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

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

. Along with Musine Kokalari Muço founded the first

social democratic Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...

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 foot ...

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 th ...

, while his uncle, Alem Tragjasi, had fought in the Vlora War. 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 continuo ...

. 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, a former gendarmerie officer from

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a 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 the Drino, at 300 metres above sea ...

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

, 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