OT

It was a large construction company that operated first in Nazi Germany and then in all the countries occupied by Wehrmacht, employing the forced labour of more than 1.500.000 men and boys. The organization operated in close synergy with the military high command throughout the Second World War and the main role of the company was the construction of roads, bridges and other communication works, vital for the German armies, for supply lines and defensive works: the Siegfried Line, the Atlantic Wall and the Gustav Line are just a few examples of the works created by the Todt Organization. Despite a small number of specialized engineers and technicians, much of the “heavy work” was carried out by an enormous mass of workers, many of whom were prisoners of war. Many young Italians enlisted in the “Todt”, thus obtaining an exemption from being called to arms in the RSI.