The ceremony in memory of the former Police Commissioner of Fiume, Giovanni Palatucci, “Righteous among the Nations”, deported by the Nazis to the Dachau prison camp, where he died on 10 February 1945, at just 36 years of age, took place this morning inside the Villa Comunale Umberto I of Reggio Calabria.
This year too, the State Police wanted to remember Police Commissioner Palatucci, recognized as “Righteous among the Nations” by Yad Vashem in 1990, awarded the Gold Medal of Civil Merit in memory by the President of the Republic Oscar Luigi Scalfaro in 1995, Servant of God for the Catholic Church since 2004. An official who saved around 5000 Jews from deportation, and who was arrested for this by the gestapo.
Today’s ceremony, which took place in the presence of the Vicar of the Quaestor Antonio Turi, of the Vicar General of the diocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova Don Pasqualino Catanese, of the delegate of the Jewish community of Naples for the South Roque Pugliese, of a representative of the National Association of State Police Pensioners and of the Managers and Officials of the Police Headquarters, intended to honor the memory and sacrifice of Giovanni Palatucci, against every form of intolerance and in favor of respect for different cultural identities and religious people.
The floral tribute was placed at the foot of the cork tree, planted by the State Police in March 2021 in memory of the former Police Commissioner of Fiume, as a permanent reminder of his sacrifice.
