European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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in our striped uniforms and some had a friendly word for us, in German, which we had to learn.
in our striped uniforms and some had a friendly word for us, in German, which we had to learn.
Lo sapevano e ci serbavano una parola gentile in tedesco che dovevamo imparare a capire. -
I always said that one should not mix up the SS and the Germans we met at work.
I always said that one should not mix up the SS and the Germans we met at work.
Io li ho sempre difesi. Non bisogna confondere le SS e i tedeschi che incontravamo al lavoro. -
The SS made a choice. They opted for the regime, the system.
The SS made a choice. They opted for the regime, the system.
Le SS hanno fatto una scelta, affiancano il regime, fanno i leccapiedi a spese nostre, -
Three, four years after coming back I was talking to some friends who said:
Three, four years after coming back I was talking to some friends who said:
Tre o quattro anni dal ritorno stavo parlando con degli amici che mi hanno detto: -
“We are going to Germany, to meet some people. But of course we won’t ask you to come along.”
“We are going to Germany, to meet some people. But of course we won’t ask you to come along.”
"Andiamo in Germania il tal giorno per incontrare degli amici. Certo non ti chiediamo di venire con noi…" -
I said: “Why won’t you ask me to go with you? Are you afraid that I will say that all Germans are fascists?
I said: “Why won’t you ask me to go with you? Are you afraid that I will say that all Germans are fascists?
Ho detto: "Perché non mi chiedete di venire con voi? Avete paura che vada a dire che i tedeschi sono tutti fascisti?" -
Not way. If you want me to, I will come along. I promise I will behave correctly towards the Germans we meet.
Not way. If you want me to, I will come along. I promise I will behave correctly towards the Germans we meet.
Se desiderate che venga con voi, lo farò, e prometto di essere correttissimo nei confronti dei tedeschi." -
That won’t stop me from saying what happened in the camps.
That won’t stop me from saying what happened in the camps.
Questo non m'impedirà di dire quello che è successo nei campi. Ma non per questo lo farò. Ci sono stati i nazisti , ma anche tedeschi che li hanno combattuti. -
But I will not say THE Germans.”
But I will not say THE Germans.”
Bisognerà avere i piedi per terra. L'idea d'incontrare dei tedeschi non mi spaventa, neanche se dovessimo parlare di quel periodo storico. -
Activity as eyewitness; message
Activity as eyewitness; message
L'attività di testimone; il messaggio -
I was invited as a witness to a school.
I was invited as a witness to a school.
Ero stato invitato a testimoniare in una scuola. -
I had a teacher friend and as we talked he said:
I had a teacher friend and as we talked he said:
Ho incontrato un amico, un insegnante, che mi ha detto: -
“You should come talk in schools, otherwise it will be forgotten history.”
“You should come talk in schools, otherwise it will be forgotten history.”
“Tutto ciò non è ancora presente nei libri di scuola, bisogna che tu venga a parlarne." -
I agreed, but hadn’t really thought about what that meant.
I agreed, but hadn’t really thought about what that meant.
Gli ho detto che andava bene, ma non avevo riflettuto su cosa significasse, mi sono semplicemente detto: perché no? -
So I went.
So I went.
E dunque ci sono andato. -
It was difficult.
It was difficult.
È stato molto difficile. -
When you are with 30 students, it is very difficult to talk about all these things:
When you are with 30 students, it is very difficult to talk about all these things:
Quando ti trovi davanti a una trentina di alunni, parlare di certe cose è difficile. -
about the arrival of Jewish or Gypsy convoys, the children, sometimes babies in their mothers arms.
about the arrival of Jewish or Gypsy convoys, the children, sometimes babies in their mothers arms.
Parlare dell'arrivo dei convogli di ebrei o zingari, dei bambini, dei bebè che talvolta arrivavano in braccio alle mamme… -
I wondered if one should talk about it or rather not talk about it.
I wondered if one should talk about it or rather not talk about it.
Era una cosa atroce, mi chiedevo se parlarne o meno. -
I decided to talk about what National Socialism had done,
I decided to talk about what National Socialism had done,
Ma ho deciso di parlarne,