Recent historical studies have highlighted the crucial role that the Lake Garda played during the Italian Social Republic (Rsi) in the Jewish persecution. On November 30, 1943, at the Toscolano Maderno Elementary School, Minister Guido Buffarini Guidi signed Police Ordinance number five, a measure that intensified the already severe actions against Jews in Italy, establishing a hunt for Jews within the territory of the Rsi. This act marks a pivotal date in the history of anti-Jewish racial persecution, as it brought the Rsi closer to the Nazi regime in Germany.
Starting from December 1, 1943, Rsi officials began to rigorously implement this ordinance, initiating a systematic operation of arrest and deportation of Jews. In the province of Brescia, for instance, police teams were mobilized to search for hidden Jews. The escalation of repressive actions culminated in the transfer of twenty individuals from Canton Mombello to Fossoli on February 8, 1944; among them were some of those who would later be deported to Auschwitz. Ongoing historical research continues to unveil the disturbing details of this dark period, highlighting how the Lake not only represented a place of beauty but also a tragic backdrop related to the history of Jewish persecution in Italy.
