40 high school students from Tirana, Elbasan, Kukes etc. visit sites of memory in southern Albania
1st Day, 15 June 2021
Visit to House of Leaves Museum
IDMC's annual "Topography of Terror" project began its journey with a visit to the House of Leaves Museum. The high school students from Rreshen had managed to get acquainted with the house, the role and activity of SIGURIMI etc.
2nd Day, 16 June 2021
Study visits to sites of memory in Tepelena and Gjirokastra
This year, on the second day of the study visit, 40 high school students from Tirana, Elbasan, Kukës, Shijak, Peqin, Rreshen etc. had the opportunity to visit the Tepelena’s internment camp, the Gjirokastra Castle former political prison and the house of Musine Kokalari. The group with young people and history teachers visited the internment camp in Tepelena and listened to Simon Mirakaj as he told his story of persecution in this place.
IDMC Executive Director Dr. Jonila Godole and the director of KAS Tirana Dr. Tobias Ruettershoff greeted the young people and talked to them about the importance of getting to know the communist past. Young people raised questions about life in exile and about policies implemented (or not) in the field of memory. Everyone honored the lost lives and the sacrifice made on the walls of that ‘hell’.
In Gjirokastra, young people visited the castle, which also houses one of the former communist regime prisons in the country. They learned about the history of persecution in this prison thanks to the testimony of Simon Mirakaj, because the museum guide did not provide any information on this period.
Further, the high school students were able to get acquainted with the house where Musine Kokalari lived. Through her cousin, Arjeta Kokalari, the young people were informed in detail about every aspect and stage of the communist persecution of Musine and her brothers. Through questions and conversations, young people were able to build a complete image of the figure of the intellectual Musine Kokalari.
In her honor, the Executive Director of IDMC, Dr. Jonila Godole and director of KAS Tirana Dr. Tobias Ruettershoff placed a memorial plaque on the main wall of the house, in the absence of any other signage to prove that Musine Kokalari belonged to that house.
Also, during the study visit to the memorials in Gjirokastra, IDMC staff donated to the city library, "Apostol Meksi", a package with the publications of the institute. All teachers and young people in the area can browse the books and study the topics covered in these volumes. As a sign of gratitude for the enrichment of the library, IDMC received a letter of thanks from the head of the library, Arminda Mevlani.
3rd Day, 17 June 2021
Study visit to sites of memory in Saranda
During the third day of the visit, young people, IDMC-affiliated teachers and former political persecutors visited the sites of memory in Konsipol, Mursi and Kllogjer in the Saranda district.
Rajmond Sejko, Vangjush Taho and other former persecuted in the area shared their painful stories with young people, who in turn raised questions, reflected and honored those who sacrificed their lives and freedom to allow us to live in democracy. For the first time in IDMC study visits, the persecution of the Cham community during the communist regime was included. Cham representatives spoke about the persecution, torture and all the vicissitudes they had to go through during half a decade of dictatorship.
The young people had the opportunity to talk longer with Rajmond Sejko, the grandson of Teme Sejko, a well-known intellectual and persecuted family, who was also given an audio-visual interview to be shown to a wider circle of people. Also, everyone visited the memorial of Kllogjer, which was meaningful but also very painful at the same time, with data on the names and dates of birth of those killed by the exodus of the Cham population, a good part also children.
At the end of the day, an interesting discussion was held among the young people, exchange of ideas, reflections on the past, sharing the vision on the future and empowering the youth for individual responsibility.
4th Day, 18 June 2021
Study visit to former communist prison in Porto Palermo
On the way back, the group of 40 high school students and teachers from all over Albania visited the castle of Porto Palermo in Himara, built by Ali Pasha Tepelena and used during the communist regime as a political prison. The young people saw the rooms that had served as cells and got acquainted with the daily life in that place.