Fugitive Education: A “Place for Memory" to the Jewish Young Refugees rescued at Villa Emma

Abstract

Despite the Fascist war and the alliance with Nazi Germany, an “unimaginable encounter” between 73 foreign Jewish kids (from Germany, Austria and Bosnia) and the local community took place in Nonantola (MO) in 1942-1943. After the Italian armistice the young refugees could flee to Switzerland (on to Palestine in 1945) thanks to the relationships created over the one year. In their diaries and memoirs, they recount how the period spent at Villa Emma was a time of peace during the escape. The educational dimension had crucial importance: their leaders understood that physical salvation was not enough. Personal and collective training, studying and community life became essential elements in building a barrier against the loss of hope. The Foundation Villa Emma is curating the historical reconstruction of these events, their memories and their significance in current times. Working on the creation of a “place for memory”, the Foundation is enquiring on what forms of visit are best to offer the public. Recent studies show how memorial policies have not prevented the growth of racism and intolerance, highlighting the need for defining new forms of approach to places of memory, able to confront their complex and “contaminated” nature.