“Memory is the treasure of the soul”– Italian Proverb
Whoever will look into the history of Italians in Ethiopia, will find plenty of information about the conflicts and tensions between the two nations: Adwa (1896), the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1936), which led to the Fascist occupation (1936-1941)…
But there’s another, lesser-known story: the one of the Italians who stayed in Ethiopia after 1941. During this period, under the second reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I (1941-1974), Ethiopia moved beyond the trauma of war and forged a new relationship with the Italian community.
No longer invaders, Italians became workers, entrepreneurs, and families who built deep personal and economic ties with Ethiopia.
“The British used to say:
<< The Italians are not coloniser, they are “fraternisers”!>>
Excerpt of an interview.
The Com.It.Es Ethiopia is the representative organisation of the Italian citizens living in the country and decided to develop a project to share this barely told story, undertaking an extensive work of collecting and preserving life stories of Italians who lived in Ethiopia during the imperial period (1941-1974 ).
The final goal is to offer a rich and personal account of the Italian presence in Ethiopia—one that goes beyond political events and focuses on the human stories behind the history.
“If you were in a bar or restaurant, anyone could approach you saying “Buonasera” and speak Italian to you.“ Excerpt of an interview
A website has been developed, sharing abundant materials about the Italian presence in Ethiopia: a timeline, academic articles, magazines and historical docu-films from the Italian television.
In order to share, even to a wide public, the collection of life stories, Com.It.Es. Ethiopia has produced a movie in 5 chapters based on the more of 40 interviews recorded.
The film “Italians of Ethiopia” is available in streaming both through the website and the YouTube channel.
“I consider myself an Italian, an Italian of Ethiopia: my country is Italy, but my home is Ethiopia.”
Excerpt of an interview
storiaitalianidetiopia.org/ @StoriaItalianiDEtiopiadopo1941 comitesetiopia.org