The Passport of Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani
Who was Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani? Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani Passport
The “other Modigliani,” Giuseppe Emanuele (Mene) Modigliani, was one of Italy’s earliest socialist and union leaders to be elected to Parliament. He was the younger brother of the legendary modernist painter, Amedeo Modigliani.
Born in Livorno, a town characterized by a predominantly Jewish community, the Modigliani family were affluent Jews of Sephardic heritage. Upon obtaining a law degree, Mene dedicated himself to advocating for educational and welfare reforms to advance societal progress. He assumed the role of director at a reform-oriented newspaper and later became president of the Glassworkers Union. Mene achieved a significant milestone by securing Italy’s inaugural national union contract and subsequently embarked on a political career, winning election to the Italian Parliament in 1913, where he served for an extended period.
Elegant and possessing global ties to prominent political figures worldwide
Mene and his wife Vera stood out as key figures among a cohort of Italian intellectuals whose ideas and writings influenced the 1948 constitution. Mene was known as a writer and speaker of anti-war declarations, advocating radical pacifism. With the onset of World War I, he participated in the Zimmerwald Conference alongside other European intellectuals and political leaders to express vehement opposition to the atrocities of war and advocate for diplomatic solutions. Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani Passport
In 1926, Mene, recognizing the injustices and curtailment of civil liberties under Mussolini’s regime and foreseeing the rapid ascent of fascism, fled with his wife Vera first to Vienna and then to Paris. When the German occupation of Paris compelled them to flee once more, Mene famously declared to the authorities, “I have the honor, if not the pleasure, to belong to the Jewish race… four quarters of Jewish blood.” Seeking refuge, the Modiglianis sought safety in the neutral territory of Switzerland.
Invitation to speak in the United States Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani Passport
Luigi Antonini and David Dubinsky, esteemed labor leaders and president of the Ladies Garment Workers Union (Local 89), invited Mene to the United States to speak about the grave threats posed by Nazi and Fascist ideologies.
Mene’s unwavering perspectives and achievements in labor negotiations were highly regarded, leading him to become a frequent contributor to the American socialist magazine The New Leader from 1928 to 1938. During the 1930s, he developed a profound admiration for Roosevelt and actively promoted social reform within legal frameworks.
Return to Italy, Death Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani Passport
In 1947, the couple returned to Italy, where Mene passed away shortly thereafter. Vera Funaro Modigliani continued her husband’s legacy by establishing the Modigliani Foundation. The foundation’s mission was to document the history of the post-unification political circle and to study the contributions of Italian Jews to the history of socialism, labor unionism, and democracy.
The Passport
A standard Vittorio Emanuele Italian passport issued in 1934 and only one year valid, until August 1935. He may have used this passport on his journey as shown above.
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