8. The German military commander in Rome hesitated to deport the city’s Jews
The Germans occupied the city of Rome following its abandonment by the King and government in early September, 1943. At the time, approximately 8,000 Italian Jews were in the city. The German military commander, Reiner Stahel, hesitated to take any action regarding the Roman Jews, wary of the reaction of the Vatican. Stahel decided to wait until he received covering orders from higher authority. Most of the Jews in Rome went into hiding, though a large number gathered in the Jewish Ghetto, opposite the Tiber from Fatebenefratelli. Meanwhile, SS and German Order Police were stationed in Rome, under the command of Herbert Kappler.
On September 26, 1943, Kappler demanded a ransom of over 100 pounds of gold be delivered to him by noon on September 28. Failure to deliver the amount on time would be penalized by 200 Jewish men being deported. The ransom was paid, and the Jewish community was lulled into the belief that the German occupation was focused on looting as much as possible before the approaching Allies liberated the city. Following the ransom payment, Kappler was ordered by Theodor Dannecker to seal off and then clear the Jewish Ghetto in Rome. The Germans scheduled the raid to take place on October 16, 1943.