Back

Silvio Pardini 1908 - 1945 Edit

Born 23.7.1908 in La Spezia
Died 13.3.1945 in Mauthausen

Biography

Born into an anti-Fascist family, Silvio Pardini was arrested in the major raid on Migliarina (La Spezia) that took place on 21 November 1944. He was taken to a nearby engineering workshop (‘Flag’) that had been converted into a Fascist prison, and then to the barracks of the 21st Infantry Regiment of La Spezia, where barbaric torture also took place. Since the roads were unsafe as a result of partisan attacks, and the railway was no longer useable, he was taken by sea, with a motorised raft, to Genoa, where he was subjected to mistreatment during his interrogations in a student hall of residence.

On 12 January 1945 he was transferred from the Marassi prison to the Bolzano concentration camp and, on 1 February, was taken with transport no. 119 to Mauthausen (where he was given prisoner number 126331).

After being assigned to work as a slave labourer in the tunnels of Gusen II he became sick and asked to be taken to the infirmary. According to the available sources, he died on 13 March 1945.

His fellow inmate Giobatta Ghersi, who knew Pardini well because he had lived in the same part of La Spezia, stood next to him at roll call and saw his unfortunate comrade for the last time shortly before he left for the infirmary, despite Ghersi’s emphatic admonition not to do so.

It would be Ghersi, on his return to La Spezia in summer 1945, who would tell Pardini’s pregnant wife and seven-year-old daughter of Pardini’s tragic death.

Rita Pardini

ANED, La Spezia section

 

Sources:

Archive of ANED, La Spezia section, Directory of those deported to the Mauthausen extermination camp, recorded by the section.

References:

G.U. 1968 Sup. N. 130 22-5.

Valeria Morelli: I deportati italiani nei campi di sterminio 1943–1945 [Italian deportees to the extermination camps 1943–1945] (Milan 1965).

 

Italo Tibaldi: Compagni di viaggio. Dall'Italia ai lager nazisti. I “trasporti” dei deportati 1943–45 [Travelling Companions. From Italy to the Nazi camps. The ‘transports’ of the deportees 1943–1945] (Milan 1995).

Translation into English: Joanna White

Send information about this person...

Add further information about this person...