The Fall of a Dictator
The exhibition "The Fall of a Dictator" opens in the framework of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the monument to dictator Enver Hoxha on February 20, 1991. It sheds light on known and little known information, from the decision to erect the monument to the fall of his.
Hoxha's dictatorship in Albania used all means of mass communication to propagate its ideology. From the first decade of power she sophisticated propaganda by deeply embedding it in art as well. In fact, with the so-called "socialist realism", the dictatorship used art as the main tool of "ideological agitation".
In the 1960s, the regime modeled "monumental propaganda", which would play a key role in "educating the masses" about the spirit of the Albanian Labor Party (ALP). This continued in the visual arts, cinematography, theaters and culminated with the erection of monuments, mainly for the role of the ALP in the National Liberation War.
Monumental propaganda took to the next level after the dictator's death in 1985. The ALP paid close attention to him, overshadowing other aspects. Various institutions were named after him, while monuments were erected in almost all major cities of the country. Meanwhile, the museum dedicated to the National Liberation War (today known as the Pyramid) was actually the museum of dictator Hoxha.
The demolition of the monument in Tirana, on February 20, 1991, overthrew exactly this monumental propaganda of the dictatorship. Therefore, the event has historical value and is considered as the last beginning of the totalitarian regime in Albania.
Impressum
The making of this exhibition was supported by the Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture (IDMC), which strives to raise awareness of the younger generation and Albanian society about the country's dictatorial regime and its consequences.
All the material has been provided by the Central State Archives, the ATSH Archive and the local and foreign press of the time.
Authorship
The posters in this exhibition were prepared by Erblin Vukaj (journalist and researcher), Brisejda Lala (historian), and Myrteza Sharra (historian).
Editors include Dr. Jonila Godole, executive director of IDMC and professor at the University of Tirana, as well as a researcher on Albania's dictatorship period; Kastriot Dervishi, historian, author of multiple books and former director of the Interior Ministry's Archive.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to all the institutions and persons who helped make this exhibition possible: the Central State Archives (AQSH), the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATSH) which provided the larger part of the documents, the Albanian Radio-Television (RTSH) which provided the video footage and chronicles. We wish to thank the Library of Durres and its personnel for their assistance and availability of old magazines and newspapers. A sincere thank you for Mr. Armand Babani for his photographs and the testimonies of people who shared their memories of the past.
Copyright
The graphic presentations of this exhibition are copyrighted and cannot be used without the permission of the authors or the IDMC. If you have questions, please contact us: office@idmc.al.
Want to Show this Exhibition?
The exhibition "The Fall of a Dictator" can be ordered by the interested persons in the DIN A1 format for a symbolic price and presented in an educational setting.