In the National History Museum, the exhibition “The Fates of Albanians who survived Mauthausen” was opened, as part of a two-year project, an idea of the organization DMO ALBANIA (Destination Management Organization, based in Tirana) in cooperation with the National History Museum, financed by the EVZ Stiftung Foundation (“Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”) Foundation, based in Berlin. The essence of the projects financed by this foundation is to bring to memory and keep alive the testimonies and stories of those who suffered from National Socialism – Nazi Germany of the years 33-45. In her speech, the head of the DMO Albania project, Ms. Eva Kushova, said that: “This exhibition with different photos reflects the victims and their family members, recognition and suffering, which is as important as financial compensation or punishment of the guilty. They deserve to be recognized for their suffering. For Albania, this part of the story has not been told before. There have been several interviews with 1-2 survivors, but no historical facts have never been collected in such a study”.
In his speech, the Director of the National Historical Museum, Dr. Dorian Koçi emphasized the special importance of this exhibition with a very special theme and character, which exposes another not-so-known side of our memory.
The curator of the exhibition Mr. Elton Koritari appreciated this project as a step for a more in-depth chronological study, where through the display of this exhibition which comes to the Albanian public in the form of an educational section, to convey these events for the young generation. It was not in vain that the week of the Holocaust was chosen to echo the stories of the Albanians who suffered in the concentration camps.
The screenwriter and journalist Mrs. Admirina Peçi said that if the past is not well known, we do not learn lessons, and the history can be repeated at any time. Our duty is to educate the new generations as best as possible, to no longer allow a person to be denigrated in that way by another human being as happened in the World War II.
