Editing Corfu (section)

====German bombing and occupation====
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-177-1459-32, Korfu, italienische Soldaten.jpg|thumb|Italian soldiers taken prisoner by the Germans in Corfu, September 1943]]

Upon the [[Fall of the Fascist regime in Italy|fall]] of [[Italian fascism]] in 1943, the Nazis moved to take control of the island. On 14 September 1943, Corfu was bombarded by the [[Luftwaffe]]. The Nazi bombing raids destroyed most of the city's buildings, including churches, homes, and whole city blocks, especially in the Jewish quarter Evraiki. Other losses included the city's market (αγορά) and the hotel Bella Venezia. The worst losses were the historic buildings of the [[Ionian Academy]] (Ιόνιος Ακαδημία), the [[Municipal Theatre of Corfu|Municipal Theatre]] (which in 1901 had replaced the ''[[Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù]]''), the Municipal Library, and the Ionian Parliament.<ref name="Corfu cityhall history page"/>

Following the [[Operation Achse|Wehrmacht invasion]], the Italians capitulated, and the island came under German occupation. Corfu's mayor at the time, Kollas, was a known collaborator and various anti-semitic laws were passed by the Nazi [[Military occupation|occupation]] government of the island.<ref name="USHMM">[http://www.ushmm.org/greece/eng/corfu.htm United States Holocaust Memorial Museum] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312043235/http://www.ushmm.org/greece/eng/corfu.htm |date=12 March 2007 }} on the Holocaust in Corfu. Also contains information about the Nazi collaborator mayor Kollas.</ref> In early June 1944, while the Allies bombed Corfu as a diversion from the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy landings]], the [[Gestapo]] rounded up the [[Jews]] of the city, temporarily incarcerated them at the old fort (Palaio Frourio), and on 10 June sent them to [[Auschwitz concentration camp#Auschwitz II-Birkenau|Auschwitz II]], where most of them were [[Extermination camp#Gassings|murdered by gas]].<ref name="USHMM"/><ref name="SHOAH">From the interview of [[Holocaust survivors|a survivor]] in the film "[[Shoah (film)|Shoah]]"</ref> Approximately two hundred out of a total population of 1,900 escaped.<ref name="KIS">{{cite web |url=http://www.kis.gr/kerkyrahistory_en.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017000100/http://kis.gr/kerkyrahistory_en.html |archive-date=17 October 2007 |title=Central Jewish Council of Greece website |publisher=Kis.gr |access-date=29 June 2009}}</ref> Many among the local population at the time provided shelter and refuge to those 200 Jews who managed to escape the Nazis.<ref name="USMM2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20040601224603/https://www.ushmm.org/greece/eng/corfu.htm United States Holocaust Memorial Museum] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208002541/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/greece/nonflash/eng/corfu.htm |date=8 December 2012 }}: "[...]two hundred of the 2,000 Corfu Jews found sanctuary with Christian families[...]"</ref> In ''Evraiki'' (Εβραική, meaning ''Jewish quarter''), there is currently a synagogue with about 65 members, who still speak their original [[Italkian]] language.<ref name="KIS"/>