Guglielmo Marconi - Genius of Communications....

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Angelo
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Guglielmo Marconi - Genius of Communications....

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Post by Angelo » 23 Mar 2002, 03:46

A few years ago (1995) we had celebrations for the centennial of the birth of the Italian inventor of the radio, Guglielmo Marconi (1895-1937).
If I had been here then, I would have opened a new thread about him as I consider his studies and achievements in the fields of wireless communications, the necessary starting point to get to the various kind of telecommunications we have available today.
The man has been honored, through his life, with such a number of acknowledgements and prizes to make the envy of the most ambitious scientists, even today. Usually, that's something that I myself don't give a damn, but when it comes to people who did something real meaningful and important in all fields of research to advance our knowledge and for the benefit of all mankind, I think it's nice to see this has been recognized, regardless of census, political beliefs etc.
Among other prizes, he won the 1909 issue, together with his German colleague Carl Ferdinand Braun for their contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy.
Should any one be interested to know more about Marconi, his life and his achievements, I'd suggest the following sites:

http://www.comune.bologna.it/iperbole/amarconi/ (unfortunately. in Italian only)
http://www.alpcom.it/hamradio/ (in English and rather detailed)
http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1 ... i-bio.html

Now, the reason for this thread is not just to help us all remember a man who served science and mankind with a definitely remarkable invention, but to investigate on a recent report concerning his political relationship with the then ruling Fascist Regime.
I admit I never did any sort of research in that direction up to this moment, but that's why any help will be honestly appreciated.
Dan just hinted me to a report coming from "The Guardian" (issue of March 19, c.y.) where a certain Rory Carroll announces that, following the detection of documents in Rome, Marconi would have lent himself to discriminating Italian Jewish colleagues many years before the racial laws of 1938.
Please read the above report at: http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/02/03/Marconi190302.html

as well as the answer to that report by Dr. Enrico Cernuschi (no indication given about his qualification in relation to such a matter): http://www.fpp.co.uk/Letters/History/Ce ... 00302.html

As I already told Dan in another thread, such reports really caught me off-guard because I never even heard, to say nothing of reading, the slightest hint on Marconi being involved in such censoring activities which had nothing to do with his work and his personality, as officially portrayed.

So, while I'll try to find out more on that subject, I would like to say, though that the charges against him look to me rather suspicious for these reasons:

1) It has been a well known fact, up to now, that before the passing of the racial laws of 1938, the Fascist authorities did not act against the Jewish population residing in Italy, whether of national or foreign stock.

2) It looks quite improbable (if only given the high esteem Marconi was held in his own country as well as abroad and the intellectual honesty he was credited with almost unanimously) that he would accept to cooperate in such a covert kind of discrimination.

3) There's already a contradicting point in those 2 reports as to the fact that the named Admiral was a Jew or not.

At any rate this is all I got tell you about it.
An old Italian saying goes like this: "se son rose, fioriranno" (if they are roses, they will bloom).

Angelo

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