Profughi ebrei nel Salento (1944-1947): nuove testimonianze

Abstract

A research carried out at the University of Salento on the poorly known episode of the South-ern Apulian DP Camps (1944-1947) is here described: it aims to collect in a data base (www.profughiebreinpuglia.it) testimonial evidence on the period that followed the tragedy of the Shoah and witnessed the spiritual and physical rebirth of thousands of Holocaust survivors. On the shores of the Salento region, near Lecce, four camps, organized under the auspices of the Anglo-American forces and run by the UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration), hosted Jewish refugees, who were mostly of Central and Eastern European origin. Their daily activities are especially taken into account to shed light on the complex relationships that resulted from the cooperation of refugees, Anglo-American soldiers, emissaries of the Palestinian yishuv, and local Italians.