Brandi Ermella

Biviglia, Giuseppina Brandi, Ermella In September 1943, following its capitulation, Italy was occupied by Germany. Soon the man-hunt for Jews began. Many Jews were forced to flee their homes and look for shelter in unfamiliar places. One such place was the town of Assisi, in which there are no records of a Jewish community ever having existed. It was there, however, that the bishop, Monsignor Giuseppe Nicolini (recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1977) headed a rescue network that arranged shelters in some 26 monasteries and convents in and around Assisi. Many Jews were sheltered in these various church institutions, while others who were passing through the town were provided with false papers, enabling them to survive in other places. The extended Maionica family, originally from Trieste, was among the Jewish families who found shelter in Assisi. After first arriving at Bishop Nicolini’s palace, the Jews transferred to the San Quirico convent in Assisi, which was under the direction of Mother Superior Giuseppina Biviglia. They stayed there for three months, until their safety was compromised because of the activity of German troops and many Italian collaborators. They were therefore transferred to the Suore Stimmatine convent, also in Assisi, along with their relatives, the Kropf family, as well as the Gelbs. Mother Superior Ermella Brandi took them in and kept them safe until the liberation in June 1944. Brothers Enrico and Carlo Maionica, who were hiding in Assisi separately from their family, also made it to the San Quirico convent, though their relatives had already left. Carlo, a doctor, began treating the partisans and Italian army deserters who flocked to the convent and needed medical attention. Enrico joined the clandestine operation of document forging that ran from the convent’s basement, producing many fake identity papers and other valuable documents. These were taken outside of the convent and distributed by couriers in many places in Italy. Within a couple of months, however, word of the goings-on in San Quirico got out, and in early 1944 German and Italian forces stormed the convent. Carlo and Enrico narrowly escaped the raiders, having been directed to the forbidden inner cloister and from there out of the convent through a secret passage. Having searched the place, and finding the Maionica brothers’ beds still warm, the soldiers ordered Mother Biviglia to let them into the cloister to conduct a search. Mother Biviglia boldly replied, “Go ahead, have a look for yourselves.” The search was abandoned. Enrico and Carlo made it to the San Damiano monastery, directed by Father Rufino Nicacci (recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1976). They remained there safely until the liberation. On April 28, 2013, Yad Vashem recognized Mother Superior Giuseppina Biviglia and Mother Superior Ermella Brandi as Righteous Among the Nations.