Primo Levi

Synopsis

Primo Levi, an Italian-Jewish scientist born on July 31, 1919, in Turin, graduated with honors in chemistry amidst the rise of Fascism in Italy. He endured a year at Auschwitz during World War II, demonstrating remarkable resilience against overwhelming odds. Following his liberation in 1945, Levi began chronicling his experiences, authoring acclaimed works such as If This Is a Man, The Truce, and The Periodic Table. His death in 1987 was officially ruled a suicide, but the circumstances surrounding it have sparked considerable debate.

Discrimination and Perseverance

Primo Levi was born into a middle-class Italian-Jewish family, the first of two children whose ancestors had fled persecution during the Spanish Inquisition. Growing up in a small Jewish community, Levi was often a target of bullying due to his small stature and shy demeanor. Despite these challenges, he excelled academically, particularly in chemistry, and by his early teens, he had developed a profound interest in the subject.

In 1937, Levi began his studies at the University of Turin. At that time, while Fascism was already pervasive in Italy, it had not yet fully implemented its racial policies. However, the situation changed drastically in 1938 when laws prohibiting the education of Jews in state-sponsored schools were enacted. Levi, having enrolled prior to these laws, was exempt from their immediate effects but still faced discrimination.

With the assistance of a supportive professor, Levi graduated with honors in chemistry in 1941. Yet, the designation “Of Jewish Race” on his diploma hindered his job prospects. He ultimately found employment as a chemist through false identification and forged papers, initially working for a mining company and later for a Swiss pharmaceutical company in Milan. Upon returning to Turin after his father’s death in 1942, he discovered that his mother and sister were in hiding to escape persecution.

Surviving Auschwitz

In 1943, as conditions for Jews in Italy deteriorated, Levi and his family fled to northern Italy, where he joined a resistance group. However, he was arrested by Fascist forces later that year. To evade execution, Levi disclosed his Jewish identity and was sent to an Italian prison camp in January 1944. Although he faced relatively humane treatment there, the camp eventually fell under German control, leading to his deportation to Auschwitz.

Upon his arrival at Auschwitz in February 1944, Levi was assigned the prisoner number 174517, which was tattooed on his forearm. Determined to survive, he used his skills to trade food for German lessons and eventually secured a job in a rubber factory, allowing him to avoid some of the camp’s most brutal realities. During this period, he began documenting the horrors of Auschwitz, motivated by a desire to bear witness to the atrocities.

In January 1945, the Red Army liberated Auschwitz, and Levi returned home, emerging as one of fewer than 700 Italian Jews who survived the deportations.

Bearing Witness

Back in Turin, Levi secured employment in a paint factory but felt an overwhelming compulsion to recount his experiences. He began writing, adopting the calm, analytical tone of a scientist. His first work, If This Is a Man (later published as Survival in Auschwitz), was completed over two years. Despite a limited initial printing in October 1947, the book garnered little attention.

In the following decade, Levi focused on family life, marrying Lucia Morpurgo and welcoming two children while also working as a chemical consultant and returning to the paint factory. Nevertheless, his commitment to chronicling the Holocaust persisted, leading him to produce memoirs, poetry, short stories, and fiction.

In 1958, a new edition of If This Is a Man was released, followed by translations into English and German in 1959. This resurgence in interest brought Levi newfound recognition, allowing him to publish additional works, including his autobiographical The Truce (1963) and two collections of science fiction stories.

The Periodic Table

In 1975, Levi published The Periodic Table, which is widely regarded as his most significant work. This collection of 21 autobiographical stories employs chemical elements as thematic anchors, exploring his childhood, education, and experiences during and after Auschwitz. Two years after its release, Levi retired from the paint factory to devote himself entirely to writing. He continued to publish, including Moments of Reprieve (1978), The Monkey’s Wrench (1982), which won the prestigious Italian literary Strega Prize, and If Not Now, When? (1984).

By the mid-1980s, Levi’s writings had entered the Italian educational canon, and the first American edition of The Periodic Table was published in 1984, receiving acclaim from literary figures such as Philip Roth and Saul Bellow. The success of The Periodic Table led to a speaking tour in the United States, and in 1986, he published The Drowned and the Saved, which would be his final work.

Death and Legacy

On April 11, 1987, Primo Levi was found dead at the bottom of the stairwell of his apartment building, where he had resided before and after the war. The coroner ruled his death a suicide, a conclusion supported by many who believed it resulted from the profound suffering he endured. However, others speculate it may have been accidental, citing Levi’s history of dizzy spells. This uncertainty continues to provoke debate.

Beyond his extensive literary contributions, Levi’s impact as one of the foremost Holocaust writers is profound. His works have been the subject of numerous documentaries and biographies. The Truce was adapted into a film in 1997, featuring John Turturro, while the 2001 film The Grey Zone, starring David Arquette, Steve Buscemi, and Harvey Keitel, was based on a chapter from The Drowned and the Saved. In 2006, The Periodic Table was recognized by London’s Royal Institution as one of the best science books ever written.