In Malatestiana the Cesena victims of the Second World War are remembered, thanks to the documents preserved in the municipal archives

In view of the Liberation Day, which is celebrated in Cesena with a rich calendar of community initiatives, Monday 22 Aprilat 5.00 pm, in the Wooden Hall of the Malatestiana Library, the presentation of the book will be held “A shared story. Cesena 25 July 1943-31 December 1945. The Cesena victims of the Second World War in the documents of the municipal archives” edited by Mattia Brighi, expert in local history and municipal employee (ed. Grafikamente). The publication is the result of research work started in 2015 and entirely carried out by municipal administration staff on documents deposited with the institution. With this volume, created in collaboration with the Historical Institute of the Resistance and the Contemporary Age of Forlì-Cesena, we want to make known through many individual and unfortunately tragic stories of the victims, what happened in Cesena during the Nazi-Fascist occupation and in the immediate post-war period

The research work will be published in 2024, the year in which Cesena, on 20 October, will celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the Liberation from Nazi-Fascist occupation. Until a few years ago, even during official celebrations, it was still possible to hear the testimonies of partisans, veterans, or civilians who had experienced the war. Now, due to the natural passage of time, the task of keeping the memory alive and passing on to future generations what our ancestors experienced is reserved for historical research. One of the first impulses that led to the realization of this project was precisely the desire to make young people aware of what happened in Cesena during the dark period of fascism and German occupation.

As stated in the Preface, the research has two particularities: the first is that it was carried out by Administration personnel and the second that it is based on documents deposited with the institution and now made available to citizens, who otherwise they could hardly be consulted. In addition to learning historical facts, this investigation highlights how the Municipality is not only a bureaucratic machine, but also an important source of knowledge; think, for example, of the funds of the Malatestiana municipal library, the municipal historical archive and all the documentation produced by the various offices, from which much was drawn in the writing of this book.

It is not only the documentation that helps us understand how Cesena has always been at the forefront in the fight for democratic rights, but this can also be understood by walking under the portico of the town hall, paying attention to the various plaques affixed to the walls: from Mazzini, to Garibaldi, from Giovanni Merloni to Gastone Sozzi, from Andrea Costa to all the names of the fallen partisans.

This research, in its various phases, was followed in particular by the Citizen Services – Technological Innovation and Malatestiana Library and Culture Sector of the Municipality of Cesena. The publication, supported by the Municipality, was created thanks to the contribution of the General Directorate of Education, Research and Cultural Institutes.