Saturday, March 31, 2012

Colazione at the Dante, and a book launch



Presentazione del libro di Alan Poletti Una Seconda Vita presso la sede della Dante di Auckland







On Saturday 31st March the Dante hosted the monthly coffee morning, and this month's speaker was our former president Prof. Alan Poletti. Alan officially launched his book, A Second Life - Aprica to salvation in Switzerland 1943, just published in English (an Italian edition is on the way) to gathering of Dante members and friends. The books tells the story of an adventurous 1943 event: over 200 Jews were guided across the mountains to Switzerland from internment in the Valtellina, thereby cheating the gas chambers of Auschwitz. 





Ripercorrendo il viaggio degli oltre 200 ebrei internati ad Aprica nel 1943








Domande all'autore

Alan's Italan grandfather came from Villa di Tirano, a small comune right on the Swiss border. He first heard mention of this mass flight in the year 2000. A dozen years later after research in several national archives, much reading, much climbing of possible paths, help from many local people and much help from Vera Neufeld,  the book is published. Vera at the age of nine, was one of those who found safety in Switzerland over those mountains.





Qualcuno ne approfitta per visitare la biblioteca dei piccoli












If you missed the event and would like to learn more about the book, or to make a purchase, please click here. Let Alan know if you are a Dante member for a discount.

















Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©