By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Two
Memorie.al / Although he was the main leader of communist Albania for 40 consecutive years, governing his country with an iron hand from 1945 until he died on April 11, ’85, and even after his death, until the collapse of the communist regime in early 1991, a complete official biography of Enver Hoxha was never published, even though he himself left written a series of works of about 80 volumes. Not even after the 1990s and up to today has a biography of the former communist dictator Enver Hoxha been published that is based on archival documents that would shed light on the early origin of his family, with its genealogical tree, as well as a biography of him, from the day he was born until he died…! This apparently also due to the fact that throughout his life there were many light and shadows, indeed many dark stains, which made him himself never give approval for the publication of a biography of him in a separate book, even though such biographies have in fact existed. Indeed three such, with different authors, which are found even today in Enver Hoxha’s personal fund at the Central State Archive in Tirana.
The first official biography of Enver Hoxha became public in 1946, within the framework of “popularizing” his figure, as “the main leader and first secretary of the Communist Party of Albania, commander-in-chief of the National Liberation Army with the rank of colonel-general, chairman of the presidency of the Democratic Front of Albania, prime minister of the Albanian government, minister of People’s Defense and minister of Foreign Affairs.” As can be seen in the respective facsimiles attached to this article, this biography, which is a small booklet of 58 pages, published at the “Rinia” Printing House (formerly the “Gutenberg” printing house) on the first page (after the dark maroon cover and the photo of Enver Hoxha in the military uniform of a general with medals on his chest), has written in capital letters: “ENVER HOXHA, A SHORT BIOGRAPHY.” That first official biography of Enver Hoxha was prepared for publication by the employees of the Agit-Prop sector (Agitation and Propaganda) at the apparatus of the Central Committee of the PPSh, but in reality its compiler and author was the first captain, Ndreçi Plasari, whose name does not appear in the said book, but is found written in his handwriting on the first page of the typed material sent for printing.
The book, or more precisely the brochure “ENVER HOXHA, A SHORT BIOGRAPHY,” begins with a description of the city of Gjirokastra where Enver was born on October 16, 1908, and continues with several paragraphs on the history of the Hoxha family (which occupies only the first two pages), while the entire remaining part is devoted to his (Enver’s) role during the period of the “Anti-Fascist National Liberation War” with some of its main events (the founding of the PKSH, the Conference of Peza, the Meeting of Labinot and the creation of the General Staff of the National Liberation Army on July 10, 1943, the Mukje Agreement, the Congress of Përmet, etc.), concluding with January 11, 1946, with the event of the proclamation of the Republic. Even today it is not known precisely why that brochure with the first official biography of Enver Hoxha (where a biography of him for the period of Zog’s Monarchy is almost entirely missing), which glorifies his figure and role (or that of the Hoxha family), from the period of childhood up to the time it was published, was immediately withdrawn from circulation (it is said after two or three months) and was never again used even for references, in books, albums, or other works dedicated to his figure.
Because from that time onward, Enver Hoxha began eliminating his close collaborators (members of the Politburo, ministers, deputies, etc.), by imprisoning, interning, or executing them, and the said book with his biography could no longer circulate with the names of “enemies of the people.” The second biography of Enver Hoxha was written in 1950 (15.VI.1950) and its author is Misto Treska, a close and highly trusted man of Enver Hoxha since the period of the French Lyceum of Korça and the Communist Group of that city where he was a member, who during the War period was political commissar of the partisan Battalion “Reshit Çollaku” and after 1944 was promoted to major, being appointed as prosecutor and member of the judging body in the Special Trial of 1945, which sentenced to death former Prime Minister Maliq Bushati and the members of the Regency, Lef Nosi and Father Anton Harapi.
Just like the biography written by Ndreçi Plasari in 1946, that of Misto Treska, which has 238 pages of handwriting and the same title (“Enver Hoxha, a short biography”), glorifies beyond measure the figure and role of Enver Hoxha in all the time periods treated there. Perhaps this was also the main reason why that biography written by Misto Treska for Enver Hoxha not only was never published, but was not even typed on a typewriter, like the 1946 biography of Ndreç Plasari, or the other that was written later. Likewise, it is not known precisely whether this “service” that Misto Treska did for the main leader of Albania, Enver Hoxha (with whom he had acquaintance also from the period of studies in France), influenced his later career, where he served as a jurist, translator, book author, diplomat, ambassador of Albania to France, Belgium, etc., as well as chairman of the Committee for Friendly and Cultural Relations with the Outside World, where he retired in 1981.
The same is also true for Professor Ndreçi Plasari, a historian and researcher who during the communist regime held important academic and political posts, being for a long time also deputy director of the Institute of Marxist-Leninist Studies in Tirana, directed by Nexhmije Hoxha. In those duties, Professor Plasari served until 1982, when he was struck by the Party, accused as “a man of Mehmet Shehu, who had been sent by him to the British archives to inflate his (Mehmet’s) cult and had hidden the documents proving that Mehmet Shehu had been an agent of the Intelligence Service”! The third biography of Enver Hoxha was written in 1969 and its author is Aqif Selfo, a close friend of childhood and youth with Enver and his neighbor in the city of Gjirokastra and later at the French Lyceum of Korça, where they studied together and Selfo served for some time also as a dormitory supervisor at that lyceum. On the first page of that biography, it is written: “Memories from the life of the Hoxha family, its origin and a biography of comrade Enver Hoxha, for the period 1908-1930 and 1931-1939, 6.1.1969, by Aqif Selfo.”
That biography, or more precisely a biography as its author himself has titled it (it has 124 pages of handwriting, while 82 pages typed), just like those of Ndreçi Plasari and Misto Treska, from beginning to end glorifies the figure and role of Enver Hoxha, indeed with distortions and falsifications of historical events and facts. (For example, on p. 46 of his memoirs, Aqif Selfo among other things writes that: “Enver set off for Belgium, settled in Brussels and began the duty of secretary of the Consulate. He stayed here partly in 1934, all of 1935 and partly in 1936. Alongside the duty of secretary of the Albanian Consulate in Brussels, Enver continued his studies at the faculty of law and took the second-year exams.” While in another archival document found also in Enver Hoxha’s personal fund, the Albanian diplomat Nos Qosja who served at our embassy in Paris, among other things writes: “During my visit to Belgium with comrade Harrilla Kola, we went to the University of Brussels (Faculty of Law) and asked and established: Comrade Enver is registered at the Faculty of Law for the academic year 1934-1935. In the archive of that faculty, there exists a card with these data:
HOXHA Enver
Academic year 1934-1935
Date of birth: 3 October 1908 (Gjirokastër)
Register number: 2821
His address: “Legation d’Albania 155 Rue de la Loi, Brussels.”
The card is white; it does not appear that he took any exam.”
Paris, 22 February 1969 Nos Qosja
From what is stated also in the said archival document (which is conditioned with the period when it was written and the biography of Enver by Aqif Selfo), it results that Enver Hoxha did not take any exam at the Faculty of Law of Brussels, which refutes what Aqif Selfo writes, and that “Enver took the second-year exams”! Perhaps this was also the main reason why those “Memories” were never published as a book, since in the period they were written, many of Enver’s and Selfo’s comrades and peers were still alive (in political prisons or free), whether from the period of their childhood in the city of Gjirokastra, that of the Lyceum of Korça, or of studies in France. But even though those “Memories” never saw the light of publication, in all likelihood they served their author Aqif Selfo as a shield for a quiet life (he worked as a teacher in Tirana at the “Qemal Stafa” gymnasium until he retired), unlike his two cousins, Riza and Syrja Selfo, whom Enver arrested and shot, even though they and the entire Selfo family had helped him with money during the War period, 1939-1944.
On the basis of these three biographies, in 1978 a book was published, or more precisely a kind of brochure with the title: “Enver Hoxha, beloved leader of the Albanian people” — (Material for conversations, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his birth), where on the first page after the cover, it is written: “Prepared by the sector of Marxist-Leninist education at the C.C. of the PPSh. — In aid of agitators and propagandists.” The said book was published by the “8-Nëntori” Publishing House at the “Mihal Duri” Printing House in Tirana. The fact that these three biographies of Enver Hoxha are found in his personal fund, indeed with interventions and corrections by other persons, if they were not made by his order, in all likelihood they were written with Enver’s approval. Nevertheless these remain within the framework of hypotheses where there is room for longer investigation, but in this article we are publishing first the biography of Enver Hoxha, which was written by Aqif Selfo, which is published for the first time and with the respective facsimiles in several issues, by Memorie.al.
Continued from the previous issue
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT EXTRACTED FROM THE PERSONAL FUND OF ENVER HOXHA FOUND AT THE CENTRAL STATE ARCHIVE, WITH THE MEMORIES WRITTEN BY AQIF SELFO ON THE ORIGIN OF THE HOXHA FAMILY AND A BIOGRAPHY OF ENVER HOXHA
Memories from the life of the Hoxha family, its origin, and the biography of comrade Enver Hoxha for the period 1908–1930 and 1931–1939
By Aqif Selfo
6.1.1969
In this meeting, which had the purpose of creating the club, many Gjirokastrites took part who were known as tireless fighters of the Albanian cause, such as Bajo Topulli, Çerçiz Topulli, Kapo Topulli, Sali Bixho, Petro Poga, Hysen Hoxha, Elmas Baçe, Fuat Nano, Musa Xhiku, etc. At the meeting many patriots took the floor, such as Bajo Topulli, etc. The meeting decided the creation of the Gjirokastra club with the name “Drita.” It also elected the presidency or council of elders of the club.
In the presidency of the club were elected people known for their progressive ideas and ardent patriots: Chairman of the club was elected Petro Poga, Vice-chairman Hysen Hoxha, and members of the presidency Elmas Baçe, Idriz Gurri, Kapo Topulli, Musa Xhiku, Sali Bixho, etc. Besides these, a treasurer, caretaker, and quota collector were also elected. The presidency also drafted the club’s regulation: the statute of the “Drita” club. One of the club’s main tasks was the opening of Albanian schools. The first Albanian school was opened in the autumn of 1908 in the city of Gjirokastra, with the name “Lirija.” Its first teacher was Andrea Konomi, later Thoma Papapano.
The “Drita” club sent to the Congress of Manastir, in November 1908, its delegate Bajo Topulli. The activity of the “Drita” club in the educational field was great both in the proper functioning and equipping of the “Lirija” school in Gjirokastra and in opening other Albanian schools, especially in villages. Such a school was opened after many efforts, facing even the obstruction of the reactionary clergy, in 1910 in the village of Labovë e Madhe, or Labovë e Zhapës, with teachers Nane Panajoti and Vasil Konomi. In the opening of schools and their equipping, Hysen Hoxha played an important role.
The old teacher Thoma Papapano speaks about this in the article – the first Albanian school “Lirija” in Gjirokastra (1908-16.III.1913) -. He says that Petro Poga after 1909 did not concern himself with the club’s affairs. The presidency was held by the others, enthusiastic about reading and writing in the Albanian language and determined. And from 1910 until 17.III.1913, the day when Gjirokastra was occupied by the Greek army, the presidency of the club was held by Hysen Hoxha eff. Hoxha, who at the same time also headed the municipality of the city.
So Hysen Hoxha was not only one of the most courageous patriots and worked continuously for the national idea, but was also one of the patrons and pillars of the “Drita” club and the “Lirija” school of Gjirokastra. He was also the main supporter of the opening of the Albanian school in Labovë e Madhe. On his initiative, the Albanian school was opened in this village, in the building designated for a school, but through the intervention of the authorities and especially of the bishop of Gjirokastra, the school was closed; Hysen Hoxha’s efforts made the school open again, in another building.
Hysen Hoxha was also an ardent supporter of the Latin alphabet against the Turco-Arabic one and fought with all his might against the Young Turk agents who sought to impose the alphabet with Turco-Arabic letters. The reactionary policy of the Young Turks toward the peoples of Turkey, the non-Turkish peoples and especially toward the Albanians, made the uprisings erupt in 1909–1912 throughout Albania. They became more powerful in 1912, especially in Kosovo. The Turkish government in this period began with furious persecutions against our provinces.
Against this terror the Albanian patriots fought to defend their rights. The Turkish Empire, from the Italo-Turkish war of 1911-1912 and especially from the great movement of the Albanians, was weakening more and more. At the peak of the Albanian uprising of 1912, which was almost general, the alliance of the Balkan states was also formed. The Balkan states, seeing the weakening of the Turkish Empire, hastened their military preparations and in October 1912 declared war on Turkey: first Montenegro and after a few days the other allies, i.e., Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Turkey, from the beginning of the war, suffered defeats one after another. In this new situation, created by the Balkan war, the Albanian patriots proclaimed on November 28, 1912, in Vlora the independence of Albania and the Albanian state. The provisional government headed by Ismail Qemali immediately notified this marked event to the various provinces of Albania as well as to the states of Europe.
Hysen Hoxha delegate at the Assembly of Vlora 1912 and participant in the delegation of the government of Vlora
Hysen Hoxha was the delegate of Gjirokastra at the National Assembly of Vlora 1912, with the name Hysen Ef. Gjirokastra. A part of the delegates of Gjirokastra, among them also Hysen Hoxha, arrived in Vlora somewhat late. The minutes of the fourth meeting of the National Assembly of Vlora, on December 3, 1912, published in the newspaper “Përlindja e Shqipniës,” organ for defending national rights, Vlora, second year, No. 9, dated February 11, page 4, among other things announces:
Today came the delegates of Gjirokastra, whose names are these: Myfit Bey, P. Poga, Jan Papadhopulli, Hysen Ef. Gjirokastra and Veli Bey Klisura. Besides this, Hysen Hoxha was also a member of the delegation sent by the Government of Vlora to Ioannina. Regarding the composition of the delegation, Musa Demi says: “At the end of December 1912, a delegation composed of Hysen Hoxha, Mid’hat Frashëri and I was sent by the government of Vlora to the commander of Ioannina, Esat Pasha Janina.”
About the mission of this delegation, in the second volume of the History of Albania, publication of the State University of Tirana — Institute of History and Linguistics — Tirana 1965, pages 375-376, it is said: Now that Albania’s autonomy had been recognized by the great powers, it (the government of Vlora) decided to abandon the strict neutrality it had maintained until then and to take an active part in organizing the resistance in Ioannina, where a good part of the Turkish forces was composed of Albanian soldiers. But the government of I. Qemali was interested that this resistance, which had drawn the attention of European public opinion, continue under the flag of Albania.
For this purpose, at the end of December, it sent to Ioannina a delegation to propose to the Turkish commander, Esat Pasha Janina, to raise the Albanian flag in the fortress, while the Albanian government, for its part, undertook to stop the mass desertion that had begun in the ranks of the Albanian army. In case the resistance in Ioannina had no possibility of continuing, the Albanian delegation was to ask the Turkish command to enter into talks with the Greek government, proposing to it as a demarcation line in the south the river Kalamas, which had been set at the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
The Turkish commander did not accept the proposals of the government of Vlora. In Gjirokastra the patriots went into action and raised the flag in the fortress of Gjirokastra. But the Mutessarif (prefect of the city), upon learning of this event, summoned to the prefecture some of the notables of the city to reprimand them for the act committed (the raising of the flag). At this meeting one of the notables of the city, to please the Mutessarif, said that this act had been carried out by some immature people, by children. This expression greatly angered Hysen Hoxha and, addressing the one who expressed this opinion and all those present, including the Mutessarif, he said: the flag was not raised by children; we raised it, because our good requires it.
After this all the participants in this meeting went outside, while the flag remained raised in the castle until March 1913, when Greece came to Gjirokastra. Meanwhile the military operations of the Balkan states made progress on the various fronts of the war. The Greek armies too made progress on their front: they occupied southeastern Albania, the region of Korça, while after the fall of Ioannina, the siege of which lasted several months, the Greek armies advanced toward Albania (southwest) and occupied, one after another, the various provinces as well as the province of Gjirokastra and the city of Gjirokastra itself on March 16, 1913.
A few days after the Greek occupation, Jorgji Kristaq Zografi, the son of Kristaq Zografi, from Qestorat, came to Gjirokastra. He immediately summoned to his office, at the Metropolis, Hysen Hoxha, as mayor, and ordered him to notify the people to gather because he would give a speech. At this meeting Jorgji Zografi, among other things, said that the regions of Korça and Gjirokastra belong to Greece and that for everything, from now on, the kingdom of Greece would take care.
This speech of Zografos greatly angered the meeting, therefore Hysen Hoxha, without taking anything into account and expressing the opinion and desire of all, rejected these claims expressed by the representative of Greece. On this occasion Jorgji Zografia threatened both the meeting and Hysen Hoxha that measures of internment would be taken against anyone who would oppose. Nevertheless the people were not frightened. The manly stance of the people of Gjirokastra forced Jorgji Zografos to notify what had happened to the authorities of Ioannina. These immediately sent Governor Foresti with a special mission.
Foresti, upon arriving in Gjirokastra, again summoned the mayor, Hysen Hoxha, and gives him a telegram in seven copies, where it was said: we the people of Gjirokastra fully declare our desire and ask to be under the protection of the Greek kingdom, and ordered him that these seven copies, after being signed, be returned again, as they would be sent to the great powers. Hysen Hoxha takes the copies of the telegram, summons at the mosque of the teqe (near the bazaar) a meeting, in which a majority of men took part. He informs the participants of the meeting. The meeting unanimously declared that they would never sign a telegram with this content.
It, on the spot, drafted another copy of a telegram, with this content: we as Albanians cannot say that we do not love Albania. This copy of the telegram, drafted by the meeting, Hysen Hoxha brought to the office of Governor Foresti. He, as soon as he read it, tore it and threw it down with great anger. Nevertheless, after a few moments, he took a softer and more courteous stance. In these moments, while he was conversing with Hysen Hoxha and in the course of the conversation he asks him this question: won’t you tell me the truth, do you love us or not?! Hysen Hoxha without being frightened at all answered him: to tell you the truth, we don’t love you at all.
At this right and courageous answer the governor became extremely enraged and ordered him to tell the people that he would burn and reduce Gjirokastra to ashes; at this moment Hysen Hoxha rises to leave and says to him: fine, do as you wish. Immediately Hysen Hoxha went and informed the people waiting at the mosque of what had happened. As a result of this resistance of the people, the Greek authorities, around the month of August, prepared a list of several dozen people from the people and interned them in Greece, in Patras.
The chauvinist and predatory aims of Greece toward our country and especially toward Southern Albania became more and more frequent and more powerful. At the end of 1913, the Great Powers recognized the borders of Albania and also took the decision that the lands occupied by foreign powers and that were found within these borders be liberated. The Great Powers notified this decision to Greece as well. The Greek government pretended, for appearance’s sake, as if it was ready to implement the said decision, i.e., to withdraw its armies from Southern Albania. It began to withdraw its armies from the region of Korça, which was taken over by the Albanian armed forces.
But for the withdrawal of the Greek army from the province of Gjirokastra, the government of Greece delayed day by day: this had the purpose of implementing its devilish tricks. At the beginning of 1914, Greece pretended to withdraw its regular forces from the province of Gjirokastra, but at the same time organized a staged movement, under the direction of the Greek government, by the Greek-minded. This movement had the purpose of creating autonomy in the province of Gjirokastra. In February 1914, in Gjirokastra, a kind of assembly was gathered, where it was decided to create the province of Gjirokastra as an autonomous place and the so-called “Autonomy of Northern Epirus” was proclaimed. / Memorie.al
Continued in the next issue
