IMI. I prigionieri di guerra durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. La storia di mio padre come ufficiale di complemento. (original) (raw)

The Italian prisoners of war in Germany during WWII, referred to as "military internees," faced a challenging period marked by forced labor and difficult conditions. After Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943, the Wehrmacht captured approximately 600,000 Italian soldiers. These soldiers were then deported to Germany and coerced into forced labor, a direct violation of international law. Tragically, about 50,000 of these internees died or were killed due to the harsh conditions they endured​​​​. Over the years, there has been a growing interest in the subject, accompanied by an increasingly comprehensive recognition of the traumatic experiences endured by Italian military internees. This mounting interest has played a crucial role in shaping a more nuanced and accurate narrative regarding Italy's involvement in the fight against Nazi-fascism. This process has helped highlight the courage and resilience of those who faced this tragic ordeal, adding a new layer of understanding to Italy's wartime history. This gradual awareness has acquired significant relevance within the fabric of Italian collective memory, attributing a heroic dimension to the Italian Military Internees (IMIs) in the resistance against Nazi-fascism. Before the 1980s, both in Italy and Germany, there was a limited understanding of the sufferings and events experienced by former IMIs, a gap that persisted until almost contemporary times. However, starting in the 1980s, historiography began to address this issue with greater rigor and attention, welcoming and valuing the testimonies and memories of survivors of Nazi Stalag camps. A significant turning point was reached in 2012 with the publication of the Report of the Italo-German Commission, established by the Foreign Ministries of Italy and Germany in 2009. This report finally shed light on the true extent of the conditions faced by IMIs during their internment in Germany, providing a solid foundation for a deeper understanding of their experiences. Before this publication, the issue of IMIs had been primarily addressed through individual testimonies and survivors' accounts. However, the issuance of this report has provided a fundamental contribution to our understanding of the experiences of Italian prisoners of war in Nazi Germany, adding a new level of detail and analysis to the history. This has helped bridge gaps in our historical knowledge and contributed to strengthening public awareness of the sufferings and struggles faced by IMIs during that dark period of European history. The essay includes the author’s personal memories of her father as an Italian officer prisoner of war in Nazi Germany. ----------------------- ITALIAN Oltre alle fasi cruciali della Seconda Guerra Mondiale dall'Armistizio fino alla Liberazione, questo saggio ripercorre le esperienze di mio padre Leopoldo Passannanti, Tenente di Fanteria, Ufficiale di Complemento dell’Esercito Italiano, Internato Militare Italiano (IMI) in un lager del Terzo Reich, in Germania. Attinge dalle sue dirette testimonianze, raccontate a noi figli durante la nostra infanzia. Mio padre narrava frequentemente della guerra, della deportazione e della successiva prigionia di due anni. Nel suo racconto emergevano le avversità affrontate dagli IMI, che subirono severe persecuzioni ma mantennero una salda resistenza. La determinazione della maggior parte degli IMI di rifiutare qualsiasi forma di collaborazione con il Terzo Reich, preferendo la dura prigionia, è ora riconosciuta come un atto deliberato di sfida contro l'infame patto nazifascista, ed è stata definita 'Resistenza senza armi' dall'Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d'Italia (ANPI), inserendosi nel più ampio discorso storico della Resistenza. Pertanto, oggi sono giustamente onorati come eroi nazionali per il loro significativo contributo alla lotta italiana contro il regime nazista. ***** Il saggio include inoltre memorie personali del padre dell'autrice, ufficiale italiano prigioniero di guerra nella Germania nazista.