On Tuesday, July 27, the Wright Museum will welcome Dr. Giovanni Frisone, who will present The Other Resistance: Hitler’s Slaves in which he will tell the tale of his father, Ferruccio Francesco Frisone. One of approximately 650,000 Italian soldiers who refused to fight under Fascist command and consequently sent to a German prisoner of war camp, Frisone recorded his observations while there in a diary.
In September 1943 when an armistice was signed with the Allies, Italian soldiers thought the war had ended for them. Instead, they were arrested by the Germans and given a choice to disregard the armistice and continue fighting under Fascist or Nazi command or be taken to a German prison camp.
“This is a lecture that will present a World War II story that is not widely known,” said museum Executive Director Mike Culver. “We are grateful to Ferruccio’s son, Giovanni, for sharing this appalling, yet inspiring tale with us.”
Giovanni R. Frisone, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who with wife, Deborah Smith Frisone, has worked for the past fifteen years to tell the little-known story of the Italian Military Internees through his father’s diary and drawings.
The Other Resistance: Hitler’s Slaves begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27 at the Wright Museum, 77 Center Street in Wolfeboro on the first floor of the new DuQuoin Education Center. Admission is $3 for members and $8 for non-members. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated audience members. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 603-569-1212. Wright Museum’s 2021 Lecture Series is presented by Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney.
The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, the Wright Museum features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield.
