Skënder Muço (1904–1944) was an

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

lawyer and leader of

Balli Kombëtar The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front'') was an Albanian nationalist, Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, collaborationist, and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra a ...

, one of the most important resistance organizations in

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Along with Musine Kokalari Muço founded the first

social democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

party of Albania in 1943. In 1944 he was ambushed by German troops near

Vlorë Vlorë ( ; ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, third most populous city of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surr ...

and executed three days later.

Early life

Skënder Muço was born in

Tragjas Tragjas is a community in the Vlorë County, southwestern Albania. With 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 ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

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

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( 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 Albanian ...

, while his uncle, Alem Tragjasi, had fought in the Vlora War. Muço initially studied in San Demetrio Corone,

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

, and later graduated from the faculty of law of the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

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

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

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 A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from ...

, a former gendarmerie officer from

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

, he founded the first battalion of Balli Kombëtar in Vlorë named ''Shqiponja'' (). 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, 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, a treaty of collaboration signed by Balli Kombëtar and the National Liberation Movement. Along with Musine Kokalari Muço founded the first

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,

Lushnjë Lushnjë (; locally ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, Lushnja) is a city and municipality in west-central Albania. The municipality's population is 63,135 as of the 2023 census, in a total area of . History In January 1920, Lushnje was a provis ...

, western Albania.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muco, Skender 1904 births 1944 deaths People from Vlorë 20th-century Albanian lawyers 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