Memorie.al publishes exclusively 10 unknown photos of Jewish families who, during the Second World War, lived and took refuge in Albania.
Many of these families, during the Nazi persecution (also known as the Holocaust) would be sheltered and protected by various Albanian families such as Pengili, Shpuza, Ndregjoni, Balla, Veseli, Bicaku, Nosi, Zyma, etc.
According to statistics and documents of the time, it is worth mentioning that Albanian families kept hidden about 3500 Jews, men, women, the elderly, and children in their homes.
The vast majority of these families were concentrated in the main cities of the country such as Shkodra, Kruja, Durres, Tirana, Elbasan, Korca, Berat, Fier, Vlora, and Gjirokastra.
After the end of the war, many of them would choose to flee to their country of origin, Israel, and a small part stayed in Albania. While after the fall of communism, many members of these Jewish families would return to meet and thank the Albanian “Schindlers” for the great help they gave you in one of the darkest eras of the existence of this people.