European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
-
were good for my health and helped me to stay alive.
were good for my health and helped me to stay alive.
ti hanno fatto bene, ti hanno aiutato a sopravvivere”, -
I didn’t do much, but I was never scared of not being able to make it home one day.
I didn’t do much, but I was never scared of not being able to make it home one day.
io non facevo niente, però non mi sono mai preoccupato, non ho mai avuto il pensiero di non venire a casa. -
Only during the last three months did I let go:
Only during the last three months did I let go:
Io ho mollato gli ultimi due o tre mesi: -
I could not remember my family anymore,
I could not remember my family anymore,
non ricordavo più la mia famiglia, -
it was as if that notion had vanished,
it was as if that notion had vanished,
cioè era un pensiero che mi era andato via, -
and it’s something I could not understand back then.
and it’s something I could not understand back then.
questo non lo capivo neanche io. -
I was exhausted,
I was exhausted,
Mi ero stancato, -
the food was terrible for all of us, but I did my best to survive even in those conditions.
the food was terrible for all of us, but I did my best to survive even in those conditions.
però anche nella mia stanchezza ho cercato di sopravvivere, il mangiare era così per tutti. -
Regarding my weight, you hear people say they were thirty-eight or forty kilos, but I never did weigh myself.
Regarding my weight, you hear people say they were thirty-eight or forty kilos, but I never did weigh myself.
Per la storia del peso, quando senti la gente dire trentotto chili, quaranta chili, io non mi sono mai pesato, -
I might have weighed around fifty or fifty-five.
I might have weighed around fifty or fifty-five.
sarò stato cinquanta chili, cinquantacinque, -
I know I was skinny, but I just had to live with that.
I know I was skinny, but I just had to live with that.
io so che ero magro, però sono stato con la mia magrezza; -
I saw some die in anguish, crying:
I saw some die in anguish, crying:
ho visto della gente morire perché si trovavano male, piangevano, -
many had a wife and kids, and those were different kinds of problems.
many had a wife and kids, and those were different kinds of problems.
c’era anche della gente che aveva moglie e figli, quelli erano problemi diversi. -
Then the Americans arrived at my camp.
Then the Americans arrived at my camp.
Nel nostro campo gli americani sono passati, -
They left some guards, but we were free to go wherever we wanted.
They left some guards, but we were free to go wherever we wanted.
sono rimaste le loro guardie ma noi andavano dove volevamo; -
Two of us were butchers – one of them was from Ravenna, his name was Belloni.
Two of us were butchers – one of them was from Ravenna, his name was Belloni.
avevamo due ragazzi, un certo Belloni si chiamava, di Ravenna che facevano i macellai, -
They began to find calves - I’m not joking! - then slaughtered them
They began to find calves - I’m not joking! - then slaughtered them
allora hanno cominciato a trovare dei vitelli, non è mica una balla, poi li ammazzavano -
and put the meat in those beer barrels that you can find in Germany.
and put the meat in those beer barrels that you can find in Germany.
e li mettevano, sai che loro hanno quei barili della birra, lì dentro al fresco. -
We had fresh meat after 15 or 20 days,
We had fresh meat after 15 or 20 days,
Dopo 15 o 20 giorni avevamo la carne fresca, -
and every night they would go out to find something,
and every night they would go out to find something,
loro tutte le notti andavano a trovare qualcosa,