From September 1943 through June 1944 during the Second World War, more than 150 women’s and men’s religious orders, as well as other Catholic groups, protected 4,300 people. Information has now revealed the names of those offered shelter, with the majority of them identified as Jews.
Compiled by Italian Jesuit Gozzolino Birolo, the list uncovered in the archives of the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome names 3,600 people. Through comparing the names with the archives of the city’s Jewish community, researchers say at least 3,200 are Jews.
The International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem participated in the analysis. Findings were released on Sept. 7 at the Museum of the Shoah in Rome.
Estimates place Rome’s Jewish population during World War II between 10,000 to 15,000, with at least 2,000 murdered during the Nazis’ occupation of the city.
Names from the list have not yet been released; family members and descendants will likely receive notification first.
