From November 30 to December 3, 2023, the Survival Paths project concluded its transnational journey with a powerful final meeting in Italy. Hosted by Fattoria Pugliese Diffusa APS in the Apulia region, participants from Germany, Poland, and Italy explored the history of Displaced Persons (DPs) in post-war Southern Italy — a history rooted in resilience, cultural exchange, and the quest for a new beginning.
From Lecce to Leuca – Tracing Histories of Survival
The program opened in the town of Taurisano, with reflections on the previous meetings in Poland and Germany and an open discussion of hopes and expectations for the final chapter. Working groups focused on the project’s communication campaign and the search for testimonies from former DPs.
In Lecce, participants visited the Jewish Museum and the city’s historic Jewish quarter, where they learned about the post-war DP camps in Apulia through archival materials, guided storytelling, and a documentary film screening. An open discussion connected this history to the broader themes of the project: displacement, rebuilding, and cultural memory.
The following day took the group to the Museo della Memoria e dell’Accoglienza in Santa Maria al Bagno, once the site of Camp 34. Here, a dramatized guided tour by the theatre company Improvvisart brought to life the experiences of Jewish survivors who found refuge in the region after the Holocaust.
In the afternoon, the group traveled to Leuca to visit Camp 35, meeting local experts and viewing a photographic exhibition that documented life in the camp. These visits revealed how Puglia became a temporary home — and often a stepping stone — for thousands of displaced people in the late 1940s.
Closing a Journey, Opening New Conversations
Back at the Fattoria Pugliese Diffusa headquarters, participants finalized their collaborative communication campaign and discussed strategies for disseminating the project’s results. In a closing circle, they reflected on the emotional and historical insights gained throughout the year-long journey from Wrocław to Eichstätt to Puglia.
The Italy meeting reinforced Survival Paths’ central mission: to connect young Europeans with overlooked histories of displacement, to foster intercultural understanding, and to equip participants with the tools to share these stories widely.
