Anton Harapi

Anton Harapi (5 January 1888 – 20 February 1946) was an Albanian Franciscan friar, educator, lecturer, publicist, and political figure during World War II. In the first years of the communist regime in Albania, he was executed due to collaboration with the Axis collaborator.[1]

Anton Harapi
Portrait of Anton Harapi
Born	5 January 1888 Shiroka, Ottoman Empire
Died	20 February 1946 (aged 58) Tirana, Albania
Nationality	Albanian
Education	Catholic theology
Occupation	Educator franciscan writer politician

Biography

Early life

Anton Harapi was born on January 5, 1888, in Shiroka and educated in Shkodër. He had gone to secondary school at monastic schools in Meran and Hall in Tirol by the Franciscans. He had also studied theology in Rome.[2] Anton Harapi supported and respected the diverse religious differences of Albanians, in that religion had never divided them, they saw themselves as a single blood brotherhood.[3]

From 1923 to 1931, he taught at the Franciscan college in Shkodër and was its director. Anton Harapi wrote the book titled “Andrra e pretashit” translated to Pretash’s dream. It is based on a dream by Pretash Cuka Berishaj a highlander from then village of Priften inside the mountain of Gruda, (Anton Harapi worked in the nearby Church Kisha Grudes, one of the oldest Catholic Churches in all of the Balkans). Anton Harapi was highly esteemed for his patriotism and persuasiveness. He was highly regarded throughout Albania for the depth and eloquence of his talks and for his erudition on religious topics.[4]

World war II

Members of the Albanian cabinet - from left to right: Fuat Dibra, Mihal Zallari, Mehdi Frashëri, Father Anton Harapi, Rexhep Mitrovica and Vehbi Frashëri

After the Union with Italy was officially dissolved, many of the laws passed after Italian invasion were revoked, and Albania was declared an independent state.[5] The assembly announced that Albania would be governed by a regency of four- one representative from each of Albania's four major religious communities. Albanian Catholics were represented by the prior of the Franciscans in Shkodër, Father Anton Harapi,[5] who maintained connections with both the Kosovars and the Albanian partisans. Learning of his appointment, partisan emissaries unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade him from accepting. Hermann Neubacher seemed to have developed a warm personal relationship with Harapi, in part because Harapi had received some of his education at the monastery school of Meran and Hall in Tirol.[5]

The leadership of the council was originally designed to rotate, but Anton Harapi argued that as a Catholic monk he could accept no position in which he would be forced to sanction the death penalty.[5]

Death

After the partisans declared victory in Tirana and the Germans began their withdrawal, Hermann Neubacher earnestly besought Anton Harapi to leave the country and offered him his aircraft. However, Harapi thanked him, but informed him that God had called him to be where he was and, if it were God’s will, he would die where his duties were as a priest.[2]

The communists, who were looking everywhere for him, broke into the house where he was staying, but could not find him. On departing, they noticed some dentures in a glass of water and went back to talk to the owner of the house. When they began to mistreat the fleeing owners, Harapi crawled out his hiding place and surrendered.[2]

On February 14, 1946, Father Anton Harapi, along with fellow Regency Council member Lef Nosi and former Prime Minister Maliq Bey Bushati were sentenced to death by the Military Tribunal in Tirana, accused of being quislings in the services of Italy and Germany.[6] The court was led by General Judge Irakli Bozo and the prosecution was led by Misto Treska.[7][6] The Military Court sought their execution and confiscation of their property as Axis Collaborators.[7] During the night they were taken from their prison cell to the firing squad and shot. They were buried in an unmarked grave at an unknown location on the outskirts of Tirana.[6]

References

1. Ramet, Sabrina P. (1990). Catholicism and Politics in Communist Societies. Christianity under stress. 2. Duke University Press. p. 241. ISBN 9780822310105.
2. "Hermann Neubacher, 1956: A Nazi Diplomat on Mission in Albania". Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
3. Schwartz, Stephen (2000). Kosovo: background to a war. Anthem Press. p. 78. ISBN 1898855560.
4. Murzaku, Ines Angjeli (2009). Returning Home to Rome: The Basilian Monks of Grottaferrata in Albania. ISBN 978-88-89345-04-7.
5. Fischer, Bernd Jürgen (1999). Albania at War, 1939-1945. Purdue University Press. ISBN 1-55753-141-2.
6. Pearson, Owen (2006). Albania in the Twentieth Century, A History: Volume III: Albania as Dictatorship and Democracy. I.B.Tauris Publishers. ISBN 1-84511-105-2.
7. "Persekutimi dhe ekzekutimi i Lef Nosit nga diktatura komuniste" [The persecution and execution of Lef Noso by communist dictatorship]. Observatori (in Albanian). 24 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.