Skënder Muço (1904–1944) was an Albanian lawyer and leader of

Balli Kombëtar The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front''), known as Balli, was an Albanian nationalist, collaborationist and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and by Midhat Frashëri. The move ...

, one of the most important resistance organizations in

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Along with

Musine Kokalari Musine Kokalari (10 February 1917 – 14 August 1983) was an Albanian prose writer and politician in Albania's pre-communist period. She was the founder of the Social-Democratic Party of Albania in 1943. Kokalari was the first published female wr ...

Muço founded the first social democratic party of Albania in 1943. In 1944 he was ambushed by German troops near

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foo ...

and executed three days later.

Early life

Skënder Muço was born in

Tragjas Tragjas is a community in the Vlorë County, southwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë. History The village has been inhabited since ancient times where the ruins of the city of Sofa are lo ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, in 1904. His father, Daut, was an activist of the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

, while his uncle, Alem Tragjasi, had fought in the

Vlora War The Vlora War or the War of 1920 ( sq, Lufta e Vlorës or ''Lufta e Njëzetës''; it, Guerra di Valona) was a series of battles between Italian forces garrisoned throughout the Vlorë region of Albania (an Italian protectorate) and Albanian nati ...

. Muço initially studied in

San Demetrio Corone San Demetrio Corone (Arbëreshë: ''Shën Mitri'') is a town and municipality in the Calabria region of Italy, at an altitude of 521 meters and with 3,387 inhabitants. The town is among the most important cultural centers of the Albanian communit ...

, Calabria, and later graduated from the faculty of law of the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continu ...

. In 1932 he was arrested and sentenced to death because of his participation in the nationalist and anti-monarchist organization ''Lëvizja e Vlorës'' ( en, Vlora Movement), but his sentence was eventually reduced after public pressure on the government. When Albania was occupied by

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

he took part in the protests of Vlorë on April 7, 1939.

World War II

During

Skënder Muço joined the ranks of

, one of the most important resistance organizations in Albania. At the end of November 1942, along with

Hysni Lepenica Hysni is an Albanian masculine given name and may refer to: * Hysni Curri (died 1925), Kosovar-Albanian military figure and revolutionary *Hysni Kapo (1915–1979), Albanian military commander and politician *Hysni Krasniqi Hysni Krasniqi (bor ...

, a former gendarmerie officer from

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and th ...

, he founded the first battalion of Balli Kombëtar in Vlorë named ''Shqiponja'' ( en, Eagle). Muço also became head of Balli Kombëtar in the Vlorë region and a member of the organization's council. As commanders of ''Shqiponja'' Muço and Lepenica confronted many times the Italian and later Germans troops. One of the most important of those battles was the

battle of Gjorm The Battle of Gjorm ( sq, Beteja e Gjormit) was a battle of the Albanian Resistance of World War II against the Kingdom of Italy. The battle took place on January 1–2, 1943, in the areas of Gjorm, Vranisht, Dukat, Tragjas and Tërbaç in so ...

, in which Balli Kombëtar inflicted heavy losses on the Italian army. In 1943 he was one of the representatives of Balli Kombëtar in the

Mukje Agreement The Mukje Conference was held on 1–3 August 1943 in Mukaj (near Krujë in Central Albania). There was signed the Mukje agreement, a treaty between the nationalist Balli Kombëtar and the National Liberation Movement representatives. The aim ...

, a treaty of collaboration signed by Balli Kombëtar and the National Liberation Movement. Along with

Muço founded the first social democratic party of Albania in 1943-4 as a faction of Balli Kombëtar. On 21 November 1943 he wrote and published a pamphlet labeling the German troops and their Albanian collaborators as the ''barbaric enemy''. On 7 August 1944 he was ambushed and captured by German troops while going to Vlorë with two other Ballists, Yzeir Ismaili and Zako Mezi. He was executed three days later in

Bubullimë Bubullimë is a village and a former municipality in the Fier County, western Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Lushnjë. The population at the 2011 census was 5,548. Notable people * Method ...

Lushnjë Lushnjë (; in Lushnje's own dialect: ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, Lushnja) is a city and Municipalities of Albania, municipality in west-central Albania. It is located in the County of Fier. The total population is 83,659 (2011 census), in a to ...

, western Albania.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muco, Skender 1904 births 1944 deaths People from Vlorë 20th-century Albanian lawyers Albanian people of World War II Albanian military personnel Albanian resistance members Military history of Albania during World War II Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany Balli Kombëtar Albanian people executed by Nazi Germany Albanian social democrats