Pjetër Arbnori
Encyclopedia
Pjetër Filip Arbnori was an Albanian gulag
survivor. He was dubbed "the Mandela
of the Balkans
" by Albania
n statesmen because of the length of his 28 year internment. He was born in Durrës
, on the Adriatic coast. President Topi bestows the Nation’s Honor Order upon Pjetër Arbnori (post mortum).
's partisans during the civil war that underlay World War II
. Although he earned a gold medal when he graduated from high school at the age of 18, this did not suffice to earn him the right to go on to college, because of his early affiliation, while still a boy, with the resistance fighters struggling against the communist regime, together with his mother and two older sisters.
After graduating, Arbnori found a job as a teacher. In a matter of a year, however, he was fired for political reasons. Once having completed his military service, young Arbnori roamed the mountains in search of a living, and started to labour in the fields as a farm hand. While holding down this job, he managed to enroll in the University of Tirana
's Philology
Department under fake documents, and succeeded in finishing a five-year correspondence course in half the time.
In 1960, Arbnori began to teach literature at a school in the city of Kavajë
. Here he soon gathered together with other intellectuals to form a Social-Democratic movement, in the hope of edging forward towards a pluralistic society. The Sigurimi
(secret police) got wind of this and arrested seven of them. After a trial that lasted two years , which entailed lengthy interrogations and torture, he was sentenced to death. This verdict was subsequently converted to 25 years' imprisonment, because the authorities hoped that Arbnori would eventually lead them to catching other ringleaders.
In prison, Arbnori organized the inmates' protests and resistance. One of the ways he preserved his sanity was to write, every chance he had. He would write in the tiniest possible lettering along the margins of the newspapers allotted to the prisoners to read. In this way, he put together a novel and many short stories, some of which have since been published.
When his jail sentence was almost complete, his jailers added ten more years to it. The detention eventually ended in 1989. He was arrested at 26 and freed at the age of 54. His first job on being released was as an apprentice to a carpenter. It was in this last portion of his life that he married and had two children.
Still unsubdued, Arbnori soon took part in the grassroots
movement that was defying the regime, participating, less than five months after his release, in the anti-communist demonstration in Shkodër
that overturned the statue of Stalin
. With the first free ballot, Arbnori was elected to Parliament, and was later re-elected three more times. He was elected twice to the position of Chairman of the Parliament of Albania
from April 6, 1992 to July 24, 1997 and is also listed among the acting Presidents of Albania, with reference to April 1992.
In 1997, his party lost the elections to the Socialist Party of Albania
led by Fatos Nano
, following the turmoil caused by reckless schemes that had caused the financial ruin of thousands. From the benches of the opposition, it soon became clear to Arbnori that there was a risk that the censorship that was customary under the old regime might be reinstated. Thus, when the State-owned television station refused to broadcast the statements and initiatives of the opposition party, he went on a hunger strike
. It was here that the fame of "the Mandela of the Balkans" claimed the attention of many governments of the Western world, whose support forced the majority coalition in Parliament to review its stance and approve a formal guarantee of the independence of the press from state interference. This became known as "the Arbnori Amendment".
Arbnori died of a brain hemorrhage in Italy, in 2006. The man who had survived internment at Prison of Burrel, sacrificing his entire youth to his principles, left two orphaned children, still in their teens. The government of Albania, which had by then reverted back to the Democratic Party of Albania
, saluted its legendary freedom fighter with an official state ceremony.
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
survivor. He was dubbed "the Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
" by Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n statesmen because of the length of his 28 year internment. He was born in Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
, on the Adriatic coast. President Topi bestows the Nation’s Honor Order upon Pjetër Arbnori (post mortum).
Biography
Arbnori was orphaned at the age of seven when his father was killed while fighting against Enver HoxhaEnver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
's partisans during the civil war that underlay World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Although he earned a gold medal when he graduated from high school at the age of 18, this did not suffice to earn him the right to go on to college, because of his early affiliation, while still a boy, with the resistance fighters struggling against the communist regime, together with his mother and two older sisters.
After graduating, Arbnori found a job as a teacher. In a matter of a year, however, he was fired for political reasons. Once having completed his military service, young Arbnori roamed the mountains in search of a living, and started to labour in the fields as a farm hand. While holding down this job, he managed to enroll in the University of Tirana
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana is a public university located in Tirana, Albania.-History:UT was founded in 1957 as the State University of Tirana through the merging of five existing institutes of higher education, the most important of which was the Institute of Sciences, founded in 1947...
's Philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
Department under fake documents, and succeeded in finishing a five-year correspondence course in half the time.
In 1960, Arbnori began to teach literature at a school in the city of Kavajë
Kavajë
Kavajë or Kavaja, capital of Kavajë District, Tirana County is a city situated on the western inlands, just a few kilometers off the Adriatic Sea, in Central Albania.The District of Kavajë has a population of 82,921 inhabitants as of January 1, 2010....
. Here he soon gathered together with other intellectuals to form a Social-Democratic movement, in the hope of edging forward towards a pluralistic society. The Sigurimi
Sigurimi
The Drejtoria e Sigurimit të Shtetit , commonly called the Sigurimi, was the state security, intelligence and secret police service of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania...
(secret police) got wind of this and arrested seven of them. After a trial that lasted two years , which entailed lengthy interrogations and torture, he was sentenced to death. This verdict was subsequently converted to 25 years' imprisonment, because the authorities hoped that Arbnori would eventually lead them to catching other ringleaders.
In prison, Arbnori organized the inmates' protests and resistance. One of the ways he preserved his sanity was to write, every chance he had. He would write in the tiniest possible lettering along the margins of the newspapers allotted to the prisoners to read. In this way, he put together a novel and many short stories, some of which have since been published.
When his jail sentence was almost complete, his jailers added ten more years to it. The detention eventually ended in 1989. He was arrested at 26 and freed at the age of 54. His first job on being released was as an apprentice to a carpenter. It was in this last portion of his life that he married and had two children.
Still unsubdued, Arbnori soon took part in the grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
movement that was defying the regime, participating, less than five months after his release, in the anti-communist demonstration in Shkodër
Shkodër
Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the...
that overturned the statue of Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. With the first free ballot, Arbnori was elected to Parliament, and was later re-elected three more times. He was elected twice to the position of Chairman of the Parliament of Albania
Chairman of the Parliament of Albania
The Chairman of the Parliament of Albania presides the Albanian Parliament. The president's term coincides with the term of the assembly, and he or she is chosen by a vote during the opening session.-Chairmen of the National Council :...
from April 6, 1992 to July 24, 1997 and is also listed among the acting Presidents of Albania, with reference to April 1992.
In 1997, his party lost the elections to the Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
led by Fatos Nano
Fatos Nano
Fatos Thanas Nano is an Albanian economist who was Prime Minister of Albania during several periods, the first leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, and member of the Albanian Parliament from 1991 to 1996 and 1997 to 2009...
, following the turmoil caused by reckless schemes that had caused the financial ruin of thousands. From the benches of the opposition, it soon became clear to Arbnori that there was a risk that the censorship that was customary under the old regime might be reinstated. Thus, when the State-owned television station refused to broadcast the statements and initiatives of the opposition party, he went on a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
. It was here that the fame of "the Mandela of the Balkans" claimed the attention of many governments of the Western world, whose support forced the majority coalition in Parliament to review its stance and approve a formal guarantee of the independence of the press from state interference. This became known as "the Arbnori Amendment".
Arbnori died of a brain hemorrhage in Italy, in 2006. The man who had survived internment at Prison of Burrel, sacrificing his entire youth to his principles, left two orphaned children, still in their teens. The government of Albania, which had by then reverted back to the Democratic Party of Albania
Democratic Party of Albania
The Democratic Party of Albania is a center-right, Conservative, political party in Albania and the leading party in the governing coalition since the 2005 parliamentary elections...
, saluted its legendary freedom fighter with an official state ceremony.
Works
- Nga jeta në burgjet komuniste (1992)
- Kur dynden vikingët (1993)
- Mugujt e mesjetës (1993)
- Bukuroshja me hijen (1994)
- Lettre de prison (1995)
- E bardha dhe e zeza (1995)
- E panjohura – Vdekja e Gebelsit (1996)
- Shtëpia e mbetur përgjysmë (1997)
- Vorbulla (1997)
- Brajtoni, një vetëtimë e largët (2000)
- Martiret e rinj në Shqiperi. 10300 ditë e net në burgjet komuniste (2004)
External links
- Council of Europe
- Homepage of Library Beta
- A remarkable creative individuality – By Dr. Haim ReitanHaim ReitanDr. Haim Nissim Reitan was born in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, on May 20, 1946. He is a doctor, a diplomat, a translator and a publicist.- Personal life :...
- Homepage for Pjetër Arbnori
- Homepage of Shefki Hysa
- National Library of Albania
- “The power to recreate the freedom” – By Shefki HysaShefki HysaShefki Mazar Hysa - is an Albanian writer and journalist.- Biography :He continued his elementary studies in Shalës of Konispol, Çamëri region.In 1976, he continued his studies at high school Konispol...
- Leaders of Albania