ROME – Giulia Spizzichino, the Roman Jewess who lost 24 relatives in Auschwitz and in the Ardeatine massacre of 1944 at the hands of German occupation troops and who later played the lead role in the extradition of Erich Priebke, Commander of the SS, died aged 90.

 Spizzichino was forced out of school aged 11 due to Mussolini's anti-Semitic racial laws and her parents were captured by Nazis in the roundup of March 21, 1944 after being reported by a local fascist.

 Miraculously, she and her mother were saved as they were not with their relatives at the time. The rest of the family, however, were killed in the Ardeatine caves massacre.

 In 1994, Spizzichino left for Argentina to make sure Erich Priebke, Commander of the SS involved in the 1944 killings, was extradited and brought to justice.

 “A painful loss for the Jewish Community of Rome,” said President Ruth Dureghello, adding, “Giulia has taught us with her courage and tenacity that it is never too late to demand justice is done.”

 Dureghello also said that with Spizzichino “leaves another witness and memory, our task is not to forget and remind younger generations of her positive example.”

 President of the Lazio region, Nicola Zingaretti, said of news, “I am deeply saddened by the death of Giulia Spizzichino, a courageous woman who made possible the extradition and conviction of SS Captain Erich Priebke. Giulia, like all those who have lived with the horror of the Holocaust on their skin, is part of the historical memory of our country. The task of Institutions is to constantly engage to form a new generation of witnesses, able to look to the future with the knowledge of what has passed.”

 “Today we lose a strong and courageous woman,” said the Head of Cultural Growth in the Capital of Rome, Luca Bergamo, adding that his perseverance will continue to preserve the memory of the Holocaust amongst the young generation, encouraging “everyone not to forget.”

 Virginia Raggi, Mayor of Rome, also paid her respects in a Tweet, writing, “Rome says goodbye to Giulia Spizzichino, a courageous woman who fought in the name of justice.”

 The story of this inspirational woman and Shoah survivor is told in the book ‘The crazy butterfly – From the Ardeatine caves to the Priebke process,’ edited by Roberto Riccardi to recount the events of her life.

 In the autobiography, written in 2013, the Roman Jewess said, “Today I have a mission which I never expected -- to testify. I have to tell it how it was, we cannot all just fall into oblivion.”

 sw