|
In the August of this year Albanian culture suffered a great loss: one of its living representatives, Professor Arshi Pipa, died. He was born 77 years ago honoured family of Libohova origin, he fulfilled his high studies in Shkodra Gymnasium and his higher ones in the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Florence (Italy), he was a poet, literary critic and editor already when only 20 years old. He was distinguished as one of the most outstanding intellectuals in th 1940s in Albania. After communists seized power in 1944 he was arrested and tortured by them in Durres prison, in Burrel, and even in the dungeons of Argirocastro castle. In 1957, he emigrated to save himself from Communist persecution. In emigration, he denounced Communist genocide in Albania, with a rare bravery and courage, and especially the organized crime against Albanian western educated intelligensia, and the hysterical massacre of Albanian Cathol Clergy. He devoted himself to teaching, and became Professor in some of the mo distinguished of U.S. universities, but his choice was always the Albanian culture with his literary works: "Boatmen" (Tirana, 1944), "The book of the Prison" (Munich, 1966), "Rusha" (Munich 1966), "Meridian" (Munich, 1969); his works in literary critics and studies "Montale and Dante" (Minneapolis, 1968, Catania, 1974), "Hyeronimus de Rada" (Munich, 1978), "Albanian literature: Social Perspectives" (Munich, 1978), "Contemporary Albanian Literature" (Colorado, 1991); also works on linguistics and folklore: "Albanian Folk Verse: Structure Genre" (Munich, 1978), "The politics of Language in Socialist Albania" (Colorado, 1989) and politological studies: "Studies on Kosova prepared for publication by A. Pipa" (Colorado, 1984) and "Albanian Stalinism, Ideo-Politic Aspects" (Colorado, 1990); he also published for some years the most eminent journal of the time on the Albanian question, "Albanica". + While writing those lines, we cannot mention, with indignation, the stand adopted by official Albanian pseudointelligentsia. The so-called Albanian "academicians", in fact nominated by E. Hoxha and R. Alia, did not care. They cannot pardon the great Pipa his merciless critic against their incompetence and intellectual treachery. The editors of "Hylli i Drites", expressing their deeply felt grief for the loss of one of its most honorable collaborators, is firmly convinced that his work will live effective Albanian culture. (SOI : HiD: S. 148f.)
|
