European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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“What are you setting up the cooperative for? You wouldn’t be able to lead a cooperative even if the times were different”.
“What are you setting up the cooperative for? You wouldn’t be able to lead a cooperative even if the times were different”.
“Ma cosa fai la cooperativa che è tutto in fallimento, tu non hai neanche esperienza, perciò anche se ci fossero le condizioni, tu non sei all’altezza di andare a reggere una cooperativa”. -
I replied: “You don’t understand. I took part in the Resistance and I learned a lot from it.
I replied: “You don’t understand. I took part in the Resistance and I learned a lot from it.
Io ho detto: “Ma voi avete sbagliato tutto, io sono stato nella Resistenza, e la Resistenza ho imparato molto, è stata la mia università, -
We did things you wouldn’t even imagine”.
We did things you wouldn’t even imagine”.
abbiam fatto cose che voi non immaginate neanche”. -
It was hard to forgive…
It was hard to forgive…
Era difficile perdonare... -
We were all between 15 and 28 years old.
We were all between 15 and 28 years old.
Andavamo da 15 a 28 anni. -
A boy called Francia wasn’t even fifteen.
A boy called Francia wasn’t even fifteen.
Un ragazzo di …, si chiamava Francia, aveva 15 anni, non aveva compiuto i 15 anni. -
Another one from Guastalla, who’s still alive, was seventeen,
Another one from Guastalla, who’s still alive, was seventeen,
Un altro di… che abita a Guastalla, c’è ancora, ne aveva 17, -
the others were around 20-21 years old.
the others were around 20-21 years old.
gli altri avevano intorno… 20 anni, 21 anni. Gli altri circa lì insomma, 20, 22, 23. -
There was one of us who was 28, who was married and father of a one-year old child.
There was one of us who was 28, who was married and father of a one-year old child.
Ce n’era uno di 28 anni che lui aveva… era sposato con un bambino di un anno, -
They arrested his wife, then they tortured her and raped her.
They arrested his wife, then they tortured her and raped her.
e avevano arrestato sua moglie, e l’hanno torturata e violentata, -
From this story one can understand what happened after the war.
From this story one can understand what happened after the war.
e qui si può capire anche i fatti del dopoguerra, questo è il problema. -
Some felt they had to get vengeance for all the brutality of the fascists and the Germans.
Some felt they had to get vengeance for all the brutality of the fascists and the Germans.
Tutte le barbarie che han fatto i tedeschi, i fascisti… qualcuno si è vendicato. -
I’ve never agreed with retaliation: once the war is over everything is over.
I’ve never agreed with retaliation: once the war is over everything is over.
Io non sono mai stato d’accordo di fare delle rappresaglie ecc., anche da parte nostra, finita la guerra finito tutto e chiudiamo la partita. -
On the other hand, we have to put ourselves in the shoes of those partisans, or even civilians, who had to bear these episodes:
On the other hand, we have to put ourselves in the shoes of those partisans, or even civilians, who had to bear these episodes:
Però mettiamoci nei panni anche di questi partigiani o anche civili che hanno subito queste angherie, -
It’s hard to caress your torturer’s cheek when you meet him after the war.
It’s hard to caress your torturer’s cheek when you meet him after the war.
fai fatica dopo, in quel momento, se incontri i carnefici, a farci una carezza. -
We must understand what happened during the war.
We must understand what happened during the war.
Prima di parlare del dopoguerra dobbiamo capire cos’è successo durante la guerra, -
These brutalities affected us too.
These brutalities affected us too.
di queste barbarie… che per esempio ci hanno guastato anche noi, questo è il problema. -
These slaughters and the violence were something terrible for us.
These slaughters and the violence were something terrible for us.
Cioè questi eccidi, queste violenze, ecc., anche per noi è stata una cosa tremenda. -
Although I was a member of Azione Cattolica,
Although I was a member of Azione Cattolica,
Io però che ero nell’Azione Cattolica, -
I believed in the values of forgiveness and of similar principles,
I believed in the values of forgiveness and of similar principles,
ero sempre per il perdono e tutte queste cose…