Rediscovery of fascist message for the future
Bettina Reitz-Joosse (University of Groningen) and Han Lamers (HU Berlin/KU Leuven) have made an exciting discovery. Underneath a gigantic obelisk in Rome, they found a secret message from the Italian fascists: a Latin text about Mussolini’s Italy, intended for readers in the distant future. The ‘Codex Fori Mussolini’, as it is called, was hidden underneath the obelisk when it was built in 1932 and was soon forgotten. Reitz-Joosse and Lamers rediscovered and translated the text, and wrote a book about its history. Their research was recently published by Bloomsbury publishers.
More information
- Dr. Bettina Reitz-Joosse, 050 – 363 4905
- Dr. Han Lamers
- Book The Codex Fori Mussolini
- Fascist message for the future

Last modified: | 28 September 2021 1.03 p.m. |
More news
-
30 September 2025
People will always be needed
If we are to believe the media, AI will make these and many more jobs obsolete in the near future. Professor Ana Guerberof Arenas has her doubts, at least when it comes to her own field: translation.
-
18 September 2025
Returning history to the community
The Groningen earthquake problem continues to occupy us. University lecturer Yuliya Hilevich works as a project advisor and internship supervisor for the "Eyewitnesses to Gas Extraction" project, which focuses entirely on the oral testimonies of...
-
16 September 2025
Space for art: How creativity and science can complement each other
The Dutch countryside is in a state of transition: land use conflicts are surfacing, infrastructural developments are changing the landscape, and quality of life is under pressure due to population decline and ageing. Cultural geographer and social...