In front of the doors on the cobblestones of Roman streets, you may notice inscriptions engraved on gold plates glistening in the sunlight. The light reflecting off them catches the eyes of passersby, who instinctively look down for a closer look. They then learn that each piece of metal embedded in the sidewalk tells the story of a specific person - Qui abitava Virginia Terracina, nata 1943, arrestata 16.10.1943, deportata Auchwitz, assasinata 23.10.1943 – Here lived Virginia Terracina, born in 1943, arrested 16.10.1943, deported to Auchwitz, murdered 23.10.1943. Little is said about the history of the Jews and the Holocaust in Italy, but the light attracts glances and does not let us forget.
The Jewish Quarter, located on the site of the former ghetto, is still in Rome today. There are stores offering Jewish religious items, kosher restaurants, as well as the oldest Jewish school in Italy and the Great Synagogue built after World War I, which houses the Jewish Museum. The temple building was constructed after the unification of Italy, when the Jewish community gained more freedom. The construction of the synagogue was an expression of freedom – a symbol to preserve hope during the most difficult periods for the Jewish people. It is also a place marked by a tragic history. On October 16, 1943, SS troops launched a deportation operation in the ghetto, from where Jews were gathered in the square in front of the Synagogue and taken to German extermination camps - of the more than 1,000 deportees, mostly women and children, most never returned home. In 1986, the Roman synagogue was visited by Pope John Paul II in a gesture of reconciliation, openness and dialogue.
In the area of Rome and the Vatican - the Holy See - there were about 13,000 people living and seeking refuge from the Holocaust, who chose this place in hopes of receiving help from the Catholic Church. Of them, 12,000 people were saved. The clandestine assistance to the Jews involved members of 235 religious communities from all over Rome, as well as representatives of other Catholic institutions, eateries for the poor and hospitals. The Swiss Guard also joined in the aid - its ranks should have normally included 900 people, while during the war the number rose to 1,300 – the surplus were Jews. However, the Nazis had no knowledge of Vatican regulations related to the guards, which resulted in those hiding in this manner going undetected.
The story of the Jews hidden in the dome of St. Joachim's Church is also extremely moving. The entrance to the dome was walled off in such a way that in the event of a search the Nazis would only come across a brick wall; the only opening to the outside world was a small window through which food, water and clothing were delivered and waste was disposed of. For security reasons, only four people knew about the hiding place: Fr. Anthony Drèssino, the monastery's superior; Sr. Margherita Bernès, who worked at an eatery for the poor opposite the church; Eng. Pietro Lestini; and his daughter, student Giuliana Lestini, who acted as a messenger between those in hiding and their families.
At various times, 60 people were sheltered there. One of the Jews hiding there was a talented artist. He created two images on the inner wall of the dome: Christ with a crown of thorns and the Virgin Mary. When asked why, as a Jew, he was immortalizing figures important to Christianity, he replied that Jesus was also an innocently persecuted Jew, and Mary was his mother, said Marina Olmo, our guide to the history of occupied Rome. The unique paintings inside the dome can still be seen today.
Marina also showed us another remarkable place. The hospital on Tiberius Island formerly belonging to the Order of the Friars of St. Bonifratres, where three doctors - Giovanni Borromeo (the orderly), Vittorio Emanuele Sacerdoti and Adriano Ossicini - hid and treated Jews. The island is in close proximity to the area of the Jewish quarter, so it was easier to smuggle those in need of help to this place rather than further away. One of the hospital nurses helped with this, transporting the sick to the hospital sometimes on her own back.
To protect the Jews from detection, when faced with inspections, the doctors claimed that their patients were suffering from a severe, incurable neurological disease called “Syndrome K” – named after Herbert Kappler, the SS chief commandant in Rome. In fear of the supposedly dangerous disease, German soldiers did not search the hospital, allowing the Jews hiding there to wait in safety for fake Italian documents issued from a nearby print shop. Once the documents were received, death certificates were issued to the Jews, and they left the ward as Italians. Dr. Borromeo was awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal after the war.
Our visit to Rome was a time of intensive meetings, discussions and exchange of experiences, as well as an inspiring background for planning future initiatives of our unit in the framework of international cooperation. Our guide was Marina Olmo - journalist, author and expert in the history of occupied Rome. On a daily basis, she collects archival materials on the rescue of Jews by Catholic institutions, and uses the information she acquires for numerous projects. Thanks to her knowledge and commitment, we had the opportunity to learn about lesser-known but extremely important stories of saving Jews during World War II, which we wanted to share in this article.
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Magdalena Stachal