In Sant'Anna di Stazzema, during World War II, the small village became the site of a horrific massacre perpetrated by the Waffen-SS, the armed wing of the Nazi Party’s SS organization. On August 12, 1944, the troops entered the village as part of anti-partisan operations aimed at suppressing resistance movements in Tuscany. Under the guise of military authority, they rounded up the inhabitants, claiming it was for interrogation purposes. However, the real intent was to instill fear and deter support for the partisans. The soldiers executed approximately 560 residents, a significant portion of whom were women, children, and elderly individuals. The brutality included not only shooting but also arson, as the village was set ablaze, further symbolizing the eradication of community and heritage. Survivors and resistance fighters had previously been active in the area, and the massacre served as a grim warning to other villages. The event was characterized by its sheer violence and the intention to obliterate any semblance of opposition within the population.

The massacre was reported by Allied forces and quickly became emblematic of the Nazi war crimes committed in Italy. Post-war investigations revealed inconsistencies in the Nazi narrative contrived to justify such violence, with evidence highlighting the systematic targeting of civilians in places with partisan activity. Moreover, this event highlighted the ruthlessness of the Nazi regime during its last year of war efforts in Europe. Witness testimonies and documentation from survivors played a pivotal role in understanding the true extent of this atrocity. The massacre at Sant'Anna di Stazzema is memorialized in Italian history as part of broader patterns of wartime atrocities during World War II, influencing post-war justice efforts and human rights discourse.