A tour through the permanent exhibition

At the entrance of the museum it has three copper engravings, which deals in an artistic way with the genocide and the Holocaust.

 

1.Copper engraving: Made by Loris Levak and with poems of Spinelli Santino:

Memory of 500.000 Sinti and Roma, perished in the concentration camps of the Nazis. Next to the giving and receiving hand as an Christian charity.(A Starwheel crossed by a Rose which is held by an hand and is accepted by an other hand)

2.Copper engraving: Idea and concept by E. Andrea and the implementation by the brothers Barato: The work shows 12 figures of prisoners and provides similarly the coercion of the prisoners in the concentration camps and their solidarity with each other.

3.Copper engraving: Idea and concept by E. Andrea and the implementation by the brothers Barato: Martyrdom of the prisoner, lying stretched out on a cross, which represents similarly the symbol of violence and torture, and hope for salvation.

The exhibition consists of three rooms.

 

1.ROOM OF HISTORY

At nine display panels are illustrated in chronological order and with historic photographs,which altergate the Question and deals with the themes of fascism, Nazism, racism and the conflict of the Second World War.

 

1.Panel : The fascist regime in Italy

The "Marsch on Rome" - Militarism and fascist fight societies Squarde - The "Duce" in Padova - Crowds at the deployment of the fascist troops - The declaration of the war of aggression - Dictatorship: Prohibition of expression- and press freedom, anti-parliamentarism, anti-pluralism.

 

2.Panel : The fascist and national socialist racial ideology

The Nürnberger Race Laws - the 10 fascist racial laws of 1938 - repression and persecution "racially inferior" life - especially Jews are victims of racial ideology of Mussolini - also Sinti and Roma, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, political opponents, work refusals, "asocial" and criminals are  target of reprisals.

 

3.Panel: the National Socialism in Germany

Militarism and showmanship of power by military parades and deployment - Anti-Semitic propaganda: Jews as the main enemy and threat to the German state and people, for this reason, the legitimation of the racial laws and enforcement of the Idelogy of "Pure race" - annexation of Czechoslovakia and Austria.

4.Panel: Step by step in the disaster - Italy in the 2nd World War

Appeal of Pope Pius XII : Promt note to peace and international understanding, defend the human right of Jewish people - 1.September 1938: German invasion of Poland and the beginning of the 2nd World War - Italy agrees to become allies of Germany and march beside Hitler's army to France - 10.June 1940: Capitulation of France - Invasion the troops of Mussolini and Hitler in Greece - War against the British troops in Somalia, Egypt and North Africa (Battle of Alamein) - War against Russia: the Italian army is involved in "Operation Barbarossa" 1942 - Occupation of Yugoslavia - War and bombings in Padua: Bombardment of Erementari-church and synagogue, about 200 died alone in the district Terranegra.

 

5.Panel: From 25. June to 8. September 1943

Fall of Mussolini and the exit of Italy out the war - the meeting of the facist council - Night of 24-25 July 1943: Vote of mistrust against Mussolini and his resignation - General Pietro Badoglio became the new head of government - 3.September: signing the armistice with the Allies in Cassibile, entry into force of the ceasefire on 8 September - Joy of the Italian people to the end of fascism - flight of the King and the Badoglio government to southern Italy (Brindisi) - the military remains without guidance and instructions, first capture by German regiments

 

6.Panel: Resistance of the Italians against German attacks

The Italian contingent in Kefalonia (Greece) - Battle of Rhodes, a total of 10,000 dead, 6,000 die during military operations on land and 3000 in the sea war - 10. July 1943: the Allied landings in Sicily - Resistance against Allied conquest of Naples and Rome

 

7.Panel: Establishment of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI) by Mussolini and the founding of the Committee of National Liberation

The government of Badoglio and King Victor Emmanuel III declared war on Germany and Hitler and put together new troops with allied forces

Rebellion of the Committee of National Lieration and the fascist opposition in Rome -revenue rom by the Allies - Liberation of Mussolini by German Armed Forces - Proclamation of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana as a satellite state of the III. Empire - 55 000 Italian soldiers are in addition to the Allied troops sent to the front to fight against Hitler's Germany, another 200,000 are employed in ancillary divisions

 

8.Panel: The partisan war

Men, women, members of all social classes and professions took part in the guerrilla war against the German occupation in Italy - many perished as a result of purges or were victims of firing squads - Bassano del Grappa and Padua: 25 April 1945 end of the 2nd World War in Italy - 8. May: signing the ceasefire and the unconditional capitulation of the armed forces - End of the 2nd World War and the Nazi Regime

 

9.Panel: The I.M.I. ( the italian military internees)

Arrest, surrender, disarming the Italian troops and deported to german prisoners-of-war camp - Offer of the liberation from prison camp only in cooperation with the Armed Forces and and threat of punishment for resistance - NO! the Italians against the cooperation with the fascism and nationalism as a sign for an democratic Italy -abasement, suffering and death of the Italian prisoners in military camps and concentration camps

 

Exhibits:

In the centre of the room : Model of the Camp in Sandbostel, made of wood from the Alps to Aosta Artillery Group, Model of the camp chapel Wietzendorf, two glass cases with historic original items

 

2. ROOM OF MEMORY

On several panels are documented by using reproductions of original photographs the living conditions of prisoners in German concentration camps and military, thereunder most notably the Italian Military Internees (IMI) and the Jewish prisoners.

 

Two display boards show the living conditions of the Italian military prisoners in German Camps, which had to do hard work as forced laborers in agriculture and industry, in disrespect of the Genfer Conventions and the device " Arbeit macht frei!" - In a stock car rounded, the italian soldiers were distributed to camps in the entire German territory - of 650.000 Italians died 70.000

On the other side of the room is documented on panels the story of the victims of racial ideology of the Nazis, who perished in extermination camps - particularly among Jews, Sinti and Roma, Jehovah's Witnesses, political prisoners and "antisocial" declassified portions of the population, half of the photographs is addict to the theme of the Holocaust and the Shoah, the systematically planned and with industrial methods converted genocide of 6 million Jews.

In the middle of the room there are display cases, which show original objects : Diaries, everyday objects of prisoners, the prison uniform of the Priest Don Giovanni Fortin and the"radio Caterina" built by inmates, which made ​​the daily life in the camp bearable.

 

silence room

In four bottle banks is kept earth of the concentration camps Dachau, Mauthausen, Buchenwald and Bergen- Belsen.

 

The 3.Room is an AUDITOTORIUM for conferences, presentations and discussions, especially useful for visits of school classes.