Ydriz Basha Foundation and the National Library of Kosovo present the project “Memory of Kosovo”
Brussels, April 27 — The Ydriz Basha Foundation (YBF), a non-governmental organization based in Brussels, in collaboration with the National Library of Kosovo (BKK), today presented the results of a three-year project: a five-volume publication documenting the activity of Ydriz Basha i Novosejt in support of the efforts of the people of Kosovo for freedom and independence.
The work, titled “Memory of Kosovo: Ydriz Basha of Novosejt”, compiles selected materials from a rich digital archive of over 20,000 items, donated by the Basha family to the National Library of Kosovo in 2018.
The event was held at the premises of the Royal Library of Belgium, in the presence of representatives of diplomatic missions, members of the Albanian diaspora, representatives of Belgian cultural institutions, as well as the Mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close.
This publication is part of the “Kosovo Memory” project, published in 2022, which aims to document the often untold history of Kosovo, bringing to light the experiences and testimonies of those who have contributed to or experienced periods of oppression and injustice.
This collaboration marks the first time that the National Library of Kosovo pays special attention to the contribution of the political diaspora, appreciating not only the figure of Ydriz Basha, but also the broad commitment of the Albanian community in Europe during the difficult years of resistance.
“Our work will continue,” said Kimete Mitrovica, one of the founders of the Ydriz Basha Foundation. “We remain committed to collecting, digitizing and promoting the life stories of the Albanian diaspora, which have often been left out of the historical narrative. Our goal is, in cooperation with the BKK and other organizations, to strengthen the place of this history in the Albanian and European culture of memory.”
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to Belgium, Mr. Agron Bajrami, and the Director General of the National Library of Kosovo, Ms. Blerina Rogova Gaxha, also shared a word of opportunity. The Director invited the Albanian community in exile to cooperate in sharing archival materials with the aim of documenting and preserving historical and political memory.