International scientific conference: “Denied by the regime”: prisons, the internment-deportation system and forced labor in Albania 1945-1990

The Authority for Information on Documents of the Former State Security, in collaboration with the Institute of History at the Academy of Albanological Studies, the Institute for the Study of Crimes and Consequences of Communism and the Institute for the Integration of Former Political Persecuted Persons, organized the international scientific conference on the topic: “Denied by the Regime: Prisons, the Internment-Deportation System and Forced Labor in Albania 1945-1990”. The activities took place over three days and were open to the media.

On October 29, at 6:00 p.m., in the National Historical Museum, "Unesco" hall, the guests were introduced and the organizers spoke, with the presence of researchers, scientific researchers, representatives of the diplomatic corps and human rights associations, the country's universities and students, international organizations and public and non-governmental institutions.

Albanian and foreign guests and personalities from scientific research and memory institutions opened this first conference that addresses, through qualitative studies, the period of communist dictatorship in Albania. The research perspective of local and Kosovar professors and academics was added to by the significant contribution of foreign researchers and the active participation of the European Network of Memory (ENRS) of BsTu, the German Authority for the Opening of Files.

Next, the film "Silent Doors of Hell" was screened, a journey through prisons and forced labor camps in Albania, produced in collaboration with the Institute for the Study of the Crimes and Consequences of Communism and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

On October 30 and 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the “Shpataraku” hall, Albanian and foreign scholars, researchers, historians and journalists addressed for the first time the topic of internment-deportations in Albania, based on the conceptualization, history and practices of forced labor during the communist regime, through a historical-legal approach to the institutionalization of forced labor.

The work for the conference has been underway for months and over 50Albanian and foreign researchers have responded to the call to participate. The evaluation committee has selected 36 papers, organizing them into 9 panels of 4 researchers each, of scientific research and memory. For months, the selected researchers have had the opportunity to use the inventories, files, statistics and various archival materials made available by AIDSSH or other archives and, through research and scientific objectivity, to provide a broader panorama of forced labor during the dictatorship, in historical, legal and social terms.

The international scientific conference is supported by UNDP in Albania and the Government of Italy, within the framework of the project "Remembering to Heal and Prevent", the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation (KAS), the European Network of Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) and the National Historical Museum.

Authority

The Authority bases its work and the continuity of the projects undertaken on the important principles of memory, which place historical memory at the foundation of the identity and heritage of individuals and communities, such as presenting different perspectives; avoiding deterministic expressions: avoiding generalizations; treating historical figures as individuals; ensuring a genuine historical basis; using academic-level knowledge as sources, where each content must be confronted and discussed with recognized and certified academics for the specific knowledge required for this work.

Based on these principles, scientific research and professional confrontation of facts, the Authority continues to undertake ambitious and complex projects that focus on the reexamination of history, its reassessment, the rehabilitation of victims, resistance in personalities and communities, and encourage social dialogue, in the name of transparency and the consolidation of democracy.

RESEARCHERS AND TOPICS PRESENTED

1. Lukas Kaminski (ENRS)  – Deportations and forced labor – the Polish experience: history and memories.
   
   

Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe: A Comparative Perspective

1. Tobias Wunschik (BSTU) Germany–Forced labor in the GDR camps (1950 – 1990).
   
   
2. Hamit Kaba – Albanian communism: similarities and differences with other communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe 1944-1948.
   
   
3. Klejd Këlliçi – The European Gulag: the regime of labor and concentration camps in Albania, East Germany and Bulgaria, 1946-1950.
   
   
4. Afrim Krasniqi – Treating the past in a comparative report: Albania and Eastern Europe
   
   

Analytical insight into Albanian totalitarianism

1. Beqir Meta – Analytical overview of the prison system, internments and the use of forced labor during the communist regime in Albania.
   
   
2. Sabit Syla – The installation of Yugoslav power in Kosovo and the Albanians during the years 1944-1955.
   
   
3. Ana Lalaj – The Assembly of the Post-War (Power) State as a Tool of Violence, 1944-1953.
   
   
4. Lori Amy – The Case of Enver Hoxha: History, Memories, and the Architecture of Terror.
   
   

The system of prisons and labor camps in Albania (1945-1990)

1. Dorian Koçi – The Stalinist apparatus of violence in prisons and labor camps in Albania 1949-1953.
   
   
2. Ardiana Topi – Typology of documents and files created by the former State Security 1944-1991.
   
   
3. Femi Sufaj, Marinela Sota  – Denied by the regime: Prisons, the internment-deportation system and forced labor in Albania 1945-1990.
   
   
4. Gjon Boriçi – Affirmation by the Political Bureau of the Albanian People's Liberation Army of violence against prisoners and internees by State Security organs until 1953.
   
   

Foreigners in Albanian camps and prisons

1. Marenglen Kasmi, Ermira Shtino – German prisoners of war and forced labor during the years 1944-1952.
   
   
2. Nevila Nika – The treatment of Italian citizens after the end of World War II: from Prof. V. Lozzi to fra G. Gardin
   
   
3. Sonila Boçi – Drawing the “face of the enemy of the people” from the communist regime.
   
   
4. Gjon Berisha – Persecution of Catholic clergy from Kosovo, who served during the communist regime in Albania.
   
   

Legal perspective and forced labor

1. Ermal Frashëri – Regulation of labor in the construction of socialism: a legal perspective.
   
   
2. Çelo Hoxha – Illegal deprivation of personal freedom of citizens carried out by people representing state institutions in the years ’44-’54.
   
   
3. Etleva Smaçi – Exploitation of labor in the Engineering Departments and Military Agricultural Enterprises: discriminatory treatment of soldiers who came from low-class families.
   
   
4. Selami Zalli – A legal perspective on the establishment of the dictatorship, 1945-1953 – Shkodra in the documents of the State Security.
   
   

Features of daily life in prisons and internment zones in Albania (1945-1990)

1. Valjeta Kaftalli – Daily life and human relationships in camps and internment areas.
   
   
2. Alma Liço Mirakaj, Merita Sauku Bruci – Family internment/deportations in the Dumre area 1968-1991: testimonies and reflections.
   
   
3. Natasha Llanaj Përpunja – The mining town of Selenica in Vlora.
   
   
4. Fiona Todhri, Eris Dhamo – The identity and profile of women political prisoners in the communist period (1946-1979).
   
   

Albanian totalitarianism through literature and the arts

1. Agron Tufa – Sad literary and memoir topics.
   
   
2. Agron Gjekmarkaj – “The Enemy of the People” in Socialist Realism Literature.
   
   
3. Leonora Laçi – Albanian totalitarianism through some writers.
   
   
4. Kejsi Ziu – Spies and saboteurs: the martyrdom of Maliqi's engineers and the involvement of the American agent mission during the communist regime.
   
   

Collective memory of prisons and internment camps

1. Gjergj Sinani – Memory and history in post-totalitarian discourse.
   
   
2. Enriketa Pandeleimoni (Papa) – Narration of life stories and memories of forced labor camps and prisons in Communist Albania.
   
   
3. Erald Kapri – Comparative view, rehabilitation of victims of communism, Czech, German, Polish, Estonian and Romanian cases.
   
   
4. Sara Çapaliku – Public interest and the opening of the files of the former Albanian State Security.
   
   

Today's discourse on the communist past

1. Etleva Demollari –The National Museum of Wiretapping “House with Leaves” confronting the past.
   
   
2. Roland Qafoku – Persecutors versus the persecuted after the fall of communism.
   
   
3. Edlira Agolli – The role of the OSCE in Albania in shaping collective memory and discussing human rights violations during communism.
   
   
4. Blerina Këllezi, Aurora Guxholli, Cliffort Stevenson – Changes after the dictatorship from the perspective of those affected.
   
   

Media for the conference

1.Denied by the regime/ Women of freedom, a bottle of juice and a gypsy with the operative - ALBANIAN NEWSPAPER

2.Scientific conference "Denied by the regime", light on the past - THE WORLD NEWS

3.Ylli Alibali confesses to 10 years in prison in Ballsh, as a 'Polish agent' - SHQIPTARJA.COM

4.Scientific conference "Denied by the regime", light on the past - ALBANIAN WIRELESS AGENCY

5. Denied by the regime "Camps, prisons and forced labor" - ONLINE TOPICS

6. Denied by the communist regime, historians reveal the truths of the former security service - VIZION PLUS