News
Working visit to the Italian Embassy
Museum director, Dr. Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska, while today in Warsaw, paid a working visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Italy.
During a conversation with Ambasador Aldo Amati, the director raised issues related to documenting and popularisation of the knowledge about the fate about Italian soldiers interned in the territory of Poland during the World War II, particularly at Lamsdorf, where Italians were also held during World War I, and some of them remained there forever.
Let us remind you that the first Italian soldiers got to German prisoners-of-war after the surrender of Italy at the end of September 1943, and the beginning of October 1943, and later, also, in 1944. It should be emphasized here that during the years of the Second World War, Italian soldiers constituted the army group treated worst by the Wehrmacht - alongside Soviet prisoners-of-war. The status of Italian Military Internees (IMI - note: not prisoners-of-war) was introduced on 20 September 1943 by order of Hitler.
Those who are interested in this subject we would like to inform that an excerpt from Elio Materassi's diary about his internment at Stalag II B Hammerstein is published in the 45th volume of our 'Łambinowice Museum Yearbook', which will come out soon.
Title photo: Facebook Ambasciata d'Italia a Varsavia / Italian Embassy in Warsaw.