Benvenuti / Welcome
The Italian Interest Group offers top-quality presentations by leading experts in Italian genealogy, history, and archival research. Our speakers offer both practical guidance and deep insights into Italian records, covering basic to advanced research techniques for navigating Italian civil and parish records and archives. Our events are designed to inspire, educate, and facilitate amazing discoveries.
No matter where you live or where your Italian ancestors came from, we are here to assist in your journey. Join us at our presentations and bring your Italian family history to life.
Meeting Days/Times
The Italian Interest Group meets virtually on Zoom on the third Saturday of the month, 1:30pm Pacific Time. (No meetings in December, July or August.) Meetings are open to all at no cost, but attendees must sign up here in advance. Donations appreciated.
IIG Meeting - January 2026
Date:
Time:
Topic:
Presenter:
17-Jan-2026 (Saturday)
1:30 pm (PT)
Italian POWs in the US during WW II
and
The Ferramonti Concentration Camp in Italy
Kathy Kirkpatrick
Presentation #1:
Italian POWs in the US during WWII
Description: During World War II there were 1,210 POW camps, hospitals and cemeteries for German, Italian and Japanese soldiers in the United States. Among those POWs were 51,000 Italian soldiers. The camps not only gave the Italian prisoners a glimpse of American life, but enabled interaction with Americans leading to friendships and even marriage. About two-thirds of Italian prisoners chose to become Allies and served in Italian Service Units here and as part of the Allied push to liberate Italy. This presentation discusses camp life and rules, work by the POWs, and postwar activities. A variety of records and repositories in the US and Italy are described in detail with links.
Presentation #2:
The Ferramonti Concentration Camp in Italy
Description: This presentation takes us to Italy to learn about the Ferramonti Camp and the local Italian community. Out of the 3823 prisoners, only fifty died. One hundred forty-one of these prisoners were Italian, the rest having fled from Europe before capture in Italy, Bengasi (Libya) and Rhodes (Greece). Most of the prisoners were Jewish and were able to observe that religion in the Camp. There were also non-Jewish people from China, France, Greece, and Yugoslavia. The cooperation between the camp staff, prisoners, and the local community enabled this situation in a dark time. Sources and repositories described.
Presenter Bio: Kathy Kirkpatrick earned her B.A. in History from Humboldt State University at Arcata, California. She is currently President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Utah. Kathy has written family histories, genealogical and Italian research instruction, and eight volumes on American Prisoner of War Camps since 1986. Kathy speaks locally and internationally on a variety of topics since 1993, including at RootsTech, National Genealogical Society, the Foundation of Eastern European Family History Studies (FEEFHS), and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). Kathy’s research takes her on-site to Italy (including the Vatican Secret Archives since 2015), Sicily, Greece, the United Kingdom, and France as well as close to home in the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Her extensive websites are at www.gentracer.com for genealogy and www.gentracer.org for military research and cemeteries.
Countdown to the January meeting:
DONATE
PLEASE NOTE: The Paypal site can accept credit cards the same as most online sites; no Paypal account is needed. We also ask for a minimum donation of $5 as the Paypal utility charges IIG a small fee for each transaction.
Check
Mail a check payable to “Eastside Genealogical Society” with the notation “IIG donation” and sending it to Eastside Genealogical Society, PO Box 374, Bellevue, Washington 98009-0374