Memorie.al / The former Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Pogradec district, Belul Lufo, shortly before his passing, speaks exclusively for the first time about the visit of [Franz Josef] Strauss to Pogradec and Enver Hoxha’s refusal to meet with Strauss! Rarely was he able to speak about his past as Committee Chairman, and later as the First Secretary of the District Party Committee, and for three legislatures as the Deputy of Mokra in the Assembly of Albania.
But surprisingly, the former Chairman of the Executive Committee, Belul Lufo, while drinking his morning coffee, would tell us of a worry from the time of the dictatorship, specifically about the unexpected visit of the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Franz Josef Strauss, on that hot summer day in 1984, when he came with his charter plane expressly to Pogradec to meet Enver Hoxha, who was vacationing in his residence in Pogradec.
Although 40 years have passed, Belul Lufo, the former Chairman of the Executive Committee of Pogradec at the time, keeps Strauss’s visit fresh in his mind, right from the moment he landed in his charter plane.
The Testimony of Belul Lufo
“He was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Reis Malile, and other second-tier official persons. The charter plane landed at the Pogradec city stadium around 10:00 AM, and after a short break at the ‘Enkelana’ Tourism Hotel, we learned that Strauss had come to Pogradec to meet Enver Hoxha, who was on holiday in Pogradec.
Soon after, Sulo Gradeci arrived, and we asked him to communicate with Enver Hoxha regarding a short private meeting with the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Franz Josef Strauss, as this was requested by Strauss himself. But the answer came very quickly from Enver through Sulo Gradeci that this meeting was not planned and was outside protocol, so Enver Hoxha could not receive the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Strauss.
As soon as the news was communicated that it was impossible to meet Enver Hoxha, he did not show much reaction, but we saw that he was not pleased, and he proposed that we take a walk through the city of Pogradec, as he said he wanted to get to know this pearl, which had captivated him from the airplane due to the blueness of the lake and its shores.
Together with the then Foreign Minister, Reis Malile, and some other officials, we went out onto the promenade along the lake, walking towards the city center. Strauss was amazed by the beauty of the lake and shouted: ‘Oh, this is a miracle.’ It genuinely created a pleasant atmosphere. It seemed that the bad taste left by the failure to meet Enver Hoxha was gradually fading away. We had ordered several bottles of ‘Perlë’ and ‘Muskat’ wine and raki, and the famous walnut llokume (Turkish delight) that the city’s Food Enterprise produced at the time. He particularly liked the ‘Gemc’ wine, which he started drinking like water, and we gave him the ‘Perlë’ and ‘Muskat’ raki that Enver consumed.
After two hours in Pogradec, Strauss and the accompanying Foreign Ministry group left on his plane for Gjirokastër.
Meeting Enver Hoxha
As soon as we returned to the office, I was informed that, along with the First Secretary of the Party Committee at the time, Myfit Troqia, we were to go to the villas, as Comrade Enver Hoxha requested us.
As soon as we arrived at his lakeside residence, Enver was resting beneath the birch tree, a very preferred spot for him. After we reported, as was customary whenever he called us, on the fulfillment of the plan in economic enterprises and agricultural cooperatives, and the measures we had taken for the harvest campaign, the conversation immediately shifted to Strauss.
“Well,” Enver added, “you had a German guest in the city today. Tell us, where did Strauss go during his time in Pogradec?” Meanwhile, the First Secretary of the Party Committee, Myfit Troqia, said: “Comrade Enver, Belul accompanied him and can tell us in more detail.” Suddenly, Enver turned straight to me and said:
“Hey Belul, who told you to accompany the Bavarian Prime Minister?”
I froze; I only remember saying; “But he was accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Comrade Enver.” He shook his head and fortunately switched the conversation to other issues.
“So,” Enver continued, “they are not giving us the War Reparations [the damages caused by the Second World War, which our state demanded from Germany, $1 billion]. And so,” Enver continued, having been informed in detail about Strauss’s meeting in Tiranë, “they want to give us aid and a loan of only 20 million Deutsche Marks, for us to repay over 40 years… for us to violate the Constitution, which states that Socialist Albania does not accept loans and aid from abroad.”
Meanwhile, Nexhmije [Hoxha], who was at the meeting, chimed in and said: “Comrade Enver, they cannot give us the war damages because the 1953 London Conference, between the USA, France, and England, who were the tutors of West Germany at the time, prohibited it.”
“I know, I know,” Enver cut her off coldly…!
“And it doesn’t matter,” Enver then emphasized coolly, “this was a private visit.” At that time, we had broken relations with China, and Enver was ill; this was the last summer he came to vacation in Pogradec, as the next summer of 1985 would not find him, as he died in April of ’85.
I was standing on pins and needles, afraid that the conversation about me accompanying Strauss without permission might be opened again….! But to tell the truth, Strauss, despite the warm atmosphere we created for him now and then, sadly shook his head and whispered: “Well, the meeting was not planned…?” This was the story of Strauss’s several-hour visit to Pogradec.
Who was Franz Josef Strauss?
Born on September 6, 1915. In 1949, he was elected a Member of Parliament for the Christian Social Union. From 1953–1955, he was appointed Minister of Social Affairs. In 1955, Minister of Atomic Energy. From 1956–1962, he held the post of Minister of Defense. In 1962, he was elected Chairman of the Christian Social Union. From 1966–1978, he was elected Minister of Finance. From 1978–1988, he served as the Prime Minister of Bavaria, until he passed away on October 3, 1988, after a heart attack. / Memorie.al
