John Klemlen Garden

This garden is named after South African officer John Klemlen (real name Samuel Schneider)

In the late autumn of 1944, Allied troops managed to break through the Gothic Line in a number of places and the liberation of Bologna seemed imminent. For the Italian partisans of the 7th GAP (Gruppi d'azione), this prompted them to take up positions in the Porta Lame district to start uprisings and coordinate resistance. On 7 November 1944, the Germans, with the help of Italian fascists, attacked the partisans. Fierce fighting followed in the city centred around the Porta Lame where the partisans eventually managed to surround the Germans and forced them to retreat. However, the British general Harold Alexander decided to call off the attack and Bologna had to wait until spring 1945 for liberation.

A leading role on the partisans' side was played by South African officer John Klemlen (real name Samuel Schneider). Schneider was a pilot in the RAF and joined the partisans after his Spitfire was shot down near Bologna in August. He led the fight on 7 November 1944 but was killed that day along with 11 other partisans in the fighting that would go down in history as “the Battle of Porta Lame”.

His name is remembered every 7th November during ceremonies dedicated to the anniversary of the battle, and many Italians lay flowers on his grave in the Faenza War Cemetery on that day.

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