Forced Labor 1939 - 1945

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Claudio S., Italian military internee

Claudio S. was displaced to Germany as an Italian military internee in 1943. After the war the geologist dedicated himself to the remembrance of the military internees.

Segment from the video interview with Claudio S., 2005: Claudio S. describes his forced labor for the Cologne company Glanzstoff & Courtaulds. Subtitled sequence from the PC Station in the German Historical Museum (1:12 minutes).

Biography

• Born in 1920 in Genoa, his father was a businessman, his mother from the French colony of Guadeloupe
• Active in Catholic organizations and Fascist youth groups
• September 1943: After the Italian ceasefire, the young lieutenant is captured by German troops in Alessandria; he refuses to collaborate as an Italian military internee (IMI).
• Internment in various prisoner of war camps in Germany and Poland
• 1944: Transfer to civilian status, transfer to a Cologne penal camp and forced labor at Glanzstoff & Courtaulds
• September 1944: Hospitalization, subsequent detention in the camp Wietzendorf near Bergen-Belsen
• Liberated April 22nd, 1945
• Returns to Italy August 1945
• Employment as a geologist; married, one child
• Since 1980: dedicated to the remembrance of the Italian military internees, publishing many books; no compensation received

A biographical short film (duration 25 minutes) from the interview with Claudio S. has been produced for educational work.