3rd Day of Tirana workshop on youth involvement in a constructive dialogue on communism in Albania: Field tour in Tirana
Center for Comparative and International Studies, in cooperation with Center Science and Innovation for Development and Mesdheu Center, successfully organized the third day of the first workshop in Tirana in the framework of Europe for Citizen Project “Youth involvement in a constructive dialogue: Communist Past in Contemporary Western Balkan” (YOU-WB).
The third day on 11th April 2021 was organized in the form of field visit in Tirana identifying architectural, urban and social-economic development of the capital city from communism to current situation. Youth accompanied by Dr. Erida Curraj and Dr. Blerjana Bino, visited also the House of Leaves, the Museum of Secret Surveillance during communism in Albania. The House of Leaves tries to narrate to young people and to foreigners, one of the darkest periods of the country’s history. Located in the center of Tirana, in front of Orthodox Church: “The Resurrection of Christ” and near the National Bank, the building that temporarily housed Gestapo during the occupation of Albania in WWII was the Central Directorate of the Secret Service from 1944 to 1991. Young people learnt about various aspects of the communist regime while visiting the House of Leaves, but particularly on surveillance of citizens and foreigners, propaganda and special political courts.
On the overall, young people expressed their satisfaction with the workshop, the expertise of speakers, the topics discussed, the opportunity for networking and exchange of ideas and for getting to know Tirana from a different perspective.
