by Anna Krekic, Curator of the Risiera di San Sabba Museum – National Monument of Trieste
The Risiera di San Sabba Museum – National Monument, managed by the Municipality of Trieste, is one of the most important places of remembrance of the Shoah and the Resistance in Italy. During the Nazi occupation of the Adriatic coast (1943-45), it was used as a Polizeihaftlager for the detention and often murder of political prisoners, partisans, and civilian hostages, but also as a transit camp for Jewish prisoners destined for deportation. Since 1975, it has been a museum and memorial open to the public.
Today, the Risiera di San Sabba is visited by around 130,000 people a year, mostly students. For this reason, the museum places particular emphasis on education and outreach. Visitors can take advantage of an educational service that offers guided tours of the museum and memorial and in-depth thematic presentations.
The Risiera di San Sabba also organizes numerous cultural events (conferences, theatrical and musical initiatives) throughout the year, particularly on Holocaust Remembrance Day and the anniversary of Italy’s liberation from Nazi-Fascism (April 25). The events aim to raise public awareness of relevant historical issues and, above all, to promote accurate and informed knowledge.
At the invitation of the Department of Humanities of the University of Trieste, I had the opportunity to participate in the Kick-Off Meeting of the CU Remember project in Vienna (March 27-28, 2025), a very stimulating moment of learning and exchange of experiences with other stakeholders in the project.
