Branko Kadia, Jordan Misja and Perlat Rexhepi explained

Branko Kadija
Birth Date:1921
Birth Place:Shkodër
Death Date:June 22, 1942
Death Place:Shkodër
Nationality:Montenegrin/Albanian
Occupation:student, Albanian resistance in World War II
Party:Communist Party of Albania
Awards: Hero of the People
Jordan Misja
Birth Date:1913
Birth Place:Shkodër
Death Date:June 22, 1942
Death Place:Shkodër
Nationality:Albanian
Occupation:student, painter, Albanian resistance in World War II
Party:Communist Party of Albania
Awards: Hero of the People
Perlat Rexhepi
Birth Date:25 October 1919
Birth Place:Vajzë, Vlorë
Death Place:Shkodër
Nationality:Albanian
Occupation:student, Albanian resistance in World War II
Party:Communist Party of Albania
Awards: Hero of the People

Background

On 22 June 1942, the Albanian student trio of Branko Kadija, Jordan Misja, and Perlat Rexhepi, who stayed in Misja's house at Firaj Street in Shkodër (at the time part of the fascist Italian protectorate of the Albanian Kingdom), were for several hours surrounded by Albanian (fascist) forces and police, numbering some 600 people. The three young friends were members of the Communist Party of Albania, which was established on 8 November 1941 and had begun with smaller detachments of 5-10 people which engaged in various acts of sabotage to the Italian forces, including antifascist propaganda in order to gain support of the masses.[1] After an air bombardment,[2] they rushed out of the house and managed to kill many of the quisling soldiers, but were shot down and instantly killed.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] The three were proclaimed People's Heroes of Albania for their act,[6] [7] and they are collectively known as the Three Heroes of Shkodër (Albanian: Tre heronjtë e Shkodrës).

Jordan Misja was a painter.[4] Kadija and Misja belonged to the Orthodox community of Shkodër, which at that time there were a few families, which all belonged to the same social level.[8]

Legacy

The "Perlat Rexhepi" partisan battalion from Shkodër operated in the Gjakovë highlands in 1943, and assisted the conference of Albanian and Yugoslav communists in the same year.[9]

Several schools, streets and other buildings have been named after the three individuals.

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Albania at war, 1939-1945 Bernd Jürgen Fischer Edition illustrated Publisher C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1999, p. 127
  2. Opat 1969, p. 310: "Perlat Redžepi, Branko Kadija a Jordan Misja — v obklíčení oddílům karabiniérů a fašistické milice. Dům. ve kterém se bránili, byl dobyt teprve po leteckém bombardování."
  3. Pearson 2006, p. 198: "In Shkoder three students, Perlat Rexhepi, Branko Kadia, and Jordan Misja, were surrounded in a house by a large force of troops and police. They rushed out of the house, killing many of the besiegers, but were shot down and died instantly"
  4. New Albania 1971, p. 5: "The news spread like wildfire that hundreds of fascists had surrounded painter Jordan Misja's house on Firaj Street. Inside were Jordan and two clandestine comrades: Perlat Rexhep and Branko Kadia. Hundreds of fascists were deployed to ..."
  5. Maksutovici 1995: "Baricadaţi într-o casă, tinerii Perlat Regepi, Branko Kadia şi Jordan Misja au rezistat în mod eroic atacului a peste 600 de carabinieri, agenţi de poliţie şi miliţieni fascişti."
  6. Frasheri 1964, p. 285
  7. Hoxha 1984, pp. 173-174
  8. Pipa 1978, p. 156
  9. Pearson 2006, p. 315