Enver Hoxha’s grave
Visiting Enver Hoxha’s grave in Tirana
After his death on 11th April 1985 Enver Hoxha was buried next to the Mother Albania statue in the Martyr’s Cemetery overlooking Tirana. However, the counter-revolution that took place in 1990 allowed his political enemies to take their revenge by denying him a place of honour in the country’s history and he was reburied in the main public cemetery of the city.
To get there take the bus to Kombinat, an orange and always crowded bus, from the top end of Rruga Kavajes, the road that leads away from Skënderbeu Square in a westerly direction. Cost of the fare is 40 leke.
Stay on the bus until it arrives at the terminus. This is the main square of Kombinat. During Socialism, in this square, standing atop a large plinth, was the statue of Joseph Stalin – which now stands in less grandeur behind the National Art Gallery in Tirana. Across the square from where the bus drops you is the entrance of the now abandoned and partially destroyed textile factory, which bore Stalin’s name and provided not only work for the vast majority of the population of Kombinat but also its name – kombinat means factory in Albanian.
Go back to the main road and follow the direction the bus had brought you, i.e., with Tirana at your back, and walk for about ten minutes to arrive at a narrow road that leads off the main road, slightly uphill, to the left. This junction is opposite a petrol station and there are flower shops as well as stone engravers workshops plainly visible. Continue along this road for a few minutes until it turns to the right and in less than 50 metres go through the gate on the left. There are always flower sellers on either side of this gate.
Once through the gates take the path to the left and then the first path, heading up hill, to the right. When you see a sign with ‘Parcela 6’ on your right you know you are getting close. Look for the back of the doubled-headed eagle symbol, ubiquitous throughout Albania, and that’s where Enver‘s remains currently reside. If you arrive at the same level as a second caged grave (presumably the relatives were afraid s/he would escape otherwise) you have gone too far.
It’s a modest grave, two in from the path, of red marble and the only inscription being his name and dates (1908-1985), surmounted by a small star. At the head there are two pillars which support a black metal, double-headed eagle. There are always flowers on the stone, a mixture of real and artificial.
Enver‘s remains were moved to the public cemetery in Kombinat in April 1992 from its location in the Martyrs’ Cemetery that looks down on the city of Tirana, in the north-west of the city, beside the road to Elbasin.
Even in its original setting the grave wasn’t ostentatious. It was a bigger piece of marble but the inscription was no different. What made it special was its location, the Martyr’s Cemetery being the place of honour for those who died in the fight against fascism during the Second World War. This was just a spiteful, political move by those opposed to Socialism as has been demonstrated by the installation of a pro-fascist monument to the right of the Mother Albania statue.
The original tomb stone was later used as the principle monument to the English military who died fighting in Albania during the Second World War. The English Cemetery is in Tirana Park just behind the main Tirana University Building.
Because the British had supplied the Communist Partisans with weapons after the victory over Nazism they thought they had the right to determine what should happen in Albania after liberation. British activities in the aftermath of the war continued until the fall of the Socialist system in 1990, beginning with the infamous ‘Corfu Incident’.
To read Enver Hoxha’s son’s (Ilir) account of the exhumation click here.
Or to read that account as a Word document Lilo Hoxha on his father’s, Enver Hoxha, exhumation.
Enver Hoxha’s Grave October 2014
The above picture was taken a few days after the celebration of Enver Hoxha’s birth, which falls on October 16th.
Fabulous detailed info Michael. Thank you. We visited Martyrs cemetery on the anniversary of the slain student and were fortunate to meet his cousin and friend at the graveside.
We later went to Hoxhe new grave. The road you turn off is 10.minites walk from the end of the bus line, and continues in the direction the bus was travelling (the part of your text where you said to keep on the returning bus and continue walking was ambiguous: it was not clear if you should walk on the return direction or continuing out if town direction).
Excellent information all round though. Thankyou for taking the time to post.
Thanks for your comment Tina. I’ve altered the text, and updated the bus fare, so hope that has done away with any ambiguity. Sorry for any confusion caused. Hope you’re enjoying your time in Albania.
You guys have no idea how a communist system works. Check all those countries/empires took the idea of Marx and Lenin and see how they end up. Human history could have save millions of life without communism. Arguing? Have a year in North-Korea and you change your mind…
As you’ve spent a year in the DPRK (because surely you must have if not why would you make such a crass and meaningless comment) I will welcome any comments you might make on my considerably shorter but more recent visit
Hoxha was amazing
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May he rest in hell. History has never seen such a disgusting leader, killing his own people, forbidding religion, blowing up churches. I hope someone blows up his tomb and erase him from history. Screw all of you crackhead supporters.
You anticommunist pig may be payed by the state and the NATO you imperialist peace of garbage. But you believing in lovely god, instead using your brain.
Visiting Shok Enver’s grave is on my bucket list. (For those of you for whom English isn’t your native language, one’s “bucket list” is slang for places one wishes to visit before s/he “kicks the bucket” (dies).
Rrofte Shoku Enver Hoxha!
Dear Michael,
today, we celebrate the 28th anniversary of comrade Enver Hoxha’s death. Comrade Enver’s legacy is immortal. He, just like all other Classics, will live forever on the minds and hearts of every worker and of every communist.
Comrade Enver was, after the death of comrade Stalin, the greatest anti-revisionist of the world. He was engaged in a fierce battle against all kinds of revisionists, from Titoism to Maoism, and while Enver was alive, socialist Albania remained proudly victorious against all anti-communist enemies. After comrade Stalin’s death and Khrushchev’s ascension to power, while other false “communist” countries were contesting among each other to see who would be the quickest to erase even the most superficial traces of Stalinist principles and to openly assume their character of bourgeois-revisionist class tyrannies, comrade Enver’s socialist Albania invariably refused to give up Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist principles. And in the end, it triumphed. Comrade Enver’s tiny socialist Albania, a country which in 1945 was totally destroyed by imperialist war, was able to transform itself into a completely independent and developed agro-industrial country and to defeat the almighty Soviet and Chinese social-imperialists on its own while being always ready to denounce the lies and trickeries of opportunists and anti-socialists of all hues. It also showed the world that socialism is not only a possibility, but moreover an inevitable historical necessity; that all the evils, oppression, exploitation, slavery, etc. that capitalism-imperialism brings upon world workers can be and will certainly be overcome.
Comrade Enver and the other Albanian Marxist-Leninists were true examples of proletarian strength, revolutionary temerity and communist fierceness. During almost 40 years, Albanian working class led by comrade Enver’s PLA confirmed again (after comrade Lenin’s and Stalin’s Soviet Union) that capitalism, imperialism and revisionism are not inevitable and that authentic proletarian dictatorship and authentic socialist and communist construction are unbeatable.
Today, the Comintern (SH) is the only true defender not only of comrade Enver, but also of all other Classics, as it is impossible to support one of the Classics without equally supporting also all others without exception. Based on the invincible teachings of the 5 Classics of Marxism-Leninism, we march resolutely towards world socialist revolution, towards world proletarian dictatorship, towards world socialism and world communism.
Long live comrade Enver Hoxha, the 5th Classic of Marxism-Leninism!
Long live the 5 Classics of Marxism-Leninism!
Long live comrade Enver’s socialist Albania!
Long live world socialist revolution and world proletarian dictatorship!
Long live world socialism and world communism!
Long live the Comintern (SH)!
Dear comrade Michael!
Many thanks for your work! We give up hope of that, as further please us with new revolutionary materials. The Georgian section of Comintern (SH) will be always glad to co-operate with you in any questions which will help approach and a fulfilment of the World Socialist Revolution!
Activity of 5 Classics of Marxism, activity of the 5th Classic of Marxism – comrade Enver Hoxha – immortal!
With revolutionary regards,
The Georgian section of Comintern (SH)
Hello Michael !
Great photos ! Congratulation !
We placed your website here:
http://ciml.250x.com/archive/hoxha/onhoxha.html
thanking you for your contribution.
The legacy of Comrade Enver Hoxha is indelible !
with grateful greetings
Wolfgang Eggers
Comintern (SH)
6. 1. 2013
Hello Michael!
We thank you for photos of the grave of Enver Hoxha and your reportage.
Your photos and the link to your site are placed on site http://www.enverhoxha.ru here: http://www.enverhoxha.ru/enver_hoxha_questions_answers_2.htm
Enverhoxha. RU