Records of Trentino’s fallen Great War soldiers
In 2005, the Museum started a census and an important data collection campaign on soldiers from Trentino killed in the First World War. The project, supported by the Provincia autonoma di Trento, led to the creation of a register of soldiers from Trentino killed in the Great War, which can be consulted on the Trentino Cultura website under the heading Patrimonio Online (Online Heritage).
For each fallen soldier, a file is available containing the surname, first name, possible nickname, place and date of birth, death and burial, marital status, children, place of residence, profession, parents’ names, army unit and rank, and any awards received. The causes and circumstances of death, where known, are described with brief summary notes. When available, texts and images are also inserted.
On the portal, it is possible to search for a fallen soldier and obtain information on sources and bibliographic references.
Of the more than 55,000 soldiers from Trentino who fought in Galicia, Serbia and on the Italian front between 1914 and 1918, more than 11,000 died in the trenches, hospitals and prison camps. Their bodies were buried in cemeteries where very few families could go.
The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in whose army most of them had fought, and the unification of Trentino to the Kingdom of Italy hindered the accurate and dutiful census of losses. After the war, it was the local communities who commemorated their losses on the war memorials and tombstones placed in cemeteries, churches and squares.
