Rubino Romeo Salmonì (22 January 1920 – 10 July 2011) was an Italian author known for his book ''In the End, I Beat Hitler'', based on his experiences as a survivor of

Auschwitz II–Birkenau Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

during

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

Biography

Italian Jew Italian Jews (; ) or Roman Jews (; ) can be used in a broad sense to mean all Jews living in or with roots in Italy, or, in a narrower sense, to mean the Italkim, an ancient community living in Italy since the Ancient Roman era, who use the It ...

, Salmonì was born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1920. He escaped the first mass arrests of Jews from the

Roman Ghetto The Roman Ghetto or Ghetto of Rome () was a Jewish ghettos in Europe, Jewish ghetto established in 1555 by Pope Paul IV in the Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome), Rione Sant'Angelo, in Rome, Italy, in the area surrounded by present-day Via del Porticus ...

in October 1943, but was arrested by the Italian police in April 1944. After being imprisoned in Rome, he was moved to a camp in Fossoli and arrived at Auschwitz when he was 24. He was given the identification number A15810, and forced to work, facing starvation and cold. Salmonì and other prisoners in the camp were freed by Allied forces in 1945. While Salmonì was reunited with his parents, he found his brothers were murdered.

''In the End, I Beat Hitler''

After the war, Salmonì visited many schools and colleges to share his experiences. His book ''In the End, I Beat Hitler'' also recounts his experiences, incorporating elements of irony and

black humour Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...

. He wrote, "I came out of Auschwitz alive, I have a wonderful family, I celebrated my golden wedding anniversary, I have 12 splendid grandchildren– I think I can say I ruined

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

's plan for me." The writings served as an inspiration for Italian director

Roberto Benigni Roberto Remigio Benigni ( , ; born 27 October 1952) is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film director. He gained international recognition for writing, directing, and starring in the Holocaust comedy drama film ''Life Is Beautifu ...

's 1997 film ''

Life Is Beautiful ''Life Is Beautiful'' (, ) is a 1997 Italian period comedy-drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, who co-wrote the film with Vincenzo Cerami. Benigni plays Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian bookshop owner, who employs his imagin ...

'', which won the Cannes Grand Prix and the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

. Benigni stated he wished to commemorate Salmonì as a man who wished to live in the right way. Also in 1997, Salmonì appeared in the documentary film ''Memoria''. The book was presented at

Palazzo Valentini Palazzo Valentini is a palace in central Rome, Italy, not far from Piazza Venezia. Since 1873 it has been the base of the province of Rome, provincial and prefectural administration of Rome. History The palazzo was first built by Cardinal (Cathol ...

in January 2011 by Salmonì,

Province of Rome The province of Rome () was one of the five provinces that formed part of the Lazio region of Italy. It was established in 1870 and disestablished in 2014. It was essentially coterminous with the Rome metropolitan area. The city of Rome was t ...

President

Nicola Zingaretti Nicola Zingaretti (; born 11 October 1965) is an Italian politician who served as President of Lazio from March 2013 to November 2022 and was List of Secretaries of the Democratic Party (Italy), Secretary of the Democratic Party (Italy), Democra ...

and chief rabbi Riccardo Di Segni.

Death

Salmonì died in Rome on 10 July 2011, with

Mayor of Rome The mayor of Rome () is an elected politician who, along with the City Council of Rome, Rome City Council () of 48 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Rome. As Rome is a ''Comune, comune speciale'' since 2009, the office is d ...

Gianni Alemanno Giovanni "Gianni" Alemanno (born 3 March 1958) is an Italian politician who from April 2008 until June 2013 was mayor of Rome for The People of Freedom. He was the secretary of the National Movement for Sovereignty from 2017 to 2019. Career At ...

calling him "a great man who with his courage and determination managed to save himself from the hell of Auschwitz-Birkenau," and the

Central Council of Jews in Germany The Central Council of Jews in Germany (German: ''Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland'') is a federation of German Jews. It was founded on 19 July 1950, as a response to the increasing isolation of German Jews by the international Jewish commu ...

saying Salmonì's death was a "great loss."

President of Italy The president of Italy, officially titled President of the Italian Republic (), is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity and guarantees that Politics of Italy, Italian politics comply with the Consti ...

Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; 29 June 1925 – 22 September 2023) was an Italian politician who served as President of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first to be re-elected to the office. In office for 8 years and 244 days, he was the longest-serving pre ...

and President of Lazio Renata Polverini also expressed their sadness at the news.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salmoni, Rubino Romeo 1920 births 2011 deaths 20th-century Italian male writers Auschwitz concentration camp survivors 20th-century Italian Jews Writers from Rome Italian Holocaust survivors Italian diarists Jewish Italian writers