “key players” in this tale, and
the author of a book that gives a detailed account of this period.
Mirti, who is a journalist, author of theatrical works, and
collaborates on the writing of news articles and periodicals, loves
Assisi and recognized the importance of telling this story, not only
to write about the heroism of ordinary people, but to remind us that
goodness can prevail; that whatever one's culture or beliefs, the
human spirit is one.
A bit
of historical background...
In
1938, under Mussolini's Fascist government, racial laws of
persecution were passed, (Laws for the Defense of the Race), with the
aim of segregating Jews from Italian society and resulting in the
immediate disruption of jobs and education; life was turned upside
down and thousands of Jews emigrated out of the country and/or
converted to escape persecution. It was, however, during the period
between September, 1943 and June, 1944 that the Jews of Italy were in
the greatest danger. The Germans were occupying northern Italy and
had put Mussolini in charge of a puppet Fascist state; it was then
that the Nazis implemented their Final Solution on Italian soil and
for the next 20 months, Italian and German authorities arrested over
8,000 Jews in northern Italy with almost 7,000 being deported to
concentration and death camps.
In
Assisi...
In
1928 Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Nicolini became il vescovo, the
bishop, of Assisi. A number of years later, knowing that he had to
protect his city from any bombardment, he was instrumental in the
opening of a military hospital for the German soldiers; in this
manner, the city of San Francesco would be safe. Nicolini formed un
Comitato di Assistenza; a “Committee of Assistance” to help those
in need as a result of the war and, after Sept. 8, 1943, he dedicated
himself to the rescue of and hiding Jewish refugees from the north in
the convents and monasteries of Assisi; this, of course, was an
underground operation that put all of the participants in danger.
Don
Aldo Brunacci was a priest at the Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi,
secretary of il Comitato per l'Assistenza, and the principal
collaborator of Nicolini. Working with others, he put in place a
successful clandestine operation that saved hundreds of lives. His
first concern was to get the Jewish refugees safely and
systematically in the Monastery of San Quirico where they would stay
until receiving false documents that would allow them to live
undisturbed in Assisi. Don Aldo would procure the documents for the
refugees with their new names and cities of origin; this resulted in
long hours of learning new family stories, geography, and local
customs so that, if stopped by the German soldiers, they had an
“authentic” storyline.
Luigi
and Trento Brizi (father and son), at great risk, printed all the
false identity cards and any other documents necessary for the
refugees to live safely in Assisi.
Arnaldo
Fortini was the Fascist podesta of Assisi, appointed by the central government to carry out the duties of mayor, who worked with Nicolini to
ensure that Assisi and its inhabitants would be safe during the war.
He was aware that Jewish refugees were in hiding in Assisi.
Colonnello
Valentin Muller was the official German doctor and commandante in Assisi who worked with Nicolini to save the city. He was against the arrogance
and cruelty of the Nazi regime and it is strongly believed that he
had some idea that there was a clandestine operation underway and "turned a blind eye." A follower of San Francesco, he donated medical supplies to Assisi when the Germans were leaving and asked the Allied troops to respect the city and its citizens..
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