Wiel Alessandro & Luisa

Wiel, Alessandro Wiel, Luisa Gilda Morpurgo and her son Marcello escaped from Gorizia when the Germans occupied the city following the surrender of Italy to the Allies in September 1943. In October, the Morpurgos were staying in Loncon in Annone, Veneto province. As a university graduate in Italian literature, Marcello found himself a tutoring job teaching Count Alessanrdo Wiel’s two daughters in their villa at Quartarezza (Treviso). He used to come to their home by bike, making no secret of his Jewish identity. On December 13, 1943, the police arrested mother and son to be deported to Auschwitz. They managed during the interrogation at police headquarters in Annone to arouse doubts regarding their identity (declaring they belonged to the Catholic Morpurgos) and were consequently released, with an order to fetch the appropriate documents from Gorizia. Marcello’s only hope for salvation was Count Wiel. Mother and son were offered immediate help and arrangements were made to obtain false documents for them. In the meantime, they were taken to the Wiels’ villa, and invited to join the family for their festive Christmas dinner. As soon as their documents were ready, they were taken to a villa in Azzanello, posing as refugees named Martini from Mola di Bari, a region that was already liberated by the Allies. Marcello resumed his tutoring job with the girls. When during one of the searches conducted by a German SD unit several of Morpurgo’s suitcases were discovered, the Germans were told that they belonged to the tutor from southern Italy. Warned in time, Marcello managed to convince the Germans that his papers were genuine. On another occasion, when the villa was no longer safe, the Morpurgos found refuge in the attic of a local restaurant. The hiding lasted until liberation on April 30, 1945, and all this time, Alessandro and Luisa Wiel provided for all the Morpurgos needs with care and understanding. They were even permitted to use the hosts’ mailbox, in orderto maintain contact with their relatives. The Wiels risked their lives on their behalf, never expecting anything in return. Dr. Marcello Morpurgo’s memoirs appeared in his book: Valdirose. Memorie della comunita ebraica di Gorizia (1986). On January 27, 1997, Yad Vashem recognized Alessandro and Luisa Wiel as Righteous Among the Nations.