The events of the University of Milan for the Holocaust Memorial Day

On 27 January 2025, the University of Milan is hosting two events to commemorate the Holocaust Memorial Day: a conference entitled “La Statale e la Memoria tra scrittura e conservazione” in the morning, and the screening of the film documentary "Liliana" in the afternoon.

The morning conference, whose title roughly translates to "The University of Milan and remembrance between writing and preservation", is actually a presentation of three books on the Shoah. It will take place at 10:00 in the main conference room (Sala di Rappresentanza) of the via Festa del Perdono 7 campus.

The introductory remarks will be given by Marilisa D'Amico (Vice Rector for Knowledge Transfer, Societal Impact and Public Engagement and for Equal Opportunities), followed by Laura Neri (professor of Literary Criticism and Comparative Literature and Head of the Department of Literary Studies, Philology and Linguistics), and Andrea Gamberini, professor of Medieval History and Head of the Department of Historical Studies. 

The first book, "Il razzismo in cattedra" (Racism at university) by Emanuele Edallo, will be presented by Marco Cuzzi, professor of Contemporary History at the University of Milan. The book investigates the impact of the 1938 Italian racial laws on our university, recounting the personal and professional stories of some professors. The second book, "Le radici del male. Antisemitismo e Costituzione" (The roots of evil. Antisemitism and Constitution) by Nannerel Fiano, will be presented by Eduardo Gianfrancesco, professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The book explores the ties between antisemitism and the Italian Constitution, with a focus on the discriminations faced by Jewish people throughout time, and then goes on to examine the current challenges of fighting antisemitic hate, also in light of the recent events in the Middle East. The third book, "Domani mattina. La memoria nelle parole dei lager nazisti" (Tomorrow morning. Words from the Nazi camps) by Leonardo Zanchi, provides insight into the daily life in Nazi camps through an analysis of their language. It will be presented by Giuseppe Polimeni, professor of History of Italian Language at the University of Milan.

The event will conclude with a presentation of the "Aldo Carpi e Maria Arpesani" archive, a collection of the letters sent by painter Aldo Carpi to his wife Maria Arpesani, which are now held at the Apice Centre of the University of Milan. After surviving deportation and internment in a concentration camp, Aldo Carpi returned to Milan in July 1945, giving a powerful recounting of his experience in an article published on 2 January 1946 in the "Corriere d'Informazione", a local newspaper. The archive will be presented by professor of History of Contemporary Art Paolo Rusconi and professor of Book and Archive Studies Roberta Cesana, who are respectively Head and Academic Coordinator of the Apice Centre. 

Registration is required to attend the event.

Commemorations for the Holocaust Memorial Day will continue at 17.00 with the screening of the documentary film "Liliana", introduced by Rector Marina Brambilla, film director Ruggero Gabbai, and Sergio Harari, professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Milan.

The documentary retraces the life of Liliana Segre from her deportation to the death of her father, up to her civic engagement and dedication to passing down her legacy of freedom and equality to the younger generations. The film relies on exclusive archive materials and interviews made available by the Centre of Contemporary Jewish Documentation (CDEC), including testimonies by Segre's children and grandchildren, and public figures such as Ferruccio De Bortoli, Mario Monti, Enrico Mentana, Fabio Fazio and Geppi Gucciari. 

Online registration is required to attend the event.

As part of the commemorations for the Holocaust Memorial Day, the Milan Shoah Memorial is hosting an exhibition entitled "L'Università̀ di Milano e le leggi antiebraiche", which explores the repercussions of the 1938 racial laws on the University of Milan. The exhibition is curated by Emanuele Edallo, Yuri Gallo, Luca Natali and Giovanni Rota and will be officially inaugurated on 21 January at 18.00, at the presence of Rector Marina Brambilla. The items exhibited, which were made available by the University of Milan and the Centre of Contemporary Jewish Documentation (CDEC), allow visitors to trace the steps that led to the promulgation of the racial laws, with a focus on the stories of notable academics and assistant professors.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 22 January to 23 February 2025. Reservation via email is required.

The flyers of the events are attached here below.