The Molat concentration camp (;
Croatian: ''Koncentracijski logor Molat'';
Serbian: ''Концентрациони логор Молат''; ) was an
Italian concentration camp, established during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, by
Fascist Italy
Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
on the island of
Molat and was subordinate to the
Italian Ministry of the Interior.
The camp existed from June 30, 1942 to September 8, 1943 and, like the
Gonars and
Rab concentration camps, was used mainly for the internment of
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...
, and
Croats
The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...
in order to
"Italianize" the region of annexed
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
. According to the camp's commemorative plaque, the camp, consisting of five barracks, was passed through by about 20,000 inmates, of whom about 1,000 died, due to the inhumane conditions in the camp or were shot as hostages in retaliation for
Partisan attacks.
{, class="wikitable toptextcells"
, + Number of inmates
[Carlo Spartaco Capogreco: ''I campi del duce''. Giulio Einaudi 2004, ISBN 88-06-16781-2, S. 273.]
, align="left",
! align="right", June 1942
! align="right", July 1942
! align="right", August 1942
! align="right", September 1942
! align="right", November 1942
! align="right", December 1942
! align="right", January 1943
! align="right", February 1943
, -
, Number of inmates, , 223, , 1.320, , 2.337, , 2.300, , 2.200, , 2.400, , 1.627, , 1.500
, -
External links
Campo di Concentramento Molatby I Campi Fascisti
Italian concentration camp in Jaza bay on the island MolatJasenovac Memorial Site
References
Italian concentration camps
Italian fascist internment camps in Croatia