Jewish anatomic pathologists in the time of Italian Racial Laws

The persecutions of the Jews that began with legislation introduced by Italy’s fascist government in the year 1938 (“Leggi Razziali” i.e. “Racial Laws”) also affected the sphere of anatomic pathology, coming to bear on Italian physicians belonging to the Jewish communities of several cities and universities. The damage caused by the discrimination against them and their removal from their jobs penetrated a public health world that had hitherto been based on a climate of tolerance and integration. Here we recall some emblematic figures involved in those troubled times in Italy’s history.