Senales
History of Bolzano Transit Camp
Bolzano Transit Camp, also known as Dulag Bozen, was a Nazi concentration camp that operated from 1944 until the end of World War II. Prior to this period, it was used as a camp for allied prisoners of war. The camp was located at Via Resia 80, where the memorial site known as "Passage der Erinnerung" now stands.
After the Armistice of Cassibile, Bolzano became the capital of the Prealpi Operational Zone and was thus placed under the control of the Heer (Wehrmacht). The transit camp began operating in the summer of 1944, in old Italian military engineering buildings.
Between 9,000 and 9,500 people were interned within the camp's walls in a ten-month period. The exact number is uncertain as many were not registered. The prisoners mainly came from central and northern Italy, many of whom were arrested by fascist regime forces and delivered to the SS. Among the prisoners were also 400 Jews and people of Rom and Sinti ethnicity.
Some of the prisoners were transferred to Reich extermination camps, while others were used as slave labor, both in the camp's internal workshops and in companies in the nearby industrial zone. They were also forced to pick apples in the surrounding area.
As the Allies advanced, prisoners were released in groups between April 29 and May 3, 1945. The camp was definitively dismantled during this time.
The Massacre of Mignone Barracks
During the camp's history, the tragic incident of the Massacre of Mignone Barracks was documented. On September 12, 1944, 23 Italians who had been captured and interned in the camp were slaughtered. Approximately 48 killings in the camp were documented, although the number is estimated to have reached 300.
The Memorial Site and the Importance of Not Forgetting
Today, the memorial site known as "Passage der Erinnerung" stands on the former camp site. The site was created to commemorate the camp's victims and to ensure that people never forget what happened there.
It is important to understand the history of Bolzano Transit Camp and to remember the terrible treatment people endured. Our ability to understand and confront our past is essential for building a better future. Let us remember the history of the prisoners of Bolzano Transit Camp and honor their lives by remembering what happened.
