Rubino Romeo Salmonì

Rubino Romeo Salmonì (22 January 1920 – 10 July 2011) was an Italian author known for his book In the End, I Beat Hitler, based on his experiences as a survivor of Auschwitz II–Birkenau during the Holocaust.

Biography An Italian Jew, Salmonì was born in Rome in 1920. He escaped the first mass arrests of Jews from the Roman Ghetto in October 1943, but was arrested by the Italian police in April 1944.

After being imprisoned in Rome, he was moved to a camp in Fossoli and arrived at Auschwitz when he was 24. He was given the identification number A15810, and forced to work, facing starvation and cold.

In the End, I Beat Hitler After the war, Salmonì visited many schools and colleges to share his experiences. His book In the End, I Beat Hitler also recounts his experiences, incorporating elements of irony and black humour.

The writings served as an inspiration for Italian director Roberto Benigni's 1997 film Life Is Beautiful,

Death Salmonì died in Rome on 10 July 2011, with Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno calling him "a great man who with his courage and determination managed to save himself from the hell of Auschwitz-Birkenau," and the Central Council of Jews in Germany saying Salmonì's death was a "great loss." President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano and President of Lazio Renata Polverini also expressed their sadness at the news.