In Albania, the Holocaust is recognized; however, there is no information whether the Roma are recognized or not as victims of the Genocide.
According to the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) (Education on the Holocaust and on Anti-Semitism, page 66), the Holocaust in Albania is referred to as the “systematic and regular genocide pursued by the German Nazis against various ethnic, religious and national groups prior to and during World War II, up until 1945”. The following groups are included in references to the Genocide: Jews, Roma and Sinti, communists, immigrants, gays and lesbians, alcoholics, religious fundamentalists and German dissidents.
Albania observes 27 January as its Holocaust Memorial Day. The day is called the “Day of Commemoration” or “Day of Memory”. It was established by Law Number 9280, adopted on 23 September 2004 and proclaimed by the President of the Republic in decree number 4345, on 11 October 2004. Article 2.1 of the law sets 27 January as the commemorative date.
While the day commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, in Albania it also serves to honour those who helped protect Jews and Albanian citizens who were persecuted at the time. In addition, the Day of Memory serves to acknowledge all means of persecution of Albanians through acts such as killings, imprisonment, internment, deportation, and ethnic cleansing, and to pay tribute to all victims of collective violence, including genocide, ethnocide, and apartheid.
The law further provides that commemorative activities should be organized with the involvement of state institutions, as well as cultural and scientific bodies, and assigns the Council of Ministers the responsibility to promote and ensure the continued observance of this day in Albania.
While the Roma genocide has increasingly gained recognition at the EU level, the above-mentioned law in Albania does not explicitly recognize or acknowledge Roma as victims of the Holocaust. Practical recognition, however, began after 2010. After 2015, growing alignment with EU policy frameworks, including the adoption of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies within the national Roma and Egyptian strategies in Albania, contributed to occasional — although not official or legally binding — recognition of the Roma genocide in promotional activities led mainly by non-profit organisations. The European Parliament’s recognition of 2 August as the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day in 2015 also contributed to this process. However, practical and in-depth recognition, as well as the dissemination of information and awareness-raising, remains limited overall.
Data (camps locations, Remembrance places, measures etc.)
On 27 January, governmental institutions, national as well as the local - partake in commemorative activities in memory of the victims of the Holocaust – particularly the Jewish victims – and those who sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom against Nazism. Government officials at all levels participate in the commemorative events, including the President, the Prime Minister and other Cabinet ministers, the Chairman of the Parliament, heads of municipalities and communes as well as other officials and government employees.
Since 2014, Albania has gradually strengthened its approach to Holocaust remembrance through institutional engagement, participation in international initiatives, and an increasing number of educational and diplomatic activities, particularly around 27 January. This process was influenced by Albania’s closer alignment with European and international memory policies, growing cooperation with Israel and international Holocaust institutions, and increasing participation in global remembrance initiatives.
Unlike many European countries, Albania does not have documented Nazi-established concentration camps on its territory. This is closely linked to the country’s historical trajectory during the Second World War, during which Albania is widely recognized for not having handed over Jews or other targeted groups to Nazi authorities. Albania is also often noted as the only European country where the number of Jews increased during the war, due to the protection and refuge offered to Jews fleeing persecution. Local populations and the Popular Front of National Liberation also resisted fascist and Nazi occupation, contributing to the protection of those at risk.
In the absence of physical sites of persecution or extermination, Holocaust remembrance in Albania has been shaped primarily through institutional, educational, and commemorative measures.
In recent years, state activities organized at governmental, parliamentary, and diplomatic levels have contributed to increasing public commemoration and awareness of the Holocaust. These include official ceremonies, high-level public statements, educational initiatives involving young people, and partnerships with international organizations.
However, while the broader Holocaust narrative is increasingly recognized and commemorated at the state level, recognition of the Roma genocide at the state level remains limited and is largely addressed through civil society initiatives. This is notable given the long-standing presence of Roma communities in Albania over several centuries.
The Holocaust Memorial in Tirana: Following a decision of the Municipality of Tirana in 2013, the Holocaust Memorial in Tirana was inaugurated in July 2020 and established as the first national site dedicated to commemorating Holocaust victims and honoring Albanians who protected Jews during the Second World War. In subsequent years, it also hosted official commemorative ceremonies, reinforcing its role as a central institutional space for Holocaust remembrance in Albania.
Mural commemorating the resistance of Roma during the Holocaust: In August 2018, a mural commemorating the resistance of Roma during the Holocaust was inaugurated in Tirana as part of activities marking Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day (2 August). The initiative was supported by Roma Versitas Albania and the Municipality of Tirana and was led particularly by Klaudia Veizaj and Roxhers Lufta, with the active involvement of Roma and Egyptian students, activists, and young people. The initiative aimed to raise awareness of Roma history, promote recognition of the Roma genocide, and contribute to efforts addressing antigypsyism and discrimination. The project was supported through a public call by the Municipality of Tirana, although its implementation faced delays due to administrative obstacles and public backlash from its initial location. The mural was then moved to another address, on the wall of a communist-era building, which was not considered among the better options. The mural was created as a symbolic public space to honor victims, celebrate Roma resilience, and make their history more visible within Albanian society. Unfortunately, in 2019, the commemorative stone was vandalized. According to the available information, it was neither reported in the media nor restored.
Specialised institution, commission, research centre etc., dealing with this issue
According to the available information, there is no specialized institution, commission or research center specifically dealing with the issue of the Roma Genocide. Initiatives related to the recognition, remembrance, and commemoration of the Samudaripen in Albania have been primarily connected to Roma civil society organizations, including youth organizations. However, there have been governmental and advisory bodies addressing Roma and Egyptian minority affairs, contributing to the political representation and social inclusion of these communities in Albania, including:
Roma Technical Secretariat: It existed between 2004 and 2013 and provided support to ministries on matters related to the Roma and Egyptian communities in Albania.
Ministry of Health and Social Protection under Ogerta Manastirliu: In 2017, Mrs. Erglisa Lami was appointed as Advisor on Roma and Egyptian affairs. Her appointment followed the adoption of Law No. 96/2017 on the Protection of National Minorities in the Republic of Albania, which officially recognized the Egyptian community as a national minority in Albania
State Committee of National Minorities: A central-level advisory institution under the Prime Minister's Office, established by Law No. 96/2017 on the Protection of National Minorities in the Republic of Albania. Roma and Egyptian representatives are included among the minority representatives within the Committee, including Erion Xhaibra, serving as a member, and Sead Kazanxhiu, a Roma visual artist and activist, serving as Deputy Chair, the first Roma representative to hold this position.
Official initiatives (campaigns, actions, projects, commemoration days, museums)
8th April – International Roma Day
International Roma Day is widely recognized by public institutions in Albania. Public activities are organized annually at both local and central levels, and some events also include remembrance-related topics.
6th May – Ederlezi
Ederlezi is not widely recognized at the institutional level and is commemorated mainly through activities organized by Roma-led civil society organizations.
16th May – Romani Resistance Day
Romani Resistance Day is primarily recognized by Roma civil society organizations. During the past eight years, commemorative activities have occasionally also been organized more broadly.
Roma Active Albania NGO is a member of TernYpe – International Roma Youth network and one of the co-organisers of the project “Young Europeans Commemorating the Roma Genocide” which took place for the first time in Krakow (at Auschwitz Memorial) in August 2013. The aim of this initiative, that gathers young Roma and non-Roma from 15 European countries, is to strengthen the engagement and awareness of Roma and non-Roma youth and youth organisations on the Roma Genocide; to advocate for the recognition of the Roma Genocide and promote the remembrance on European level as well as to build a Human Rights Platform of European youth organisations to challenge stereotypes and anti-Gypsyism.
Roma Active Albania has also participated in the annual DIKH HE NA BISTER initiative by organizing groups from Albania to take part in commemorative activities at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.
In September 2023, Roma Active Albania organized the exhibition Racial Diagnosis: “Gypsy” at the National Historical Museum in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, and the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma. The exhibition was supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and aimed to address the lack of information about the Roma Genocide in Albanian history education.
Another project that involved young Roma and non-Roma participants from Albania called Pravde Jakhenca (With Open Eyes) took place from 24thJuly to 4th August 2013 in Krakow/Żywiec in Poland. 60 young Roma and non-Roma from Albania, Germany, Macedonia and Poland came together in Zywiec, Poland, to learn more about the Roma Genocide during World War II and to fight anti-Gypsyims and racism in the present.
Rromani Baxt Albania - works to maintain the culture, art, traditions, and other spiritual values of the Roma community as well as seeks to integrate the Roma more cohesively within Albanian society;
Unioni i Rromëve të Shqipërisë "Amaro-Drom" / Union of the Albanian Roma “Amaro Drom”
Roma Versitas Albania has organized and supported several initiatives related to the remembrance of the Roma Genocide and Romani Resistance. These have included public commemorative events marking 2 August and 16 May, participation in mural and public art initiatives in Tirana, and activities aimed at raising awareness of Roma history and memory among young people.
additional multimedia remembrance initiatives supported by organizations including UNDP Albania, UNFPA Albania, and the Youth Voice Network of Organizations (“Zëri i të Rinjve”).
Teaching about the Roma Genocide
Inclusion of the topic in the school curriculum
According to the OSCE (Education on the Holocaust and on Anti-Semitism, page 66), “Teaching on the Holocaust occurs chronologically throughout the history curriculum, beginning with the history of the Jews since antiquity and leading on to World War II and the foundation of Israel. Holocaust education occurs approximately at the age of 13. History schoolbooks feature a chapter on Dictatorial Regimes: Germany During the Nazi Dictatorship.” It is not known if Roma are included in these materials, although the OSCE calls for inclusion of the Roma Genocide.
The National Action Plan for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma and Egyptians (2026–2030) foresees the review and revision of curricula and textbooks in order to eliminate stereotypes and incorporate Roma and Egyptian history and culture. This may also contribute to broader inclusion of Roma history during the Second World War within educational materials.
It is not known whether the Roma Genocide is currently included in school textbooks, although the OSCE calls for its inclusion. However, the National Action Plan for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma and Egyptians (2026–2030), which foresees the review and revision of curricula and textbooks in order to incorporate Roma and Egyptian history and culture, may contribute to the future inclusion of information related to the Roma Genocide in educational materials.
History schoolbooks feature a chapter on Dictatorial Regimes: Germany During the Nazi Dictatorship.
Training of teachers and education professionals
According to the OSCE (Education on the Holocaust and on Anti-Semitism, page 66), no specific teacher training or funding is allocated for Holocaust education in and of itself. History and geography teachers receive Holocaust education as part of a broader training course run by the Institute of Pedagogical Studies. Some teachers have voluntarily undertaken courses at the Institute, for instance “Facing History and Ourselves”. Teachers receive training on how to deal with discrimination, during which the Holocaust is also discussed.
The National Action Plan for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma and Egyptians (2026–2030) also foresees the training of teachers, psychologists, and social workers on inclusive education, diversity, and antigypsyism. In addition, the Albanian School of Public Administration (ASPA) provides training modules addressing antigypsyism and racial discrimination affecting Roma and Egyptian communities. Such initiatives highlight structural and historical forms of discrimination based on race and ethnicity, including those that contributed to the persecution of Roma during the Second World War. Antigypsyism is increasingly recognized as a specific form of racism against Roma, similarly to antisemitism in relation to Jewish communities.
Particular activities undertaken at the level of education institutions
Albanian schools observe 10th December as a day devoted to “Good understanding and tolerant attitudes in schools”, following an order issued by the Minister of Education and Science in February 1998. Every 10th December, various activities focusing on Holocaust historical events are taking place in schools.
Schools and universities participate in events on 27th January through a number of activities aimed at remembrance of the Holocaust and its victims. Activities organized at schools include exhibitions of paintings and drawings, poems and essays. A common theme of all activities is “never again”. Schools focus on the importance of learning the lessons of the Holocaust and their relation to today’s crises in the world. Elementary, secondary and high school teachers seek to integrate multicultural, anti-bias and social justice themes into their lesson plans.
On 8 April, some schools in Albania, particularly in municipalities with significant Roma populations, organize educational and public activities marking International Roma Day. Such activities have taken place in municipalities including Fier, Elbasan, Vlora, and Roskovec.
Factsheet on the Roma Genocide in Albania
List of resources to download
