(4 October, 2016) There are deep historical connections between Trentino and the Czech Republic. This is also highlighted by the book about the mass exodus of the Trentin population to Moravia during the First World War: “I profughi Italiani nella Moravia del Sud 1915-1919”. The Italian Embassy in Prague, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the “friends of Bohemia and Moravia” cultural association in collaboration with Ledro and the “friends of Ledro” association (Spolek Prátel Ledra); have organised a gathering in order to present thethis book in Prauge. The event is on Monday, October 10 at 17:00 in the Conference room of the Italian Cultural Institute where authors, Eva Šebková and Karel Šebek will also be present. There will also be the opportunity to listen to music by the quintet of Prague’s Castle Guard Orchestra and the Czech Republic Police. The book “I profuhi italiani in Moravia del Sud negli anni 1915-1919” (Italšti uprchlíci na Jižni Moravè v letech 1915-1919) is the result of six years of research in South Moravia’s archives, parishes and factories carried out by the authors. The book highlights anecdotes from the lives of Italian immigrants with the aid of photographs. For example, women’s work in ammunition factories and young Trentini. The authors have transcribed many primary sources of reports. As a result, the book faithfully reconstructs the difficulty in accommodating refugees, daily challenges, the distribution of aid, the organisation of schools and aspects of Moravian native’s hospitality who have lived side by side Italian refugees for nearly four years. (red)

THE BOOK

The book is the result of several years of archival research and the study of other documents and existing publications on the subject of Italian refugees that were evacuated in Bohemia and Moravia of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the First World War. The book was published with the financial support of the South Bohemian Region and certain cities in South Moravia and also from the Italian Trentino-Alto Adige Region and the town of Ledro. The book was first published in Czech and subsequently in Italian.