European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

Franz Rotter was a member of the German ‘Wehrmacht’;

so was Karl Sluga, who crossed over to the partisans.

Michael Sluga joined the partisans straight away instead of enlisting.

In 1943 it became dangerous. Katarina Sluga escaped to the partisans then.

My aunt was interested in culture and politics.

She soon started to organise meetings against Hitler and to attend other meetings.

Therefore she was politically suspicious.

So we all were in danger.

She was aware that something could happen.

She had people who sent her a message to withdraw.

For her it was dangerous now.

So she backed away to the partisans

and thought that everything would be okay if she went.

But she was wrong.

When the Gestapo came

it was dangerous for all of them. They arrested all.

Liberation of Reggio Emilia

We went on the roof to see who was shooting from the Church of Madonna della Ghiara.

We couldn’t see anything from there, so we went back downstairs and headed for the bell-tower.

We found the bell-ringer and asked him how we could climb up.