by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Massimiliano Fedriga, governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia; Giuseppe Petronzi, prefect of Trieste
The city of Trieste commemorated the legacy of Normanno Nannini on Friday as Italian authorities awarded him the Medal of Honor, a national recognition granted to civilians and military personnel who were deported and interned in Nazi concentration camps and subjected to forced labor during World War II.
The ceremony took place at the Prefecture of Trieste, where the medal was presented posthumously to Nannini’s children, Celso and Rossella Nannini, by Prefect Giuseppe Petronzi. Trieste Mayor Roberto Dipiazza and Friuli Venezia Giulia Governor Massimiliano Fedriga were among the officials in attendance.
Speaking during the event, Fedriga said the ceremony was intended not only as an act of remembrance but also as a testimony for future generations. He warned against what he described as growing signs in parts of Europe of attempts to forget or diminish the historical gravity of Nazism.
The governor said that the freedoms enjoyed today emerged from the suffering endured during that period and stressed the importance of preserving the historical record of persecution, particularly the targeting of Jewish communities under the Nazi regime. He also referred to the spread of concerning rhetoric on social media and other digital platforms, saying that such trends underscore the need to keep survivors’ stories alive.
Italy’s Medal of Honor was established to recognize citizens who were deported to Nazi camps between 1943 and 1945 and forced into labor for the German war economy. The award is frequently presented posthumously to relatives of those who were imprisoned.
The ceremony formed part of Italy’s ongoing efforts to preserve the memory of Nazi deportation and to educate younger generations about the consequences of totalitarianism and racial persecution.
