The Jewish Mathematical Diaspora from Fascist Italy: Looking for a Space of Intellectual Survival

Delving into previously undisclosed archival sources, this monograph offers a meticulously researched portrayal of Italian Jewish mathematicians amidst the turmoil sparked by the 1938 Italian Racial Laws. Forced migration due to fascist anti-Semitism saw the exodus of numerous Jewish intellectuals. Highlighting the experiences of select academic mathematicians such as Guido Fubini, Gino Fano, Beniamino Segre, Alessandro Terracini, and others who fled Italy, this work casts a light on a diaspora that presents unique aspects thanks to pre-existing networks of international scientific solidarity. Despite challenges stemming from language, society, and institutions, their narratives reveal the profound human dimensions of adversity, choice, and camaraderie. Suitable for scholars and students of 20th-century history, as well as a wider audience intrigued by Italy's complex past, these pages offer invaluable insights into a dark chapter of the country's history.