Cross in scrap iron

How a World War II officer found his final resting place

The cross on Colonnello Manfredini's soldier's grave ended up in the scrap iron container in 2022. Now it has been re-erected.

(Bild: zVg)

His cross ended up in scrap iron, resulting in an outcry: in 2022, the "Krone" uncovered the questionable handling of the war grave of an Italian officer in Gries. Now all the mistakes have been corrected.  

Tranquillity reigns at the Vinaders cemetery in Gries, not far from the Brenner border. However, this came to an end in 2022 when the municipality opened the grave of an Italian World War II soldier without consulting his relatives and simply disposed of his cross with the scrap iron. This is quite unique in Europe, as war graves are under special protection by states.

It is a reminder of peace, reconciliation and the continued fight against National Socialist and anti-Semitic ideas.

Innenministerium

Municipality could not find relatives
An observant citizen discovered the cross in a scrap iron container and raised the alarm via the "Tiroler Krone" newspaper. The subsequent reports made waves far beyond the country's borders. The municipality justified itself by saying that it had been unable to locate the relatives within the deadline and therefore assumed that the grave could be abandoned. As it later turned out, this was a relic from the unfortunate coronavirus era. Travel restrictions prevented relatives living in Italy from visiting the grave in Austria.

The case was made even more explosive by the inscription on the cross: "My honor is loyalty" was the motto of the Waffen SS, a feared Nazi combat unit.

War grave: Ministry of the Interior in charge
It was therefore clear that the Ministry of the Interior, the province of Tyrol, the War Graves Commission and the municipality of Gries had to clarify the situation and find a solution. And this has now been found, as confirmed by a local inspection in Vinaders: The original cross is back in place, albeit without the forbidden inscription.

The redesigned grave site, photographed on All Saints' Day.

(Bild: zVg)

The redesigned grave site was supplemented by a declaration written by the Ministry of the Interior. It reads: "Ruggero Manfredini, who is buried here, died on May 8, 1945 in Gries am Brenner and was an officer in the army of fascist Italy (sic) and the Waffen-SS until his death. He was initially assigned to the 2nd Alpini Regiment and held the rank of captain until September 1943. After Italy's withdrawal from the war in September 1943, the Wehrmacht occupied central and northern Italy, disarmed and interned the former allies."

From today's perspective: no involvement in crimes
Some were given the opportunity to fight for the German side or for the newly founded fascist Repubblica Sociale Italiana. Manfredini was also captured on September 9. 20 days later, he was released for service in the Waffen SS and promoted to colonel. It is unclear how he died in 1945. "As a high-ranking officer, he was active for the National Socialist regime in the German occupation zone in northern Italy. From today's perspective, no individual involvement in war crimes can be proven," reads the plaque on the grave. "It calls for peace, reconciliation and the continued fight against National Socialist and anti-Semitic ideas."