Ali Demi (18 January 1918 – 29 December 1943) was an Albanian hero of

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

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

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 The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...

in 1943.

Biography

He was born in Filiates, Greece. Later Ali Demi studied at the ''Lyceum'', in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and 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 overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

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 Italian forces but managed to escape and joined partisan forces. In 1943 he was killed in a battle fighting 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 The name of the fortified settlement of Kanina was atteste ...

village, near Vlora.

Aftermath

In May 1944, the

Greek People's Liberation Army Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

formed and named a mixed unit of both Greeks and

Cham Albanians Cham Albanians or Chams ( sq, Çamë; el, Τσάμηδες, ''Tsámidhes''), are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the western part of the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. ...

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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demi, Ali 1918 births 1943 deaths Albanian communists Albanian anti-fascists Cham Albanians Albanian people of World War II Albanian resistance members

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

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