Italy commemorates National Day of Italian Military Internees

Italy is observing the National Day of Italian Military Internees, a day established by Law No. 6 on January 13, 2025, to honor military and civilian citizens interned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

In Bologna, the Army Command Emilia-Romagna organized a historical conference at Palazzo d’Accursio. The event featured academic discussions on the historical context following the September 8, 1943 armistice and the deportation of individuals to the Third Reich. Experts and local authorities gathered to discuss the themes of choice, memory, and responsibility regarding those who refused to collaborate with the Nazi state and the Italian Social Republic.

In Teramo, the Prefecture has organized a ceremony at the Parco della Scienza Auditorium for September 21. The event will include the presentation of 36 Medals of Honor awarded by the President of the Republic to those deported for forced labor. Additionally, seven “stumbling stones” (pietre d'inciampo) will be presented to mayors of the birthplaces of the interned military personnel to serve as local memorials.