Albania’s Remarkable Rescue Of Jews During World War II

When the Germans occupied Albania in 1943, they issued orders for the population to turn over lists of Jews residing within the country’s borders. However, in an extraordinary act of bravery, the Albanian population refused to comply with these orders. The various governmental agencies provided many Jewish families with fake documentation that allowed them to blend in with the rest of the population.

The Albanians not only protected their Jewish citizens, but also provided sanctuary to Jewish refugees who had arrived in Albania when it was still under Italian rule. These refugees found themselves faced with the danger of deportation to concentration camps, but the Albanians went out of their way to provide assistance, competing with each other for the privilege of saving Jews.

This remarkable assistance was grounded in BESA, a code of honor that still serves as the highest ethical code in the country. BESA literally means “to keep the promise,” and those who act according to BESA are those who keep their word and can be trusted with the lives of others. The Albanians acted with compassion, loving-kindness, and a desire to help those in need, even those of another faith or origin.