The University for Foreigners of Perugia and the Anti-Semitic Laws of 1938

Abstract

The essay intends to reconstruct the methods of applying the anti-Semitic legislation of 1938 to the University for Foreigners of Perugia. The institution of Perugia was thought by Fascism as an international propaganda tool for the regime. In 1938, anti-Semitic politics introduced significant changes and problems that were not easy to solve. It was not easy to reconcile two distinct objectives of the cultural policy of fascism. The first long-standing: to create a current of young foreign professionals sensitive to the Italian and Fascist spirit and culture through facilitations in access to universities. The other more recent target: to place filters to exclude unwanted elements, such as Jews. The promotion of Italy abroad and state anti-Semitism were not always compatible: the racist campaign represented a problematic variable for the international propaganda of fascism. The case of the University for Foreigners of Perugia is therefore paradigmatic from this point of view.