Ali Demi (18 January 1918 – 29 December 1943) 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 ...

hero of

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 ...

and a communist. He was killed in battle fighting German forces in Vlora,

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 ...

in 1943.

Biography

He was born in

Filiates Filiates (; ) is a town and a Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Thesprotia, Greece. It is located in the northernmost part of the regional unit, bordering western Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and southern ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

( Çamëria), to a Cham Albanian family. Later Ali Demi studied at the ''Lyceum'', in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

and in 1939 he participated in antifascist demonstrations. He was also one of the founders of the Communist party of Albania. He was sentenced to death by the Italian forces but he managed to escape and join the partisans. In 1943, Demi was killed in a battle against German forces in

Kaninë Kaninë is a settlement in the Vlorë County, southwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë. It is home to the Kaninë Castle. Name According to one theory, a fort which Procopius identifies ...

village, near Vlora.

Aftermath

In May 1944, the Greek People's Liberation Army formed and named a mixed unit of both Greeks and

Cham Albanians Cham Albanians or Chams (; , ), are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the western part of the region of Epirus in southwestern Albania and northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. The Chams have their ow ...

in his honor, the IV "Ali Demi" battalion of 15th regiment."...in May 1944 ”a mixed battalion of the Cham minority that was formed within ELAS-fighting units under the command of the 15th regiment in the village of Kastanjë”, was named “Ali Demi” and comprised in the time of its formation 460 men..." Kretsi, Georgia: Verfolgung und Gedächtnis in Albanien: Eine Analyse postsozialistischer Erinnerungsstrategien, Ali Demi Street and Ali Demi (neighborhood) in

, are named after him. There is a statue of Ali Demi in Tirana stating on it “ ALI DEMI HERO I POPULLIT” - in English “ Ali Demi hero of the people”.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demi, Ali 1918 births 1943 deaths Albanian communists Albanian anti-fascists Cham Albanian people Albanian resistance members

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany Heroes of Albania Qemal Stafa High School alumni People from Filiates Greek emigrants Immigrants to Albania