Dashnor Kaloçi
The first part
Memorie.al publishes some archival documents extracted from the Central State Archive in Tirana (the fund of the former Central Committee of PPSh) which belong to the year 1960 and are part of a voluminous file containing the characteristics of some of the intellectuals, professors and the most famous academics of Albania at that time, such as: Aleks Buda, Stefanaq Pollo. Col. Popa and Luan Omari, who years later were selected and led for years, the Academy of Sciences of the People’s Republic of Albania, or other educational institutions. In the documents in question, which bear the signature of the Rector of the State University of Tirana, Zija Kelliçi, and the secretary of the Party Committee of that university, Deko Rusi, for the four professors and well-known academics, in addition to the family biographical aspects, there is also much nonsense.
50 years ago, on October 10, 1972, the Academy of Sciences of Albania was founded and Prof. Aleks Buda, while the vice president, Prof. Col. Popa and its general secretary, was appointed Prof. Omar plays. The three honored professors who had graduated from different universities outside Albania, at that time but also afterwards, were considered intellectual capacities and names from the most prominent in the respective fields, making great contributions, wherever they had served, based on the laws, opportunities and frameworks of that time.
Their appointment at the head of the Academy of Sciences of the People’s Republic of Albania, was the nomenclature of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the ALP, or rather Enver Hoxha himself, and based on this fact; they would first pass through a “filter” of thin, “sifting” everything from their life. One of the main documents that was included in the “cadre file” and was taken as a basis for their career, was the document with the personal characteristics, which was described briefly and in detail, both biographical and social aspects, behaviors at work, professional preparation, etc.
And based on this rule, the three highest leaders of the Academy of Sciences, the honorable professors: Aleks Buda, Col. Popa and Luan Omari, have been attached to the relevant staff files, their characteristics, which bear the signature of the rector of The State University of Tirana at that time, Zija Kelliçi, as well as the secretary of the University Party Committee, Deko Rusi. Their characteristics were compiled in 1960, when official Tirana had not yet broken official relations with the Soviet Union and, according to the rule, it (Characteristics) followed the relevant cadre in every new job or function where he was appointed.
In all three of these characteristics, where it is clearly seen that most of them, there are such absurdities, such as for prof. Luan Omarin, where it is said: “The shooting of the father, demoralized him…”, or about prof. Aleks Budën: “He is lazy, he doesn’t keep his promises and he doesn’t sit down to write…”, while for prof. Popën: “He tries to introduce Marxism-Leninism in the field of Chemistry”.
Aleks Buda, son of one of the most famous and aristocratic families of Elbasan, the son of a pharmacist (Taq Buda), who graduated from European schools in the early years of the last century and financier of the “Normal” School of Elbasan, thanks to a large fortune, which they also had, from 1920 to 1938, for 18 years in a row, he studied and graduated in the most popular colleges and universities in Austria, thus being among few of his compatriots, who had this opportunity of education.
Likewise, during the period of the occupation of the country, 1939-1944, openly “betraying” the social class to which he belonged, he first worked and fought as an illegal in Tirana and Elbasan, which led to his being elected to a high office, of the vice-president of the National-Liberation Council of Elbasan District and to the Provisional Government of Berat, headed by General-Colonel Enver Hoxha.
And after the end of the War, in the years that followed, Alex Buda exercised a series of duties; since head of section in the Ministry of Education, Director of the National Library in Tirana, Director of the Institute of Language and Literature, etc., to reach in 1972 the position of President of the Academy of Sciences of Albania.
But even though he had these achievements, for “party friends” and apparatchiks of various institutions, he was a man who “did not know how to organize, who promised a lot and did not keep his promises, and also a bit lazy”.
This is how the professor and academician Alex Buda was considered, one of those who had the fate of his life and career in his hands, but there was even worse. Because his two nephews, Niko and Pirro Dodbiba (former Minister of Agriculture in the 70s), experienced the cells, prisons and internment camps of Enver Hoxha’s communist regime.
The “same fate” as professor Buda was more or less shared by his colleague and close friend, the well-known professor Stefanaq Pollo, originally from a rich merchant family in Përmet, the son of an immigrant and patriotic activity of the society. Vatra” (Themistokli Pollo), who in 1920, responded to the call “Homeland in danger” given by the Government of Lushnja, to come to Albania and fight with weapons in hand against those who did not want the creation of the Albanian state .
Even Stefanaqi himself, after having studied at the French Lyceum of Korça, followed his father’s path, engaging from the beginning of the Anti-Fascist Movement, in the city that was otherwise known as “Little Paris”, to then go to the mountains, with a gun in hand, in the partisan formations, where he was charged with a series of tasks with the Anti-Fascist Youth and the Press and Propaganda.
Immediately after the end of the war, Stefanaqi was sent to study in Moscow and after graduating in 1950, he returned to Albania, to exercise a series of high tasks in the field of knowledge, such as: vice president of the Institute of Sciences and then Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology at the State University of Tirana.
But even with this past, again “party friends” were not satisfied with his work. And they dismissed him from office, as “he did not do the dean’s job willingly and happily, because he tended to personal interest”, without forgetting the main thing, that “he had also had a cousin sentenced to 20 years in prison, as an enemy of the people’s power”.
The archival document with the characteristics of the former President of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, Dr. Prof. Alex Buddha
ALEX TAQI BUDA
Date of birth: 7.IX.1911
Birthplace: Elbasan
Residence: Tirana,
Address: “Fortuzi” Street
Historian: profession
Social Origin: Great merchant
The organizational: state without a party
FEATURES
Comes from a family of great merchant origin. His father, in addition to a pharmacy, has 20 ox pens, land and 500 olive roots in Elbasan, which were nationalized by the popular power reforms. The political attitude of the family and of himself. Alex, it was and is good. Comrades of War have taken shelter in his house. He was arrested by the Italian fascists, as a participant in the demonstration.
Since 1942, he participated in the provisional National Liberation Council in the city of Tirana and in Elbasan, until August 1944, when he went underground and worked in the field. At this time, he was elected as N/Chairman of the National Liberation Council of Elbasan District. From October 1944, he was called to work with the Provisional Government in Berat.
His brother, Sofoklius, was a partisan, as were his two nephews, Pirro and Niko Dodëbiba, as well as his wife’s brother, Viktor Stratobërdha. There was and is not anyone from relatives convicted or in the ranks of the enemy.
From 1920 to 1938, he was in Austria, where he completed primary, secondary and higher education at the Faculty of Philosophy (History and Literature).
After finishing his studies, he was appointed as a professor at secondary schools in Tirana, Korça and Elbasan. After liberation, as head of section at the Ministry of Education, in 1945-46, Director of the National Library, from 1946 to 1957, at the Institute of Sciences and now at the University as Professor, Candidate of Sciences.
He was a member of the Presidium of the Institute of Sciences, members of the Institute and the Director of the History and Linguistics Institute. From the functions of the director and member of the presidium, he was dismissed for lack of organization at work and for not realizing the scientific work plans.
In 1952, the head of the Institute made a note in his biography, for excessive negligence and indiscipline at work.
Sh. Alex has a big flaw that he promises a lot but can’t keep his promises; it’s hard to write that he’s also a bit lazy. However sh. Alex has good qualities, he is an employee with good scientific preparation, he produces his work with a very good quality, and he gives valuable opinions in solving problems.
He carefully follows the development of Soviet science and tries to gain as much as possible from its experience. Keeps the work order of cl. of the III.
P.THE UNIVERSITY PARTY COMMITTEE
Secretary / Deko Rusi / RECTOR / Zija Kelliçi
The archival document with the characteristics of the former Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, at the University of Tirana, Dr. Prof. Stefanak Pollo
STEFAN THEMISTOCLOS POLLO
Date of birth: 25.1.1923
Birthplace: Via
Residence: “Partizani” Neighborhood, “Naim Frashëri” Street, No. 30 Tirana
Profession: Historian
Social status: Wealthy merchant
Organizational situation: A.P. October 1943
FEATURES
He comes from a rich merchant family, his father before the occupation of the country by Italian fascism, during the occupation until 1943, continued the trade (a store in Përmet and one in Këlcyre). In 1943, the fascists burned down his home shop, and so the father did not deal with trade. His cousin, Vangjel Pollo, was sentenced by the Gjirokastra court to 20 years in prison for political reasons.
Comrade Stefan received his secondary education at the Korçë High School, so from there (Korçë), he started anti-fascist activity. In 1942 he joined the ranks of the Communist Youth and in May 1943 he went to the mountain (partisan), together with his classmates, he worked in the field (Korça field) with youth agitating units, later he moved to the field of Cologne.
Comrade Stefan, after the Përmet Congress, worked in the Communist Youth Circle of Korça. He was a delegate at the 1st Youth Congress and was elected to the General Council of the B.R.A.SH.
From October 1944 to October 1945, he worked in the BRASH sector as an editor of the newspaper “Kushtrimi i Lirisi”, and later as an editor of the newspaper “Bashkimi”.
For his good attitude and as a friend with perspective, in October 1945 he was sent by our Government to complete higher studies in the Soviet Union. There for five consecutive years he continued his studies at the University of Moscow and in 1950 he graduated.
Comrade Stefan, after completing his higher studies, was appointed a lecturer of History at the Higher Pedagogical Institute, remaining as such until November 1951. From November of that year (1951) until the creation of the University, he worked at the Institute of Sciences as N/Chairman (and scientific employee in the field of History), and with the creation of the University, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, a task he held until November 1958, at this time bearing in mind that friend Stefan , he was busy with a lot of work, he did not follow the problems of the faculty, both on the teaching side and on the scientific side, but he did not enjoy the dean’s job.
As a result of these issues, he was dismissed from the position of dean of the faculty and the sector remained responsible.
He has worked well together with other friends regarding the preparation of the first volume of the History of Albania, and now he is working on the preparation of the second volume. Friend Stefan is very devoted to personal interest.
He holds the title of docent and continues his graduate studies. It was decorated with the Medal of Remembrance and with the work order of Cl. II. Memorie.al
P. THE UNIVERSITY PARTY COMMITTEE
Secretary Deko Rusi / Rector Zija Kelliçi
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