The double deportation

From Forlì prison to Bavaria


In September 1943 a number of Istrian civilians were to be found in Forlì prison in Emilia Romagna. Some of them ended up in the prisoner of war camp at Moosburg and also as forced labour in Bavaria.

The victims had been arrested on charges of supporting the partisan movement in Istria and Kvarner. In some cases they had been condemned by the military tribunal belonging tpo the Second Army, based in Rijeka (Fiume), during group trials involving dozens of people. For example, in March 1942 Antun Depoli from Sušak had received a two-year sentence which he had served in various prisons - in Koper, Campobasso and Florence - before arriving in Forlì1.

In other cases, Istrians had been imprisoned without trial2. Among them were several relatives of important figures in the local partisan movement. For example, incarcerated in Forlì gaol were the relatives of Anton Cerovac and August Vivoda, both of whom originated from the village of Veli Mlun and had been very active in the organized resistance in the area around Buzet/ Pinguente. In an attempt to capture the "rebels", the local carabinieri had searched these villages: in December 1942 elderly people, women and boys had been arrested in Veli Mlun3. There were other cases of civilians sent to Forlì on the grounds that they were relatives of local partisan leaders such as Ivan Motika4

In most cases, before being sent to Forlì the deportees had been held in other Italian prisons, for example in Capodistria, Pola, Trieste, Florence and Venice5. The transfer of civilian internees from Pola to Forlì was to continue until August 1943, even after the fall of Mussolini6. The town gaol lay within an ancient manorial seat known as the Ravaldino fortress, part of which had been used for that purpose since the sixteenth century. The structure's more modern cells had been built in the late nineteenth century. In 1943 several prisoners from the provinces of Trieste, Fiume and Gorizia, who had been sentenced by the Military War Tribunal of Trieste on charges of "aiding the war", were recorded as having been imprisoned in Forlì7


After 8 September Forlì was occupied by forces of the Wehrmacht8. At that time, according to a witness, 120 Istrians (both Croats and Slovenians) were being detained in the town gaol9. Another witness testifies that immediately after the armistice some British prisoners of war attempted to flee, but were recaptured10. Some of the detainees were handed over to the Germans and deported to Germany, while others remained in Forlì until 3 March 1944, only to be released. During the selection process familes were split up: consorts, children and siblings were sent to different destinations11. The women were released a few weeks later, in November 194312.

The SS brought some of the Yugoslavs out of Forlì prison on 25 November 1943 and transfered them, together with the British, to a transit camp in Mantua, where they arrived on 27 November 194313. After 8 September the city of Mantua became an important collection centre, given its position on the railway line that leads to the Brenner Pass and Germany. The German authorities set up several transit camps for Italian military internees and Allied prisoners of war. According to some estimates, at least 100,000 prisoners passed through the town in those days. Internees from Forli were probably held in the "Gradaro" prison camp14.

After a few days - according to some testimonies 2 December - transport was laid on to take about 800 prisoners of war from Mantua to Germany. Amongst them are listed 71 people from the "Julijska krajina" (Venezia - Giulia region)15. It is unfortunately not clear whether all 71 came from Forlì gaol or if others had arrived at the Mantua transit camps from different places of origin.


The internees were sent to Stalag VII A, the prisoner of war camp at Moosburg. The testimonies regarding the dates of arrival of the prisoners from Mantua differ somewhat, varying between the beginning of December and the 12th of the same month16. The camp had become operational in September 1939 to house Polish prisoners. During the course of the conflict it was to become one of the main prisoner of war camps in Germany, and was repeatedly expanded as necessitated by the various military campaigns of the Reich. In September 1943 convoys also began to arrive there from Italy.


The camp also served as a dispatch centre for forced labour in various locations throughout the region. In fact, just over a week after arriving in Moosburg, several internees from Forlì were sent to Munich to clear the city of the rubble caused by Allied bombings (according to one witness 400 of the younger internees, including 55 from the Venezia Giulia region). Between the end of April and the beginning of May 1944 some of them were transferred to the area around Ingolstadt (more precisely to Großmehring) to be employed in agricultural work17.

At the end of April the US Army liberated the Moosburg camp followed by the surrounding area. A witness reported being liberated on 13 May, then being transferred to a camp set aside for Yugoslavs at Deggendorf, (one of the many refugee camps in the town, built in a former Wehrmacht barracks). Here they remained until 9 July when they left for Istria, where they were to arrive only after a journey lasting many days18. Others in the group reached home having taken different routes19.

Among those who experienced being deported from Forlì prison to Bavaria along a route about which little is known, we have identified the following names and reconstructed some data with a reasonable degree of certainty:

- Antun Depoli born in Sušak on 29-11-1919, returned home on 20-6-1945.

- Savo Vivoda born in Sv. Martin, Buzet on 16-12-1906, returned home in the July of 1945.
- Antun Vivoda born in Veli Mlun, Buzet on 18-04-1903, returned home on 14 July 1945.
- Anđelo Vivoda born in Veli Mlun, Buzet, on 19-11-1907, returned home on 14 July 1945.
- Tono Cerovac, born in Veli Mlun, Buzet, on 29-12-1896, returned home on 14 July 1945.
- Josip Cerovac (di Veli Mlun, Buzet, 1927(?), missing.
- Ivan Marinac born in Marinci, Buzet, on 16-9-1875, returned home in 1944.
- Jakov Marijon of Sv. Ivan, Buzet born il 11-08-1897
- Martin Motika, born on 3-7-1917

Marco Abram (2018)

Note 1 
Statement made by Antun Depoli, State Archives of Rijeka, Rijeka, Okružna komisija za utvrđivanje ratnih zločina - Sušak [District Commission for the Investigation into War Crimes - Sušak], HR-DARI-105, k. 26; Central State Archives, Rome, Ministry of the Interior, Directorate General of Public Security, General and Private Affairs Division. Office employees from the first section, Central Political Casellario, Personal files, Busta 1738, Fascicolo Depoli Antonio.
Note 2
Statement made by Ivan Marinac, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of Crimes Committed by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 3
Ljubo Drndić, Oružje i sloboda Istre 1941-1943, Zagreb, Školska knjiga, 1978, p. 163; see also the statement made by Josip Sirotić, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [National Commission for the Identification of Crimes Committed by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 4

Ljubo Drndić, Oružje i sloboda Istre 1941-1943, Zagreb, Školska knjiga, 1978. p.151.


Note 5
Statement made by Ivan Marinac, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 6
Statement made by Miro Blažina, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 494; Statement by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 7
See the website "campifascisti.it";
URL http://www.campifascisti.it/scheda_campo.php?id_campo=260
Note 8
Marco Viroli, Gabriele Zelli, I giorni che sconvolsero Forlì : 8 settembre 1943 - 10 dicembre 1944, Cesena, Il Ponte Vecchio, 2014.
Note 9
Statement made by Miro Blažina, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 494. .
Note 10
Statement made by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 11
Statement made by Antun Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 12
Statement made by Miro Blažina, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 494; see also the website campifascisti URL  http://www.campifascisti.it/scheda_campo.php?id_campo=260
Note 13
Statement made by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 14
Luigi Lonardo, Mantova 1943. Mantova 1943. Una stagione di guerra, Milan Franco Angeli, 1995, pp. 107-115; p. 150.
Note 15
Statement made by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343. .
Note 16
Statement made by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343; International Tracing Service ITS, Bad Arolsen, DE ITS 6.3.3.3 Archivnummer: 82867897.
Note 17
Statement of Antun Depoli, State Archives of Rijeka, Rijeka, Okružna komisija za utvrđivanje ratnih zločina - Sušak [District Commission for the Investigation  of War Crimes - Sušak], HR-DARI-105, k. 26; Statement by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343; Statement made by Antun Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343; International Tracing Service ITS, Bad Arolsen, DE ITS 2.1.1.1 Archivnummer: 69953977; ITS International Tracing Service, Bad Arolsen, DE ITS 2.1.1.1 Archivnummer: 69953978
Note 18
Statement made by Savo Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343; Declaration by Antun Vivoda, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade,  Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343.
Note 19

Statement made by Ivan Marinac, Archives of Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača [[State Commission for the investigation of  Crimes Committed  by the Occupying Forces and their Collaborators], br. fonda 110, br. Fascike 343; Declaration of Antun Depoli, State Archives of Rijeka, Rijeka, Okružna komisija za utvrđivanje ratnih zločina - Sušak [District Commission for the Investigation into  War Crimes - Sušak], HR-DARI-105, k. 26.

AEL Arbeitserziehungslager
The workers' re-education camps (AEL) were set up in 1940 by the Gestapo in order to re-educate individuals accused of acts of industrial sabotage or who, for some reason, were held to be “reluctant” to work. In effect, these camps were also a means of exploiting forced labour. It has been estimated that in Germany and the German-occupied territories around 200 Arbeitserziehungslager had been set up in which around 500,000 people had been imprisoned.
Bau-und Arbeits Battallion B.A.B.
During the Second World War the Germans established prisoner of war units known as Bau-und Arbeits Battaillon (shortened to B.A.B.). The B.A.B. were made up on average of 600 prisoners of war who were used as forced labour. The distinguishing feature of these forced labour units was that they were mobile; unlike the prisoners who were being held in the Stalag, these workers were not stationed in a specific location but were moved around according to necessity.
I.G. Farben
The I.G. Farben Company was founded in 1925 from the merger of several different German industries. During the Second World War it was the main producer of chemicals for Nazi Germany. I.G. Farben made more use of forced labour than any other industry, particularly during the construction of the plants at Auschwitz. The directors of I.G. Farben were among the accused at the Nuremberg Trials of 1947/48. At the end of the war the decision was taken to split up the industry into its original component parts.
Kriegsgefangenen Arbeitskommando
The Arbeitskommando were work camps detachments for prisoners who had been captured by the Germans. Usually made up of a few hundred prisoners, they were set up near to places of employment (factories, mines, agricultural establishments etc.). They were run from a central Stalag (prisoner of war camp), which may have been responsible for hundreds of work detachments. The work detachments for Allied prisoners of war were visited on a regular basis by representatives of the Red Cross.
Ispettorato Militare del Lavoro (Military Work Inspectorate)
The Military Work Inspectorate was set up in October 1943 with the aim of organising a workforce which was to construct territorial defences for the Italian Republic of Salò and repair the damage caused by air raids. Known as the “Organizzazione Paladino” (Paladino Organisation) after its founder and commanding officer, and operating in strict collaboration with, and at times directly employed by, the Germans, it took on several tens of thousands of workers.
Todt Organisation
The Todt Organisation was begun in Germany at the end of the 'Thirties with the aim of setting up a workforce which would build military defences. The idea of Fritz Todd, who was also its director until his death in 1942, during the war it exploited forced labour in German-occupied countries. In Italy it played a fundamental role in the construction of defences along the Appenines in support of the Wehrmacht, employing tens of thousands of men.
Paladino Francesco
Born in Scilla (Reggio Calabria) in 1890, he volunteered for the Corps of Engineers as a telegraphist in 1907. In 1908 he rose to the rank of sergeant, a rank he held throughout the War in Libya. In 1914 he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and during the First World War he was made captain.
Afterwards he remained in the Armed Forces and in 1932 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1936 he took part in the War in Ethiopia, during which he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
In the Second World War, he returned to Italy after participating in the Greek campaign and was assigned to the Bolzano Corps. In 1942 he was promoted to brigader general. After the armistice he joined the Italian Social Republic for which he created the Military Labour Inspectorate.
He finally retired in 1945 and in 1970 he was awarded the honorary grade of major general.
He died in 1974.
Sauckel Fritz

Fritz Sauckel, born in 1894, was a local Nazi party official. In 1942 he was nominated plenipotentiary for the organisation of work throughout all the German-occupied territories. In practice, he was responsible for the compulsory engagement of forced labour. In Italy his organisation tried to round up hundreds of thousands of men to send to the German Reich, with scarce results. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to death, the sentence being carried out in 1946.

Speer Albert
Albert Speer, born in 1905, was an architect who enjoyed an excellent personal relationship with Adolf Hitler. Even though he was not an ardent Nazi, he was the brains behind the staging of the Party parades, thereby assuring for himself the esteem and trust of the dictator. In 1942, after the death of Fritz Todt, he was put in charge of the Ministry of Arms and Munitions, which oversaw the Todt organisation. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to twenty years imprisonment. He died in London in 1981.
Stalag
A German prisoner of war camp. The living conditions in the Stalag varied considerably according to the nationality of the prisoners (Allied, Russian, Italian military internees, etc.)
Todt Fritz
Fritz Todt was a German engineer who was responsible, in the 'Thirties, for building the motorway system as desired by Hitler. At the end of the 'Thirties he set up the Todt Organisation, with the aim of supplying forced labour to be used in the building of defences along the French border. During the war his organisation oversaw the use of forced labour in the occupied territories. He died in a plane crash in 1942.
Gemeinschaftslager
The Gemeinschaftslager, like the Wohnlager, were unsupervised camps for foreign workers, while the Arbeitslager were supervised. Generally speaking, the concept of forced labour is applied only to the latter, but at the present time historians are undoubtedly tending to review the concept of forced labour, extending it to include work situations which are apparently free but in reality are forced. More specifically, the current discussion tends to be orientated towards a concept of forced labour which includes these three distinctive elements:
- from a legal point of view, it is impossible for the worker to dissolve the relationship with his employer
- from the social point of view, the possibilities of significantly influencing employment conditions are limited
- there is a high mortality rate, which indicates a higher than average workload and a provision of means of sustenance below the necessary requirements.
See: [https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/geschichte/auslaendisch/begriffe/index.html]
AEL Arbeitserziehungslager
The workers' re-education camps (AEL) were set up in 1940 by the Gestapo in order to re-educate individuals accused of acts of industrial sabotage or who, for some reason, were held to be “reluctant” to work. In effect, these camps were also a means of exploiting forced labour. It has been estimated that in Germany and the German-occupied territories around 200 Arbeitserziehungslager had been set up in which around 500,000 people had been imprisoned.
Bau-und Arbeits Battallion B.A.B.
During the Second World War the Germans established prisoner of war units known as Bau-und Arbeits Battaillon (shortened to B.A.B.). The B.A.B. were made up on average of 600 prisoners of war who were used as forced labour. The distinguishing feature of these forced labour units was that they were mobile; unlike the prisoners who were being held in the Stalag, these workers were not stationed in a specific location but were moved around according to necessity.
I.G. Farben
The I.G. Farben Company was founded in 1925 from the merger of several different German industries. During the Second World War it was the main producer of chemicals for Nazi Germany. I.G. Farben made more use of forced labour than any other industry, particularly during the construction of the plants at Auschwitz. The directors of I.G. Farben were among the accused at the Nuremberg Trials of 1947/48. At the end of the war the decision was taken to split up the industry into its original component parts.
Kriegsgefangenen Arbeitskommando
The Arbeitskommando were work camps detachments for prisoners who had been captured by the Germans. Usually made up of a few hundred prisoners, they were set up near to places of employment (factories, mines, agricultural establishments etc.). They were run from a central Stalag (prisoner of war camp), which may have been responsible for hundreds of work detachments. The work detachments for Allied prisoners of war were visited on a regular basis by representatives of the Red Cross.
Ispettorato Militare del Lavoro (Military Work Inspectorate)
The Military Work Inspectorate was set up in October 1943 with the aim of organising a workforce which was to construct territorial defences for the Italian Republic of Salò and repair the damage caused by air raids. Known as the “Organizzazione Paladino” (Paladino Organisation) after its founder and commanding officer, and operating in strict collaboration with, and at times directly employed by, the Germans, it took on several tens of thousands of workers.
Todt Organisation
The Todt Organisation was begun in Germany at the end of the 'Thirties with the aim of setting up a workforce which would build military defences. The idea of Fritz Todd, who was also its director until his death in 1942, during the war it exploited forced labour in German-occupied countries. In Italy it played a fundamental role in the construction of defences along the Appenines in support of the Wehrmacht, employing tens of thousands of men.
Paladino Francesco
Born in Scilla (Reggio Calabria) in 1890, he volunteered for the Corps of Engineers as a telegraphist in 1907. In 1908 he rose to the rank of sergeant, a rank he held throughout the War in Libya. In 1914 he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and during the First World War he was made captain.
Afterwards he remained in the Armed Forces and in 1932 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1936 he took part in the War in Ethiopia, during which he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
In the Second World War, he returned to Italy after participating in the Greek campaign and was assigned to the Bolzano Corps. In 1942 he was promoted to brigader general. After the armistice he joined the Italian Social Republic for which he created the Military Labour Inspectorate.
He finally retired in 1945 and in 1970 he was awarded the honorary grade of major general.
He died in 1974.
Sauckel Fritz

Fritz Sauckel, born in 1894, was a local Nazi party official. In 1942 he was nominated plenipotentiary for the organisation of work throughout all the German-occupied territories. In practice, he was responsible for the compulsory engagement of forced labour. In Italy his organisation tried to round up hundreds of thousands of men to send to the German Reich, with scarce results. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to death, the sentence being carried out in 1946.

Speer Albert
Albert Speer, born in 1905, was an architect who enjoyed an excellent personal relationship with Adolf Hitler. Even though he was not an ardent Nazi, he was the brains behind the staging of the Party parades, thereby assuring for himself the esteem and trust of the dictator. In 1942, after the death of Fritz Todt, he was put in charge of the Ministry of Arms and Munitions, which oversaw the Todt organisation. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to twenty years imprisonment. He died in London in 1981.
Stalag
A German prisoner of war camp. The living conditions in the Stalag varied considerably according to the nationality of the prisoners (Allied, Russian, Italian military internees, etc.)
Todt Fritz
Fritz Todt was a German engineer who was responsible, in the 'Thirties, for building the motorway system as desired by Hitler. At the end of the 'Thirties he set up the Todt Organisation, with the aim of supplying forced labour to be used in the building of defences along the French border. During the war his organisation oversaw the use of forced labour in the occupied territories. He died in a plane crash in 1942.
Gemeinschaftslager
The Gemeinschaftslager, like the Wohnlager, were unsupervised camps for foreign workers, while the Arbeitslager were supervised. Generally speaking, the concept of forced labour is applied only to the latter, but at the present time historians are undoubtedly tending to review the concept of forced labour, extending it to include work situations which are apparently free but in reality are forced. More specifically, the current discussion tends to be orientated towards a concept of forced labour which includes these three distinctive elements:
- from a legal point of view, it is impossible for the worker to dissolve the relationship with his employer
- from the social point of view, the possibilities of significantly influencing employment conditions are limited
- there is a high mortality rate, which indicates a higher than average workload and a provision of means of sustenance below the necessary requirements.
See: [https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/geschichte/auslaendisch/begriffe/index.html]
AEL Arbeitserziehungslager
The workers' re-education camps (AEL) were set up in 1940 by the Gestapo in order to re-educate individuals accused of acts of industrial sabotage or who, for some reason, were held to be “reluctant” to work. In effect, these camps were also a means of exploiting forced labour. It has been estimated that in Germany and the German-occupied territories around 200 Arbeitserziehungslager had been set up in which around 500,000 people had been imprisoned.
Bau-und Arbeits Battallion B.A.B.
During the Second World War the Germans established prisoner of war units known as Bau-und Arbeits Battaillon (shortened to B.A.B.). The B.A.B. were made up on average of 600 prisoners of war who were used as forced labour. The distinguishing feature of these forced labour units was that they were mobile; unlike the prisoners who were being held in the Stalag, these workers were not stationed in a specific location but were moved around according to necessity.
I.G. Farben
The I.G. Farben Company was founded in 1925 from the merger of several different German industries. During the Second World War it was the main producer of chemicals for Nazi Germany. I.G. Farben made more use of forced labour than any other industry, particularly during the construction of the plants at Auschwitz. The directors of I.G. Farben were among the accused at the Nuremberg Trials of 1947/48. At the end of the war the decision was taken to split up the industry into its original component parts.
Kriegsgefangenen Arbeitskommando
The Arbeitskommando were work camps detachments for prisoners who had been captured by the Germans. Usually made up of a few hundred prisoners, they were set up near to places of employment (factories, mines, agricultural establishments etc.). They were run from a central Stalag (prisoner of war camp), which may have been responsible for hundreds of work detachments. The work detachments for Allied prisoners of war were visited on a regular basis by representatives of the Red Cross.
Ispettorato Militare del Lavoro (Military Work Inspectorate)
The Military Work Inspectorate was set up in October 1943 with the aim of organising a workforce which was to construct territorial defences for the Italian Republic of Salò and repair the damage caused by air raids. Known as the “Organizzazione Paladino” (Paladino Organisation) after its founder and commanding officer, and operating in strict collaboration with, and at times directly employed by, the Germans, it took on several tens of thousands of workers.
Todt Organisation
The Todt Organisation was begun in Germany at the end of the 'Thirties with the aim of setting up a workforce which would build military defences. The idea of Fritz Todd, who was also its director until his death in 1942, during the war it exploited forced labour in German-occupied countries. In Italy it played a fundamental role in the construction of defences along the Appenines in support of the Wehrmacht, employing tens of thousands of men.
Paladino Francesco
Born in Scilla (Reggio Calabria) in 1890, he volunteered for the Corps of Engineers as a telegraphist in 1907. In 1908 he rose to the rank of sergeant, a rank he held throughout the War in Libya. In 1914 he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and during the First World War he was made captain.
Afterwards he remained in the Armed Forces and in 1932 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1936 he took part in the War in Ethiopia, during which he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
In the Second World War, he returned to Italy after participating in the Greek campaign and was assigned to the Bolzano Corps. In 1942 he was promoted to brigader general. After the armistice he joined the Italian Social Republic for which he created the Military Labour Inspectorate.
He finally retired in 1945 and in 1970 he was awarded the honorary grade of major general.
He died in 1974.
Sauckel Fritz

Fritz Sauckel, born in 1894, was a local Nazi party official. In 1942 he was nominated plenipotentiary for the organisation of work throughout all the German-occupied territories. In practice, he was responsible for the compulsory engagement of forced labour. In Italy his organisation tried to round up hundreds of thousands of men to send to the German Reich, with scarce results. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to death, the sentence being carried out in 1946.

Speer Albert
Albert Speer, born in 1905, was an architect who enjoyed an excellent personal relationship with Adolf Hitler. Even though he was not an ardent Nazi, he was the brains behind the staging of the Party parades, thereby assuring for himself the esteem and trust of the dictator. In 1942, after the death of Fritz Todt, he was put in charge of the Ministry of Arms and Munitions, which oversaw the Todt organisation. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to twenty years imprisonment. He died in London in 1981.
Todt Fritz
Fritz Todt was a German engineer who was responsible, in the 'Thirties, for building the motorway system as desired by Hitler. At the end of the 'Thirties he set up the Todt Organisation, with the aim of supplying forced labour to be used in the building of defences along the French border. During the war his organisation oversaw the use of forced labour in the occupied territories. He died in a plane crash in 1942.
AEL Arbeitserziehungslager
The workers' re-education camps (AEL) were set up in 1940 by the Gestapo in order to re-educate individuals accused of acts of industrial sabotage or who, for some reason, were held to be “reluctant” to work. In effect, these camps were also a means of exploiting forced labour. It has been estimated that in Germany and the German-occupied territories around 200 Arbeitserziehungslager had been set up in which around 500,000 people had been imprisoned.
Bau-und Arbeits Battallion B.A.B.
During the Second World War the Germans established prisoner of war units known as Bau-und Arbeits Battaillon (shortened to B.A.B.). The B.A.B. were made up on average of 600 prisoners of war who were used as forced labour. The distinguishing feature of these forced labour units was that they were mobile; unlike the prisoners who were being held in the Stalag, these workers were not stationed in a specific location but were moved around according to necessity.
I.G. Farben
The I.G. Farben Company was founded in 1925 from the merger of several different German industries. During the Second World War it was the main producer of chemicals for Nazi Germany. I.G. Farben made more use of forced labour than any other industry, particularly during the construction of the plants at Auschwitz. The directors of I.G. Farben were among the accused at the Nuremberg Trials of 1947/48. At the end of the war the decision was taken to split up the industry into its original component parts.
Kriegsgefangenen Arbeitskommando
The Arbeitskommando were work camps detachments for prisoners who had been captured by the Germans. Usually made up of a few hundred prisoners, they were set up near to places of employment (factories, mines, agricultural establishments etc.). They were run from a central Stalag (prisoner of war camp), which may have been responsible for hundreds of work detachments. The work detachments for Allied prisoners of war were visited on a regular basis by representatives of the Red Cross.
Ispettorato Militare del Lavoro (Military Work Inspectorate)
The Military Work Inspectorate was set up in October 1943 with the aim of organising a workforce which was to construct territorial defences for the Italian Republic of Salò and repair the damage caused by air raids. Known as the “Organizzazione Paladino” (Paladino Organisation) after its founder and commanding officer, and operating in strict collaboration with, and at times directly employed by, the Germans, it took on several tens of thousands of workers.
Todt Organisation
The Todt Organisation was begun in Germany at the end of the 'Thirties with the aim of setting up a workforce which would build military defences. The idea of Fritz Todd, who was also its director until his death in 1942, during the war it exploited forced labour in German-occupied countries. In Italy it played a fundamental role in the construction of defences along the Appenines in support of the Wehrmacht, employing tens of thousands of men.
Paladino Francesco
Born in Scilla (Reggio Calabria) in 1890, he volunteered for the Corps of Engineers as a telegraphist in 1907. In 1908 he rose to the rank of sergeant, a rank he held throughout the War in Libya. In 1914 he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and during the First World War he was made captain.
Afterwards he remained in the Armed Forces and in 1932 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1936 he took part in the War in Ethiopia, during which he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
In the Second World War, he returned to Italy after participating in the Greek campaign and was assigned to the Bolzano Corps. In 1942 he was promoted to brigader general. After the armistice he joined the Italian Social Republic for which he created the Military Labour Inspectorate.
He finally retired in 1945 and in 1970 he was awarded the honorary grade of major general.
He died in 1974.
Sauckel Fritz

Fritz Sauckel, born in 1894, was a local Nazi party official. In 1942 he was nominated plenipotentiary for the organisation of work throughout all the German-occupied territories. In practice, he was responsible for the compulsory engagement of forced labour. In Italy his organisation tried to round up hundreds of thousands of men to send to the German Reich, with scarce results. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to death, the sentence being carried out in 1946.

Speer Albert
Albert Speer, born in 1905, was an architect who enjoyed an excellent personal relationship with Adolf Hitler. Even though he was not an ardent Nazi, he was the brains behind the staging of the Party parades, thereby assuring for himself the esteem and trust of the dictator. In 1942, after the death of Fritz Todt, he was put in charge of the Ministry of Arms and Munitions, which oversaw the Todt organisation. He was tried at Nuremberg and condemned to twenty years imprisonment. He died in London in 1981.
Todt Fritz
Fritz Todt was a German engineer who was responsible, in the 'Thirties, for building the motorway system as desired by Hitler. At the end of the 'Thirties he set up the Todt Organisation, with the aim of supplying forced labour to be used in the building of defences along the French border. During the war his organisation oversaw the use of forced labour in the occupied territories. He died in a plane crash in 1942.