TIRANA, Nov. 3 – An online exhibition and related book are now available with photos from Alfred Diebold and essays by Alison Reilly and Bruce Williams as part of the Albania Memory Project, which looks at Albanian communist-era military installations from today’s perspective. The digital exhibition takes place as part of the 2021 German October in Albania and is supported by the German Embassy in Tirana.
Dr. Alfred Diebold writes in the exhibition’s introduction:
“There are many stories and rumors about what happened in Albania during the time of the communist regime under Enver Hoxha, especially regarding military installations, which were partly built by forced labour.
There are places in Albania, which have never been open to the public. These places have been under the command of the ministry of defence. They give witness to how Albania was prepared to defend itself against the neighbouring countries and NATO. A few soldiers are protecting these installations today even though they are of no use anymore.
There were times, when the air force had hundreds of pilots for its sophisticated fighter planes. Russian made submarines were based in Pasha Lima and Porto Palermo.
The two essays in the book/exhibition reflect on the communist period during which Albania had for some time friends in Russia and China and felt enemies around its borders namely Yugoslavia.
The places shown and described in the book/exhibition want to give witness from today’s perspective. The places and the people who served there should not be forgotten.”
The full digital exhibition is available here:
https://ausstellungen.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/remains-of-paranoia/
