Second part
Memorie.al / It has been repeatedly said that the prominent Albanian scientist, Professor Eqerem Çabej, was treated as an enemy by the dictatorial regime of Enver Hoxha, but the fact that he was one of the people most under the control of the State Security was not known precisely. . In this exclusive material that “Minerva” is publishing for the first time, you can clearly see the danger and the great pressure in which Prof. lived and worked. Eqerem Chabey. Dozens of leaders and officers of the Security and dozens of agents and spies followed him, while being pursued and endangered were many of his friends and collaborators, mostly well-known people in the scientific, literary and political circles. This file, as well as others that we will try to make public in the future, proves once again the importance of opening the files of the State Security and the lustration of the state policy and the Albanian society, not only for the past, but also the present and, especially, our future. We are publishing the complete file, without many comments, to give the reader the opportunity to judge for himself the activity of one of the most criminal organizations of the communist dictatorship, State Security, whose former head and functionary are still active and with a lot of power in Albania. (Nebil Chika)
Continues from last issue
The following text is one of the 60 letters that Eqerem Çabejt State Security opened, checked and finally compiled a report on the content of the letter. It is not known whether the letters reached the persons to whom they were addressed. (The number of checked open letters is 56).
26/3/1961
Send Eqerem Çabej, Prof. of the Faculty of Philology, University of Tirana
Get it. Prof. Aleksandra Rrosette, Bucharest, Romania
Briefing
From this study, it appears that; On pg. 1, line 2, reads:
“Through this letter, I am allowed to inform you that it has been almost three years since I have prepared a critical work of Albanian thinkers (scholars) of the Albanian language, the oldest one, Gjon Buzuku (1555).
This contains photocopy, transliteration and phonetic (sound) transcription (description). My efforts to print this work have remained until today, after that our university circles will welcome, if this was printed in Romania.
Although our cultural agreement with the Romanian People’s Republic, unfortunately until today it has been engaged (charged) with other obligations. Therefore, I would like to address my prayer to you, that you take an interest in this at the Romanian Academy, so that this work can be published. If this scientific enterprise will be accepted in principle by the Academy, and then I will try to make our University take the necessary steps, etc., etc.
“The Storm”
29/3/1961
(“Furtuna” is the nickname of the translator who translated the letters sent to Eqerem Çabej into German).
The following text is a report prepared by the Security bodies based on the data provided by the associate “Jaku” (“Jaku”, should be from Lezha).
Received from the Security Branch, Ministry of the Interior, in Shkodër, No. 213 dt. 24-7-1969.
No……
Received: Shefik Hasku
Given: B.p. “Jaku”
Dated 16/VII/ 1969
Report
On July 14, 1969, he went to Tirana and there he met Eqerem Çabeu, at the History-Linguistics Institute. Eqeremi congratulated him for the work that would be published, saying to him at the same time, it would make a difference in terms of eyes and cheeks, and maybe that’s how you like the job of calling a pig uncle. (In the document underlined line).
This is how I do it, Eqerem told him, there is no other way, I make some second-hand changes, which I advertise in a big way, while the most important ones, I don’t play at all. We are in this trouble, my lord, we have nothing to do. That’s how the conversation ended, after another person came to our room.
“Jaku”
Clarification:
The person implicated in the report is not known by us, is or is not in processing, or contingent.
Rating of the giver:
The information has operational value for our person, because Eqeremi has dissatisfaction in himself and expresses it against the government.
Task:
Regarding the bp report. They didn’t give you assignments, because for a few days I will be on vacation in Tirana, from where you will get in touch with Mr. Bajram Doçin, from where will the tasks be given to him if necessary.
Operative measures:
The report should be printed in one copy and sent to the Directorate of Internal Affairs in Tirana.
Operative Workshop
Shefik Hasku
Received: From P.Op. Ropi Postoli
Given: B.p. “Moth”
Tirana, on 10.11.1970
REPORT
Following the conversations he had with the Austrian doctor (in linguistics) Hermann Olberg, the following data emerged:
– When it was dictated about the military seaport – is it Vlora or which city is it, Olbergu expressed the opinion that the Chinese are building submarine ports on our coast and asked him if it is true.
– Discussing with him, Olberg raised the standard of living in Austria to the sky, telling him that it is not worth repairing anything, because it is much cheaper to buy it new and that this is a common thing there.
– The future of the world is black and unclear, because today the world has 2-3 billion people, but in the year 2000, there will be 15 billion and it is not known what to do with humanity, it is going towards the unknown roads known. When he and Pali Zizi contradicted him, he said that you live here closed and isolated and you don’t know anything, but if you, like me, had seen a city with 7-8 million people, spread over an area so small, you would think otherwise.
– You do not know the world, you live in a mono-system, where a person must either obey the party, make self-criticism, or is destined to disappear. I know very well what a single party means to a country; my father was imprisoned by the Nazis because of me. Here the party is the god.
You deify your leaders, while we call them ordinary people – performing some state work. As long as they like their work, they stay in their post, otherwise they remove them and there is no deification like here.
In mono-system it is not understood, e.g. once the Glory of Stalin was deified and rose to the sky, others came and crashed it to the ground, who knows how similar they will be, when the third ones come. There are no such things here.
– Olberg’s meeting with Eqerem Çabejn was extremely frequent, even annoying. As far as I understand, the main initiator of these meetings was E. Çabej. Since Olberg had come to “Dajti”, without passing 5′ E. Çabej asked on the phone to learn the wall of Olberg’s room, “to welcome him”!
Then this work continued and by chance the meetings were held in his absence (unbeknownst to Çabej, he bumped into him a couple of times, Çabej thought that he would come later. One night he and Olberg had booked tickets to the theater, but Çabej had gone to “Dajti”, had taken Olberg for a walk, telling him that he had time and brought him to the front of the theater, when the door had already closed.
He had announced in front of the theater and the door was opened extra for Olberg after the show had started. Even on the last night, Çabej came to say hello, when Olbergu and A. Kostallari, M. Dom and his father, had just sat down for dinner. Chabey retreated to the cafe to wait for him.
When we went to the cafe and said that Olbergu should go to relax, Çabej showed the desire to stay alone with Olbergu and Olbergu told him German (which only Çabej and he understood, but not Domi and Kostallari), we were still staying, after these are gone, right?
After Kostallar didn’t allow Çabej to stay longer either, Çabey “finally” greeted Olberg, congratulating him, etc., etc., but to his surprise, the next day Çabej had already arrived at 7:30 (or maybe and earlier) and had met Olberg again). (“He” had told Olberg that he would come at 8:30, but he came at 7:45 and caught Çabej, coming out of “Dajti”. Çabej told him that I said goodbye.
– Olbergu called it a fate of Albania, that for now, the great powers “leave us alone”, but how long will this continue?
– He also connected it with our today’s “leader”, with Comrade Enver: As long as a leader lives, in many places he has had a clear direction, but after him, everywhere often, things have become different from what they were.
“Moli”
– To be printed and sent to the II Branch
– Extract extract for Eqerem Çabejn
Chief Sec. V
Bajram Doçi
Task:
B.p. they were not given to him, as Olberg left for Austria. He was instructed to try to talk to Çabe, about Olberg, telling him that he had seemed good to him during the time he had accompanied him, etc.
Operative Workshop
Ropi Postoli
Tirana, on 11.11.1970
(The associate of the State Security “MOLI” must be an employee of the institution where Eqerem Çabej worked. This associate constantly provided information about Çabej).
Send from Durrës
No. 27/1 dated 29.6.72
Process – Verbal
In Tirana dt. May 15, 1972.
I, Faik Gora, investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, interrogated the defendant Mark Dema, (interpreter) who, after asking him, stated:
In 1943, in Rome, I met a man named Eqerem Çabej, who had come to Rome for philological studies. Before, I had not known him personally, but I had heard and read about him from the Franciscan magazine, “Ylli i Drita”. In 1960, with E. Çabejn, I had hostile conversations against the Government.
I remember that in March of 1960, I went to Tirana State University to meet Kolë Paparisto, whom I did not meet. On this occasion, I asked to meet Eqerem Çabeu and I met him. He asked me why you came to the university and I told him about Enieda’s case. He told me that he had done a great job, but who could I tell. In this system, people with positions do not appreciate these things.
Here with us, people rise not according to ability, but according to the merit of the War. Woe is where we are. For us it was the place where we live (Italy). And those who stayed on that side did very well. We didn’t mind and came. Now let us suffer! Well, we have it. Without doing anything to anyone, I must show my respect to others, and tell me how Alexander Xhuvani protected him and kept him close to him.
He also told me about the intrigues of some work colleagues, such as Selman Riza, Androkli Kostallari, etc., who tried to defeat him.
Eqeremi told me that in our country, in order to move forward, ignorant people become servile and petty, while pious people suffer. Qeremi told me that today’s culture cannot even be compared to that of the past, and that the Soviet culture, since it took root in us, is a denial of all Albanian values.
I have told him that our tragedy is that we have no freedom in this Government and people like us act according to the rules dictated by him by imposition. I have said that in all fields, both science and linguistics, people who have studied in Western countries are much more advanced and capable than others who come from countries where the communist system is in force. That’s why they don’t love us and they’ve looked at us, just like we have them.
Continuing the conversation, Eqeremi told me: “Everything I do is halal, except to open the borders; I don’t want anything else from you.” But unfortunately this is utopia”. And I told him that we who do not want this power, are destined to suffer for our whole lives, and locked in our country, without any hope of salvation. Later I met with Eqeremi, but we did not have a hostile conversation, because he also went abroad, such as Austria, Romania and Kosovo.
I compiled the minutes myself and signed them with my signature.
Defendant Investigator
Mark Dema Faik Gora
APPROVED
Deputy Director of the 1st Directorate
Nusret Dautaj
Secret
Copies No____
Tirana on 7.7.1972
Report
ON THE EVALUATION OF THE MATERIALS IN THE LOADING OF EKEREM CHABEJT
Eqerem Çabej is the son of Hysen, born in 1907, born in Gjirokastër and living in Tirana, on the street “Qemal Stafa” No. 393/12, working at the Institute of Linguistics of the U.S.H.T., by profession scientific worker.
Mentioned during the German occupation, he was appointed Minister of Education. One of his brothers was shot as an enemy of the people. The woman’s brother has escaped abroad, while Eqerem’s wife herself has been sentenced to prison for hostile activity.
Based on these biographical data, we registered Eqerem in the records of the enemy contingents. In addition to this, we also have some material in the information booklet at the disposal of Eqerem, which show that the mentioned person is not in a sound position.
Specifically, from data dated 22.2.1970, of B.p. “Jaku”, it turns out that Eqeremi, being annoyed by some criticisms that had been made to him regarding his writings, written a long time ago, had expressed: “These Gods, they want to publish everything themselves and for others, they have the opinion that they do not know and do not understand anything.
One day, when he was angry, he told one of his officemates that we gave our souls to the devil, since we work and don’t know about it. While regarding the publication of a book by B.p. “Jaku”, Eqeremi said to the latter, make those remarks as they request, since we have nothing to do, we must call the pig uncle.
Whereas in his statement dated 10.1970, B.p. “Moli” reports that: “Olberg’s meetings with Eqerem Çabejn were extremely frequent, even annoying. As far as he understood, the main initiator of these meetings was Eqeremi. Since Olberg arrived at “Dajti”, within five minutes, E. Çabej asked on the phone to learn the wall of Olberg’s room, “to welcome him” (According to Eqeremi).
Then this work continued and the meetings were mostly held in his (B.p.) absence. We emphasize that Olberg is an Austrian doctor, in the field of linguistics, and from the examination that he made during his stay in our country, he had doubts of a discoverer, who had come here with certain tasks (In the document, this part of the text is underlined)
From a note – operative dt. 29.VI.1970, compiled by P. Operative V. Shiko, it turns out that Eqerem Çabej had company with Kadri Hoxha, who was actively pursued by the Vlorë Department of Internal Affairs, even the latter and his wife, the night of dt. 23.6.1970, they slept in Eqerem’s house.
In April or May of 1970, the First Section of the Tirana Internal Affairs Directorate intercepted T.O. (Operative Technique) between the object Kadri Hoxha, Eqerem Çabejt, and the latter’s son.
From the conversation, it emerged that there was a conversation with innuendos, while Eqerem’s son showed hostile expressions, which shows his father’s influence on him (In the document, this part of the text is underlined) T.O.’s information. , is in the file of Kadri Hoxha.
(In the text on the side in pencil, in small writing, there are two notes:
– The first note “Does Kadri Hoxha implicates Eqeremin”?
– Second note; “Eqerem’s son is 13 years old, weighed 100 kg and is mentally disabled, then he jumped from the balcony and died”!
According to Xhevit Beqir, former official at our embassy in Austria, it turned out that: “In 1970, Professor Eqerem Çabej was in Vienna to treat his son. There he kept in contact with many foreigners, such as Shvaken, a close connection of the “Free Albania” Committee, who wrote articles in the newspaper against the People’s Republic of Albania. Eqeremi went to meet this person in a villa outside Vienna and stayed with him for more than four hours.
In Vienna, Eqeremi spent beyond his means. Among other things, he bought four wristwatches. When he was informed that he had to return to Albania, that his deadline had passed, he strongly objected, saying that this was unfair, and nervously slammed doors and tables. Recently, Eqerem Çabej has been implicated for joint hostile activity, with the defendant Mark Dema, who says that: “In 1960, I had hostile conversations with Eqerem Çabej against the government.
Regarding Enieda’s case, he told me that I had done a great job, but what you want, who should I tell. With this system, people in positions do not appreciate these things. Here, people are promoted not according to skills, but according to the merits of the War. Woe to us where we are. For us it was the place where we stayed (Italy) and those who stayed on that side did very well. We didn’t mind and came. Now let us suffer. Well, we have it. Without doing anything to anyone, we should rush to others, etc.
Eqeremi has also told us, continues Mark Dema, that in our country, in order to move forward, ignorant people become servile and petty, while honest people suffer. Today’s culture cannot even be compared to that of the past. And that the Soviet culture, which took root in us, is a denial of all spiritual values. After I spoke to him from a hostile position, concludes Mark Dema, Eqeremi continued the conversation saying; “I make everything halal, except the borders are opened. But alas, this is utopia.”
The committee for the evaluation of the materials in charge of the above-mentioned, decided to withdraw his file 2/B archived in the IV branch and after its study, depending on the materials found in this file, to conclude on the receipt of his in processing 2/A, because it is implied as above. This should be done by 31/7/1972. Memorie.al
Commission
IVth Branch Captain Mr. IVth Branch Captain
Kapllan Bano Kadri Papali
Kadri Ismailati
