Albania is opening a museum to commemorate the actions of its citizens who rescued and sheltered Jews during the Holocaust.
The “Besa” museum – meaning “word of honor” in Albanian – will open in capital city Tirana. It will be based in the House of Toptans, a historic building that is a designated cultural heritage monument, the UK Jewish News reported.
The creation of the museum was announced by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama at a Jerusalem gala honoring Albanian “Righteous Among the Nations.”
The Albanian Ministry of Culture opened up the museum’s architectural design to a competition, funded by Israeli philanthropist Alexander Mashkevitch.
“I am humbled to be a part of this important project that will memorialize the bravery of Albanians who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust,” he said.
Rama described it as a “very important moment in Tirana’s history, urban development, and architecture."
"I believe that we will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief from a long-standing burden of obligation in relation to our children and visitors to our country, which is related to perhaps the most glorious page of Albanian history, the rescue of Jews during World War II,” he said.
Albanian Minister of Culture Elva Margariti said: “The rescue of the Jews during World War II is one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the Albanians. Christians and Muslims sacrificed everything to protect them. For Albanians this is ‘besa‘; it is a value that we will pass on to our children, telling them this extraordinary story. The Besa Museum will be a bridge of communication between generations; a dialogue space for sharing the best values of our peoples.”