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The Berlin book burning and the assault on Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science ("Institut für Sexualwissenschaft") in May 1933 are essential components of German memorial culture. Recently, there has been a resurgence and recognition of Magnus Hirschfeld (1868–1935) in Germany, resulting in many Germans becoming aware that this significant LGBT rights pioneer died in 1935 in exile in Nice, France, profoundly affected by the Nazis' obliteration of his life's work in Germany. This book is the first to meticulously document the events that transpired between 1932 and 1935 prior to Hirschfeld’s death, especially during the seven years that followed. Alongside detailing Hirschfeld’s last years in France, this work is the first biography of Karl Giese and Karl Fein, the key figures in the aftermath of Magnus Hirschfeld in France and Czechoslovakia.

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Lucia Ceci delves into the complex dynamics between the Catholic Church and Fascism. New insights from the Vatican Archives shed light on specific elements of this intricate relationship: Mussolini's ascent to power, the Ethiopian war, the racial legislation, and the distinctions between Pius XI and Pius XII. This book presents a detailed reconstruction of this encounter, clarifying the reasons that led Catholics to support a dictatorial, aggressive, and racist regime. In contrast to conventional historical divisions, the account begins with Mussolini's early years in the late nineteenth century and culminates with the swift collapse of his puppet regime in 1945. This perspective somewhat alters the perception of the exceptional nature of the ventennio.