Cesare Lorenzi 1903 - 1945 Edit

Cesare Lorenzi wird in eine bescheidene Familie als letztes von acht Kindern geboren, die der Vater als Sozialist und Arbeiterführer nach den Idealen von Gerechtigkeit, Freiheit und Demokratie erzieht.

1922 wird er mit 19 Jahren verhaftet und ins Gefängnis von Volterra gesteckt, wo er aufgrund der Beschuldigung, einen jungen Faschisten getötet zu haben, gefoltert wird. Nach sechs Monaten Haft wird er für unschuldig erklärt und freigelassen. Nach dieser dramatischen Erfahrung zieht er nach Sesto San Giovanni (Mailand), wo er bei dem Unternehmen Falck Concordia, bei dem schon zwei seiner Brüder arbeiten, als Mechanik-Facharbeiter Beschäftigung findet.

In der Fabrik solidarisiert er sich mit zahlreichen, aus verschiedenen italienischen Regionen stammenden Antifaschisten, die ihm die Aufgabe des Kassiers des Soccorso Rosso (Rote Hilfe) anvertrauen. Er nimmt an allen Untergrundaktionen teil, die dann zu den für den Widerstandskampf wichtigen Streiks der Jahre 1943 und 1944 führen. In einer Vergeltungsaktion werden tausende Arbeiter in Norditalien verhaftet.

Am 4. März 1944 halten ihn zwei Faschisten in Zivilkleidung auf der Straße an und bringen ihn zur Kaserne S. Fedele nach Mailand, wo er einen Monat lang festgehalten wird. Während dieser Zeit wird er einer Scheinerschießung ausgesetzt, die zum Ziel hat, ihn zu brechen und Informationen über den Aufenthalt seiner beiden untergetauchten Brüder zu erpressen. Seine Antwort ist Schweigen. Er kommt ins Gefängnis San Vittore, und von dort wird er mit dem am 8. April 1944 von Novi Ligure kommenden Transport nach Bergamo überstellt. Aber hier bleibt der Zug einen Tag lang stehen und fährt dann, wie man damals so sagte, nach Deutschland weiter.

Während eines Aufenthalts in Brescia trifft er zu seiner Freude Ehefrau und Tochter, die ihn auf abenteuerlichem Wege erreicht haben. Sie sind nämlich auf seine Abfahrt durch einen Zettel aufmerksam geworden, den er aus dem Zug geworfen hat und der von einem Passanten aufgehoben worden ist.

Während der Zug anfährt, schaut er mit einem Glas Wein in der Hand aus dem Fenster – den Wein hatten den Gefangenen mutige, am Bahnhof festsitzende Menschen überreicht –, und mit erhobenem Glas grüßt er tränenüberströmt seine Familie und sagt „Viva l’Italia“.

Ende Mai 1945 gibt das Radio die Namen der Überlebenden des Lagers Mauthausen bekannt. Cesare Lorenzi lebt.

Aber nach jahrelangem Warten teilt das italienische Verteidigungsministerium seinen Tod mit, der am 22. Mai 1945 eingetreten ist.

Aus den Dokumenten, die die Familie 2010 erhält, erfährt sie das ganze Ausmaß seines Leidensweges:

Interniert in Mauthausen am 16. April 1944 mit der Häftlingsnummer 63754 in der Kategorie Schutzhäftling; ins Außenlager Steyr überstellt; am 1. oder 2. Dezember 1944 nach Auschwitz gebracht; am 29. Jänner 1945 nach Mauthausen zurückgekehrt (Häftlingsnummer 124060); am 24. Februar 1945 in das Außenlager Wien-Saurerwerke überstellt; nach einem dreiwöchigen Evakuierungsmarsch kommt er am 23. April 1945 im Außenlager Steyr-Münichholz an.

Am 22. Mai 1945 stirbt er im 130^th Evacuation Hospital der U.S. Army in Mauthausen an Tuberkulose.

Raffaella Lorenzi

ANED, Sektion Sesto San Giovanni – Monza  / Fondazione memoria della Deportazione

Raffaella Lorenzi ist die Tochter von Cesare Lorenzi und bei der Sektion der Associazione nazionale ex deportati (ANED) in Sesto San Giovanni-Monza engagiert.

Aus dem Italienischen von Camilla Brunelli

Cesare Lorenzi came from a humble background and was the youngest of eight children, who were brought up by their socialist and workers’ leader father according to the ideals of fairness, freedom and democracy. In 1922 Cesare was arrested at the age of 19 and put in prison in Volterra, where he was tortured under accusations of having killed a young Fascist. After six months in jail he was acquitted and released. After this dramatic experience he moved to Sesto San Giovanni (Milan), where he found work as a skilled mechanic at the Falck Concordia company, where two of his brothers were already working.

At the factory he joined forces with several other anti-Fascists from the different regions of Italy, who entrusted him with the job of treasurer of the Soccorso Rosso (Red Aid). He took part in all the underground operations which then led to the strikes of 1943 and 1944, which were so vital to the resistance struggle. In a subsequent reprisal measure, thousands of workers in Northern Italy were arrested.

On 4 March 1944 two Fascists in civilian clothing stopped him in the street and took him to the S. Fedele barracks in Milan, where he was held for a month. During this time he was subjected to a mock execution by firing squad which was supposed to break him and extort information from him on the whereabouts of his two brothers, who had gone into hiding. His answer was silence. He was then taken to the San Vittore jail, and from there he was transferred to Bergamo on 8 April 1944 on a transport from Novi Ligure. But the train only remained in Bergamo for a day before continuing, as they said at that time, to Germany.

During a stop in Brescia, to his great delight he saw his wife and daughter again, who had reached him by an adventurous route, having only been alerted to his departure by a note that he had thrown from the train and which had been picked up by a passer-by.

As the train started up, he looked out of the window with a glass of wine in his hand – the wine had been passed to the prisoners by some courageous people waiting at the station – and with raised glass and tear-streaked face, he greeted his family and said ‘Viva l’Italia’.

At the end of May 1945 the radio announced the names of the survivors of the Mauthausen camp. Cesare Lorenzi was alive.

But after so many years of waiting, the Italian Defence Ministry informed the family of his death, which took place on 22 May 1945.

From the documents received by the family in 2010 they learned the extent of his suffering:

Interned in Mauthausen on 16 April 1944 under prisoner number 63754 as a protective custody prisoner; transferred to the Steyr subcamp; taken to Auschwitz on 1 or 2 December 1944; returned to Mauthausen on 29 January (prisoner number 124060); transferred to the Wien-Saurer Works subcamps on 24 February 1945; arrived at the Steyr-Münichholz subcamp after a three-week-long evacuation march on 23 April 1945.

On 22 May 1945 he died in the 130th Evacuation Hospital of the US Army in Mauthausen of tuberculosis.

Raffaella Lorenzi

ANED, Sesto San Giovanni – Monza section

Translation into English: Joanna White

Cesare Lorenzi nasce il 14/12/1903 a Guardistallo (Pisa) da una modesta famiglia, ultimo di otto figli educati dal padre, socialista e capolega, agli ideali di giustizia, libertà e democrazia.

Nel 1922, a diciannove anni ,viene arrestato,rinchiuso nel carcere di Volterra e torturato, perché accusato d'aver ucciso un giovane fascista. Dopo sei mesi di detenzione, riconosciuto innocente, viene scarcerato. A seguito di questa drammatica esperienza, si trasferisce a Sesto S. Giovanni (Mi) e trova lavoro come meccanico specializzato allo stabilimento Falck Concordia dove già lavorano due suoi fratelli.

Nella fabbrica solidarizza con numerosi antifascisti provenienti da diverse regioni italiane che gli affidano l'impegno di Cassiere del Soccorso Rosso. Partecipa a tutta l'attività clandestina che sfocia negli scioperi del '43  e del '44 i quali hanno una parte importante nella lotta di Resistenza. Per rappresaglia migliaia di lavoratori del Nord d'Italia vengono arrestati.

Il 4 Marzo 1944 due fascisti in borghese lo fermano per strada e lo portano alla Caserma S. Fedele a Milano dove viene trattenuto per un mese durante il quale, a scopo intimidatorio, per sapere dove si trovano i suoi due fratelli datisi alla macchia, lo sottopongono ad una finta fucilazione. Il silenzio è la sua risposta. Passa poi al carcere di S. Vittore e da lì parte per Bergamo col trasporto proveniente da Novi Ligure l'8/4/ '44. Ma a Bergamo il treno si ferma un giorno e poi riparte per la Germania, secondo quello che veniva allora detto.

Durante una lunga sosta a Brescia ha la gioia di incontrare moglie e figlia che lo hanno fortunosamente raggiunto, avvisate della sua partenza da un biglietto gettato dal treno e raccolto da un passante.

Mentre il treno si avvia, si affaccia al finestrino con un bicchiere di vino in mano, che persone coraggiose avevano portato ai prigionieri fermi nelle stazioni, e, alzandolo, saluta la famiglia in lacrime, dicendo "Viva l'Italia".

Alla fine di Maggio 1945 la radio comunica i nomi dei sopravvissuti del lager di Mauthausen. Cesare Lorenzi è vivo.

Ma dopo anni di attesa, il Ministero della Guerra Italiano comunica la sua morte avvenuta il 22/5/1945.

Dai documenti ricevuti dalla famiglia nel 2010, si viene a conoscenza di tutto il suo calvario:

entrato a Mauthausen il 16/4/'44 matricola 63754 con categoria: fermo precauzionale; trasferito a Steyr Mauthausen; trasferito ad Auschwitz l'1/2 dicembre '44; ritornato a Mauthausen il 29/1/'45 matricola 124060; trasferito a Wien-West sottocampo di Mauthausen il 24/02/'45; ritornato a Steyr il 23/4/'45.

Deceduto il 22 Maggio 1945 nel 130th Evacuation Hospital (US Hospital) Mauthausen per tubercolosi.

Redatta dalla figlia Raffaella Lorenzi

ANED sezione di Sesto San Giovanni - Monza / Fondazione memoria della Deportazione