Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of the Bejleri family, originally from Libohova, Gjirokastra, where its first, Tasim Bejleri, after graduating in Economics in Istanbul, responded to Ismail Qemali’s call in November 1912 and returned. at home serving as Head of Finance in the Prefecture of Gjirokastra, etc. The engagement of Tasim Bejler’s five children to the Anti-Fascist Movement in the city of Shkodra, their home in the Zdrale neighborhood, became one of the most powerful communist bases in that city, where three Bejleri brothers and two sisters were arrested by the Germans. and one of them, Agimi, was interned in the Pristina camp. The testimony of Teuta Bejleri, for the fate of their family in the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, where while she and her sister and two brothers, Fatriu and Agim, were educated and arranged for good deeds, their elder brother, Isa, became was arrested in 1958 and sentenced to 16 years in political prison, following a rigged State Security trial and his tragic fate after his release from prison, where he died in misery abandoned by all.
“Back in October 1958, when my brother, Isa Bejleri, a former activist of the Communist Group of Korça and Shkodra, was still working as a chief accountant in one of the Commercial Consumer Enterprises in Tirana, he was notified to go to work in the city. of Shkodra. According to the order given to him by his bosses, he went to the city of Shkodra and that night he went to sleep with the people of his bride in the Kastrati family. At around two in the morning, while he was sleeping, the house was surrounded by numerous police forces of the Internal Affairs Branch, and three officers who entered by force communicated the order: “on behalf of the people you have been arrested” and handcuffed… This is how Teuta Bejleri Tare, a former employee of the Prime Minister’s Office and Chief of Staff at the Institute of Cultural Monuments, remembered the tragic story of her brother, Isa Bejler, one of the first activists of the Communist Group of Korça and Shkodra, and then arrested by the Germans, who in 1958, was arrested and suffered for 16 years in the prisons of the communist regime. But who is Isa Bejleri, what is his past and why was he arrested by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha?
Isa’s father, with Ismail Qemali
According to the testimony of Teuta Bejleri Tare, her father, Tasimi, who had graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Istanbul and had worked for some time in Izmir, returned to Albania around 1910. Tasim Bejleri had a very close family friendship with two brothers Myfit and Eqerem Bey Libohova since they were together in Turkey, and they became the reason for taking Tasim with them when they returned to Albania. After the proclamation of the Independence of Albania in November 1912, Tasim Bejleri was summoned by Ismail Qemali and appointed as Finance Officer in the Prefecture of Gjirokastra, and for that appointment, Myfit Bej Libohova became the guarantor, who took one of the Government’s portfolios. of Vlora. In this regard, Teuta Bejleri testifies: “My father, Tasimi, was a very strict man in his work with finances and for the high correctness he had shown in his duty, he was kept in the administration of Istanbul, from where he left on his own. and came to Albania in 1910. After his father was appointed head of Finance of the Gjirokastra Prefecture in the Government of Ismail Qemali, he continued to work even after the fall of that Government, as in the period of Prince Wid’s reign and after, moved from Gjirokastra to Korça and Elbasan. The father was only engaged in his profession as an economist and never interfered in the affairs of politics, which made him continue to work for a long time in the state administration, without being harassed by anyone. Even after Zog returned to power, he was appointed Director of Finance in the Prefecture of Korça and for the very correct work he did there, in 1929, King Zog appointed him to work with the same task in the Shkodra Region. After being assigned to work in Shkodra, he moved with his family to that city, as at that time his father had been married for more than ten years to our mother, Siadetin, who was from the Zhuzhuni family, one of the richest in Libohova. recalled Teuta Bejleri, the story of her father Tasimi, who after graduating in Economics in Istanbul, returned to Albania with brothers Myfit and Eqerem Bey Libohova to work in the Albanian administration that emerged from the Government of Ismail Qemali.
1937, Isai with communist groups
Isa Bejleri was born in 1919 in the small town of Libohova and was the first child of Tasim Bejleri, of three sons and two daughters (Isai, Fatriu, Agimi, Musaveri, and Teuta). After attending the Korça High School for several years, with the transfer of his family, Isai continued his high school education in Shkodra together with his two younger brothers, Fatri (1923) and Agim (1927), and his two sisters, Musaveri and Teuta. enrolled and continued teaching at the Franciscan College. Regarding Isa’s activity in that city, his sister Teuta testified: “Ever since he was in the high school banks, Isa has been connected with the Communist Group of Shkodra, which at that time was led by Zef Mala. Since he was a child in the city of Korça, he kept Isa behind him, Zai Fundo, who often gave him communist literature to distribute to his friends. After graduating from high school in Shkodra, Isa had the right to pursue higher education in Italy, but seeing the difficult economic situation of the family, he asked his father to put him to work, in order to help with some income. that would win. His father did not break it and arranged for him to work as an assistant to lawyer Ferdi Kumbaro, with whose family we had a close friendship because they were also from Libohova. At that time in the city of Shkodra, there were several other Libohovite families, such as that of Mustafa Pipë, Ferdi Kumbaros, Rexhep Bakos and Muntaz Shehu, with whom we had close friendships. After the death of my father in 1933, our family was able to make a living from the wealth our mother inherited from her family, Zhuzhuni, where only from the sale of a manor, they had received 30 kg of gold “, Teuta recalled, that period when her family was in the city of Shkodra, where Isai joined the Communist Group led by Zef Mala.
Arrested by the Germans
During the fascist occupation, the three Bejler brothers and their sister Teuta became closely associated with the Anti-Fascist Movement, and their home became one of the most powerful communist bases. In this regard, Teuta Bejleri testified: “Our big house there in the Zdrale neighborhood (we rented it to the Mema family), became one of the most powerful bases of the Movement and during the war years, many of the main comrades took refuge there. of Shkodra Region, such as Qamil Gavoçi, Bilal Parruca, Kristo Themelko, Vasil Shanto, etc. Around 1943, our house caught the eye of the Germans, who, in addition to sheltering the main comrades of the District, also held various meetings. After the Germans had accurate information that our house had become a strong communist base, they came and arrested me, along with my three brothers, Isa, Fatri, and Agim. Also, at that time, in addition to us, our cousin, Nezaqet Bejleri (Sefedin’s daughter) was arrested. While we were arrested, our mother, Siadeti, informed our cousin, Eqerem Telhaj, who was in Tirana at the time. on duty in the Supreme State Council. Eqeremi came to Shkodra and after intervening with the Germans, they released me, Fatriu and Isain, while Agimi was interned in the Prishtina Camp, from where he was later released and went partisan to the 18th Assault Brigade. Although Isai had been an activist with communist groups since he was in Korça with Zai Fundon, and also in Shkodra with Zef Malë, he never became a member of the Communist Party like me, Fatriu and Agimi. Isai was very liberal and he had a special admiration for the nationalists and for that he was greatly influenced by the friendship he had with Myzafer Pipë and Ferdi Kumbaron. During the war years, Isai often came to Tirana and went to meet Mit’hat Frashëri in his bookstore, for whom he had a special sympathy. During the time that Isai connected with Mit’hat Frashëri, he also went and met with Musine Kokalar and her two brothers Vesim and Muntazi, with whom we had an affair “, Teuta Bejleri recalls regarding her arrest and the three brothers by the Germans. As well as Isa’s close friendship with the nationalists.
Isa’s arrest, 20 years in prison
After the end of the war, the Beyler family had a very good relationship with the communist regime, as it had been the main base during the war. Regarding this, Teuta testifies: “Based on the contribution that we as a family made to the War, we were rewarded. After working for some time in the Prime Minister’s Office, I later worked as Chief of Staff at the Institute of Cultural Monuments. While Agimi, who had been interned in the German Camp of Prishtina, went to study in Prague, where after graduating in Thermal Engineering in 1951, he returned to Albania and worked in the Ministry of Industry and as a lecturer at the University of Tirana. Likewise, the other brother Fatriu, after graduating from the Institute of Language and Literature, worked for a long time as a journalist at ATSH, “Zeri I Popullit”, “Bashkimi” and in the magazine “Shqipëria e Re”. While Isai, who was his older brother, after the end of the war, stayed in Shkodra, where he worked as a chief accountant in Consum. In 1945, Isai and Ferdi Kumbaron continued to maintain close ties with Myzafer Pipa, who emerged as a defense lawyer for those considered “war criminals.” After the arrest of Myzafer, who died at the inquest, Isai came to Tirana and worked as a chief accountant in a commercial enterprise until 1958, when his tragedy, which followed him until the end of his life, began… In October 1958, Isa was notified to go to work in the city of Shkodra, and by order, he went to that city and that night went to sleep in the house of his wife’s men, at the Kastrati family, which is very large. known. On the evening of October 9, while he was sleeping in that family, from two o’clock in the morning the house was surrounded by numerous police forces of the Internal Affairs Branch and three officers who entered with a great noise, handcuffed him by communicating ” You have been arrested on behalf of the people. ” During the investigation, Isa was accused of having fled to Shkodra to escape, and in the trial that took place in Tirana, a false witness was brought to him (Shkodra) who testified that Isa had given him a lot of money to help him. to cross the border. Isa had never even thought of escaping because he had a wife and four daughters, but that scenario was staged by a former friend of his, whom we had kept at home during the war… The main reason for his arrest was that the communist regime did not forgive Isa for the close friendship he had with Myzafer Pipa and other nationalist leaders. Concerned about the lengthy investigation, Isai pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying he had never loved communism. After that, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison and after suffering 16 years in various camps, he was released in 1974 and lived alone in a basement of Tirana, working as a porter at the railway station “, Teuta Bejleri Tare recalled in tears. , for Brother Isa, a former communist activist who died in deep misery alone in 1979, abandoned by all after the regime declared him an “enemy of the people”.
Bejleri family saga, one of the richest in Libohova, graduated in Istanbul
The Bejleri family, who are originally from Libohova in Gjirokastra, has been known as one of the richest families in that town in the South of Albania, after the beys of Libohova, who kept the name of their village. Following in the footsteps of the Bejleri tribe, Tefik Bejleri (Isa’s grandfather), who had studied in the capital of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, where he graduated in law and later served as a judge in Istanbul, was recognized by its ancestors. and Ioannina. Tefik, had two daughters and two sons: Abedin and Tahsim. The eldest son, Abedini, after studying at Istanbul University at the Faculty of Economics, was appointed to the Ottoman state administration and worked for a long time in the Customs system. Abedini was married to a girl from his village, Libohova, and he never returned to Albania but lived in Izmir, where he died in 1956. Tefik’s other son, Tahsimi (Isa’s father), after graduating high school “Zosimea” high school in Ioannina, won a study right and attended classes at the Faculty of Economics of Istanbul University. After graduating, he worked for some time in the state administration of the High Gate as a financier in the Customs system, in the city of Izmir and in Istanbul. One of Tefik’s daughters got married in Vlora to her family, Telhaj, and from that marriage, she gave birth to a son named Eqerem, who graduated in Italy from the Military Academy in Modena. After graduation, Eqeremi returned to Albania and served for some time as Prefect of Shkodra, while during the period of occupation of the country (1939-1944), he came to Tirana where he was elected to the High Council of State. Eqeremi left Albania in November 1944, together with some of the main exponents of nationalist organizations, Balli Kombëtar and Legaliteti, and settled in Italy where he lived until 1999. Tefik’s other daughter was married in Delvinë to Jaho Çininë, the suckling of one of the largest families in the South. of Albania. She lived in that family for only a few years, after the death of her husband, she returned to her family in Libohova and never married again.Memorie.al
