Contemporary Witness Statement Giovanni Maltagliati

• Maltagliati, Giovanni, questionnaire provided by Giuseppe Zanoni, Comune di Robecco sul Naviglio. Material received from Giuseppe Zanoni, Mayor Comune di Robecco sul Naviglio Province of Milan The Mayor, sent September 15, 2008 Interview with GIOVANNI MALTAGLIATI born 1926 Questionnaire 1. When were you arrested by the Germans and under what circumstances? I was arrested during the Nazi-fascist reprisal action on July 20 and 21, 1944 in Robecco sul Naviglio, a small village near Magenta, which at that time had about 3,000 inhabitants. Description of the events. On the afternoon of July 20, 1944, a group of soldiers consisting of three Germans and one Italian fascist set out to seize a stockpile of fabrics that a Milanese businessman had hidden on a farm. This was guarded by some partisans. A shootout occurred, in which a German sergeant and the partisan Luigi Valenti were wounded. The former was taken by his men to Abbiategrasso but died on the way there. The latter was treated by the village doctor, Dr. de Bonis, and his assistant Don Magni and then, already dying, was brought to a hut used by the farmers for their fieldwork, near an estate called "Tangola." On the way back, the doctor and assistant were stopped by the Germans who had returned to the village. After threatening to shoot Don Magni against the wall because he refused to reveal the whereabouts of the wounded man, the doctor explained where they had taken the partisan. Upon arrival, the Germans began arresting some farmers of the "Tangola," then took Luigi Valenti from the hut and brought him, together with his father, brother, and sister, who had come to help him, to the place where the firefight had occurred. After a brief meeting, the soldiers shot his father Enrico and his brother Angelo and threw their bodies along with the now dead Luigi into the hut, which had meanwhile been set on fire. However, the German reprisal action was not yet over, as the German command had ordered the SS and the Muti Legion to launch a new attack on Robecco. The following day, at 10:30, the Germans and fascists returned to the village with reinforcements, distributed machine guns in the church square and at all entrances, and forced all the men of the village to come to the main square. They then divided them into two groups; one group of the elderly, the other those they considered fit for work. After several hours, during which several houses had already been set on fire, the German leader of the punitive squad announced his verdict and five citizens (Castellari Giovanni, Locatelli Mario, Pellegatta Ermanno, Pellegatta Luigi, and Staurengo Angelo) were executed by a firing squad. Another sixty citizens were loaded onto a truck and deported. Initially, they were taken to the San Vittore camp, and then, on August 9, they were sent to the Kahla Weimar concentration camp. There they had to dig tunnels in long 12-hour shifts and were given a bowl of soup and a piece of bread. Due to the lack of food and the violence inflicted on them, nine of them did not return. I was also among the deportees. 2. Please describe the transport from Italy to Kahla. Do you remember any stops during the journey? What were the transport conditions like? On the evening of July 21, we were taken to Milan, to the San Vittore prison, where we stayed for 20 days. On August 9, we left Milan (Scalo Farini) in a cattle transport heading to Germany. Each wagon held 25 people under the supervision of an armed German soldier. The wagons had only some straw to sleep on. We had a bag of bread that our relatives in Milan had given us on the day of our departure. Then we stopped before the Brenner Pass, between Bolzano and Bressanone (Brixen, editor’s note). They let us get off near an orchard so we could relieve ourselves. Two of my fellow prisoners, Cereghini and another who was not from Robecco, managed to escape. When our German guard noticed this, he started shooting wildly into the orchard. Another stop was made after Munich. We arrived in Nuremberg at night during a bombing raid; we were locked in the wagons in the dark. After four days, around evening, we arrived in Weimar. For the first time, they gave us dinner: soup and bread; we slept on bunks. The next day we were taken to Kahla. The labor camp was called "Rosengarten." 3. Do you remember when you arrived in Kahla and in which REIHMAG camp you were first housed? Were you later transferred to another camp? At first, we were housed in a garage for buses. There were 133 of us and we stayed there for 40 days. Then they took us 3 km from Kahla to the Reiseneck camp in a building that may once have been a theater, because I remember scenery painted on the wall. The building was next to a brewery. When I returned there in 1977 with some fellow prisoners, I saw this place again; the former sleeping quarters had become a beer hall. 4. What was the condition of the accommodation in the camp? Were there blankets and coal or wood for heating? And if there was any, was it enough? Our cots were bunk beds, four stacked on top of each other, there was a straw sack to sleep on and we had a blanket. I remember we were completely infested with lice. In the barrack, there was a stove in one corner, but it was almost never heated. We slept in the cold. Outside, next to the barrack, there was a large barrel into which we put wood and made a fire to warm ourselves and cook something, for example potato peels that we found in the Germans’ waste. For cooking, we put a bucket of water on the fire with potato peels and beetroot leftovers. 5. Were blankets or clothing distributed to the prisoners, and if so, in what condition were they? Was there an opportunity to wash your own clothes? We only had our own clothes. Occasionally there was disinfection, then the clothes were disinfected as well. To protect ourselves from the cold, we wore cement sacks into which we had cut holes for the head and arms. Over that, we put on our clothes. 6. Do you remember the type of food distributed in the camp? Approximately how large was the daily ration? Did this amount change over time?At first, and for about two months, they distributed one loaf of bread weighing 1.5 kg every day, which was divided into three parts. We cut the bread very carefully so that all pieces were equal. We ate once a day. Every day we received a soup made of cabbage and potatoes, sometimes a small piece of butter or margarine or a spoonful of sugar or jam. The daily ration decreased over time: the same loaf of bread weighing 1.2 kg had to be divided into eight parts. 7. When did work start and when did it end? Were there roll calls in the morning and evening, and what happened during them? The roll calls were every morning and evening in the yard, in any weather. Sometimes it was noticed that someone was missing at the morning roll call, and then they were found dead on their bunk. We were woken up at five in the morning. At six, we marched off in rows and columns and walked about 4 km to work. We dug a tunnel and worked 12 hours daily, in shifts. The first shift started at 7:00 and ended at 18:00; the second shift started at 18:00 and ended at 7:00 the next day. We worked two weeks in one shift, then two weeks in the other. During working hours, no eating was allowed. I remember that the guards went to eat at midnight and we used the time to make small trades, e.g., a piece of bread for a cigarette. More than 13,000 people worked in the tunnels. 8. Did you go to work in supervised columns? Did the guards use violence? Yes, we were always guarded. We went to work in columns. Violence was rarely used. 9. Were there rest days? Were holidays observed? At first, in the first three or four months, we had every third Sunday off. At Easter and Christmas, no work was done. I remember that on Christmas Eve, in addition to our ration, we also received something extra: pudding, a slice of goose salami, and jam. 10. To what extent was the work supervised? Was there someone who pushed the workers? Were there work plans? And what happened if these were not followed? The work was controlled daily by German guards. The prisoners were driven to fulfill the daily plan, which consisted of blasting the tunnel wall with dynamite and then removing 125 carts of earth and stones per shift. The shift plan had to be strictly followed: there was a very strict German guard who beat us for no reason with a shovel and kicked us. Everyone called him "the wild beast." 11. Did the workers receive protective clothing against accidents (helmets, gloves, boots, etc.)? Was the work safe? Were there accidents? We had no protection at all. Sometimes someone was injured while digging the tunnels or buried under rubble. One day there was a collapse in the tunnel and Filippo Alemanni was injured in the head, but no one could report being injured, because otherwise he would not have received the daily food ration. 12. Were the camp guards exclusively German or were there also foreign guards (Flemish, Belgian, or others)? If yes, can you say what nationality they were? Did foreign guards behave differently from the Germans? The guards were only Germans. Their superior was called "Führer." 13. Was it possible for prisoners to leave the camp? How strict were the controls? What was the nationality of the guards and how did they behave towards the prisoners? One could only leave the camp with permission. The controls were strict, and all the guards were German. Some women who lived near the camp and whose husbands were at war asked the responsible Germans for a few workers to help them with wood chopping or potato and turnip harvesting. Some of us were sent to help. On those days, the women gave us good food, and so we gave our food ration to comrades from our town. However, the work on those days was not paid. 14. Were you in contact with internees of other nationalities, for example at work? What impression did you have of them? There were Russians, French, Poles, Belgians, etc. We worked together and also showed solidarity. 15. Did you have the impression that certain groups of internees were treated worse or better than others? Perhaps the French were treated better. 16. Did they pay a salary and, if yes, was it enough to buy something? Every 14 days we received a wage, which was enough for a loaf of bread or two to three cigarettes. 17. Was there an exchange of goods among the internees and between internees and the civilian population? If yes, what and how was exchanged? There was no exchange of goods between the prisoners and the population. Within the prisoners, there was a small barter market. This took place during the night shift, at midnight, when the guards went to eat. Then we exchanged food, cigarettes, and sometimes clothing items. 18. What was the general reaction of the German civilians to the presence of internees (rather indifference or hostility)? I think they tolerated us. Some old women asked us for help with field work and gave us food in return. They were afraid of compromising themselves through contact with the prisoners and therefore kept the relationship at a distance. One of us, Sangalli Italo (a tailor by profession), could no longer do the hard work because he had a groin hernia (or slipped disc? not clear, I.S.). He was sent to a family for tailoring work; he sewed uniforms for the soldiers and guards. He lived and ate with this family. 19. Did you see mistreatment or people killed? Who were the victims and who the perpetrators? Yes, one from our town, Lissandrin Gerardo, was killed because a folding knife was found on him during a search. He had exchanged for this knife a few days earlier on the black market and used it to cut bread. He was killed with that very knife so that everyone could see what punishments awaited them. I remember that one day a deportee unknown to us was beaten so badly that he could no longer walk. The guards let us deposit near our barrack. A German guard on duty stepped on his chest and jumped on him until the poor man died. From the entrance of a pub, a young woman laughed. Other Germans around also amused themselves at the scene. Nazis regularly came to the camps with pistols and threatened us with death. They intimidated us to prevent plots or uprisings by the prisoners.20. For what crimes and how were prisoners punished? Do you know anything about the penal camps? (e.g., the "Lager 0") Can you describe this camp and what happened there? One was punished for possessing knives or any other tool that could serve as a weapon. Also, if one tried to steal potatoes from the surrounding fields or did not obey orders (even if someone was too weak to obey). Mario Cavallazzi was one day so starved that he left the column to receive a piece of bread from a woman. He was beaten and not allowed to sleep. After the 12-hour shift, he had to clean the toilets and the barracks for another 12 hours. This punishment was supposed to last three days, but he only endured two days; on the third day, he collapsed from exhaustion. During work, he hid in a dark corner, but the guard noticed, searched for him, and found him. Then he struck him with a shovel. They carried him, already dying, back to the barracks, but he did not survive. I also remember that one day in the tunnel the alarm rang because the light went out. Filippo Alemanni took the opportunity to slip out in search of food, but he was discovered. He was beaten bloody and locked in a cage with some dogs. To eat, he had to fight the dogs for their food. He was constantly bitten. When they brought him back to the barracks, he already showed signs of mental confusion. 21. How did the German foremen and German workers behave towards the prisoners? The foremen gave orders and wanted them to be carried out immediately, no matter the condition of the prisoner. They also used violence to ensure their orders were followed. 22. Were there Germans who treated the prisoners well and helped them? There was a German, a carpenter, who encouraged us every day to hold on and said that liberation by the Russians was near. He said: "Hold on, soon you will be free." He was the only one who encouraged us and gave us news about the war. 23. Did you have the impression that there was a feeling of solidarity among the internees? Was there a danger of being reported by other internees? Among us internees, we helped each other as much as possible. If we managed to get some food, we shared it with the neighbors in the barracks. I do not believe there were spies among the prisoners. We were all in the same situation and tried to help each other. 24. Were there escape attempts by some internees? How were escapees punished? None of the people from my barracks tried to escape. 25. Were there attempts by the Germans to recruit internees for the Italian fascists, the guards, or other groups? No, not that I know of. 26. Did you have contact with young Germans, perhaps in uniform (the so-called "Hitler Youth"), during work or outside work? And if yes, how did these boys behave? One day we were hungrier than usual, and Luigi Magna and I secretly went in the evening to an old woman who lived near the camp to get some bread or a few potatoes. The lady was usually very helpful, but that evening she chased us away, saying she had been reprimanded by the police. When leaving the house, we saw some red beets in the barrel in the yard and took a few. Then we went out the gate and were attacked and badly beaten by a few Hitler Youth boys about 15 or 16 years old with a baton. 27. Do you remember how medical assistance was? What do you know about the camp field hospitals? One day I came back from work with a high fever and was diagnosed with typhus. I spent about 2 months in the infirmary (from January 25 to March 19) and was treated with injections and tablets. See medical lists. 28. How high was the mortality in the camps? Do you know where the dead were buried? About 20-25 people died per day in the seven camps around Kahla. In the morning, a truck came by and the dead were loaded like logs. I do not know where they were buried. 29. Were you in the camp together with neighbors or acquaintances? If yes, how many of them survived this inhuman treatment? We were 35 from the same village. Nine died in the camp. 30. What happened in your camp in the last weeks of the war? One could notice that something was changing. The controls were no longer so strict, and on some days they did not take us to work. One morning they woke us and said we should take as little as possible because a long, arduous march awaited us. We walked a bit and stopped for a short break. Tired as we were, we fell asleep. When we woke up, the Germans had disappeared. 31. Do you remember that the Germans forcibly expelled some internees from the camp shortly before liberation? Were you among these internees? How did this action take place? Not that I know of. 32. Do you remember particular events in the camp (visits by important people, bombings, takeoff of a plane from the runway)? Can you describe them? Yes, once Hermann Goering came to visit. For this, they had us plant fir trees along a road and level a hilltop because it was supposed to become a runway for V1 and V2. We dug tunnels about 40 km long. Machines for weapons production were installed there. The weapons industry was built in the tunnels where it was protected from bombings. 33. Did you have the possibility to stay in contact with your family with parcels and letters? Do you know if letters and parcels were checked and possibly robbed? The letters were partly censored, the parcels were checked, and we did not always find everything that our relatives had sent us. Of about 15 parcels my parents sent, I received only five. 34. How did your liberation take place? What was your state of health at that point? Liberation came on April 11, 1945, when we no longer saw Germans and understood that we were free. In groups, we marched towards Munich, by chance, begging for food in houses. On our shoulders, we carried a stick with a bag containing a blanket. Our health condition was precarious. What were the conditions after liberation by the Americans and how did the German civilians behave? Some of the people from my village were very weak and could no longer walk. They stopped. A few days later, American soldiers arrived.and gave them bread, canned meat, butter, chocolate, tea, biscuits, jam, and cigarettes. They ate greedily. The German civilians were initially fearful because they did not want to compromise themselves, but then they tried to help us. Rossi Oreste went into a house to ask for some bread; a woman drove him away unfriendly, but when he was only a few steps away, she called him back and gave him something to eat. In the house was a young soldier still in uniform, her son, and he had convinced the mother not to be afraid. 35. Did you learn if any former guards or other people were arrested after the arrival of the Americans? I know of nothing. 36. When did you return to Italy? I returned home on May 5, 1945, on foot and by some random means of transport. I had walked more than a thousand kilometers. My comrades also came home in the following days: we had split into groups and taken different routes. Mr. Maltagliati Giovanni thanks you warmly and is pleased that a young German like you is interested in his fate in the concentration camp. He says that through this he had the opportunity to remember those days and to leave a written testimony. He sends you his warm regards.