Monuments, buildings, and other remnants of totalitarian regimes recall difficult past events, yet they remain integral parts of our history with valuable significance.
This is true of the Congress Hall in Përmet, a historic building where, on May 24, 1944, Albanian communist leaders began the Congress, attended by 188 delegates from across Albania. Përmet was chosen as the location for the Congress for three main reasons:
- It was the first city to be liberated.
- Its geographic position is strategically favorable
- It is the birthplace of many prominent leaders of the National Renaissance.
The Congress aimed to establish legislative and executive authorities to govern the country until the end of the war. Among the key decisions made, the most important was the commitment to build a new democratic and popular Albania, grounded in the people's will.
Many associate this Congress with the beginning of the communist regime, which is why the building was left to decay after the fall of communism. However, we need to raise awareness about the value and potential of this dissonant heritage by emphasizing its social and educational significance and opening it to the public. To support this, we organized educational visits to the Congress Hall in collaboration with history teachers.
This year, on the 80th anniversary of the Congress, we held a cultural event and organized a visit to the Congress Hall. Over 200 older Albanians attended, primarily relatives of those who participated in the original Congress. Remembering this history and sharing stories with younger generations was an essential part of the event.