A family from Italy has now closed a long-forgotten chapter in their ancestral history. Thanks to an author from Purgstall in Lower Austria!
Enrico Mazzani was a farmer and lived with his wife and three daughters in Dovadola, Italy. In 1916 he was drafted into the army. But since he was an only child and no one worked in the local fields, Mazzani was soon allowed to leave the front again. Only: the soldier never received his letter of resignation against his will, as he had meanwhile been captured by the Austro-Hungarians.
Enrico Mazzani was transferred to the camp in Purgstall an der Erlauf, where he died on July 17, 1918, a few months before the end of the war. Mazzani was also a poet all his life. The pastor in his hometown was not only a close friend, but also a neighbor – and he published an anthology of his poems as early as 1919.
Thank you certificate awarded
Nine years ago, his great-grandson, who bears the same name, began research. Local historian Franz Wiesenhofer was found via the Italian embassy in Vienna. His book “Life behind barbed wire”, which was also translated into Italian in 2021, gave the decisive clue.
After 104 years, Enrico Mazzani’s descendants were able to visit his grave in Purgstall. “There were touching moments at the camp cemetery,” Wiesenhofer says. The family also presented him with an official certificate of appreciation from their mayor for his efforts.
Thomas H. Lauber and Franz Crepaz, Kronen Zeitung
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
