Prishtina, 5 August, 2024
Today, the winning proposal for the development of the master plan of the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex in Prekaz was presented. On this occasion, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, was invited as the main speaker.
In his introductory speech, Prime Minister Kurti said that the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex in Prekaz is the most important place of national memory, conceived as the Chamber of the Nation where we return to remember the price and roots of the freedom we enjoy today.
“We are very happy that this Master Plan will be drawn up by an international team of experts with many decades of experience. I look forward to following along with all of you the presentation of the winning proposal, with the conviction that this proposal will provide an interpretation dignified and comprehensive, for the narration of the history of the Jashari family” he said, before adding that the narration which will overcome the time barriers of our generation and the spatial barriers of our country, and the memory of the heroic deed of the Jashari family, will transform in eternity worldwide.
According to this proposal, the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex, spread over an area of 450 hectares, will take on the appearance and form of a complex historical landscape, in which visits will be journeys through the entire history of the Jasharis of Prekazi: from the genealogy to family structures; from the tradition of resistance to the culture of patriotism; from military exercises in Albania and the first siege of Shaban Jashari’s family in 1991 to the establishment of the Kosovo Liberation Army; from the first armed actions to the organizations of armed groups themselves; from the first KLA battles in Klysyra and Gjashte Lisat to the second siege on January 22, 1998; and especially from the third siege and the resistance of March 5, 6 and 7, 1998, which marked the Epic of the KLA itself, to the legacy of everything that Adem Jashari, the Jashari family and their history represents until today, for the liberation and state-building of our country from our people, the prime minister described.
“We will spare nothing to build an internationally important memorial complex, which will reflect dignified and with a high artistic level, the resistance and struggle of the people for freedom and justice, independence and union, as the figure of Adem Jashari and the Jashari family”, said the Prime Minister at the end of his speech.
Members of the Jashari family, Baca Rifat and Bekim Jashari were also present at this event, along with many members of the cabinet, the Mayor of Skenderaj, members of the Assembly, representatives of the University of Pristina, members of the Interministerial Committee and the Commission of Experts “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex.
On behalf of the Jashari family, Bekim Jashari said that the drafting of the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex project is a long-awaited step to prevent even greater damage to the towers, which once belonged to father Shaban, but as he said today are all Albanians. He said that the construction of the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex is an obligation to the thousands of visitors from the Albanian lands who visit Prekazi and return filled with pride but do not hide their great desire to see a preserved complex, a functional museum and modern and with bigger spaces to spend time with their families. Bekim Jashari added that with this complex, let us tell the world about our glorious history, testify to the righteous struggle and the new life that we have built as a democratic society, an example for states and society in the region.
The winning consortium consists of international companies Gerber Architekten Internacional from Germany, Donald Insall Associates from the United Kingdom, and Barker Langham from the United Kingdom, which have a long experience in developing projects around the world: in the field of architectural design and engineering, conservation, spatial planning, museological curation, among others.
The signed contract envisages the drafting of conceptual and implementing projects and plans, a total of 21 products, including the Master Plan for the entire Memorial Complex; Projects of Conservation and Interpretation of the Towers of Resistance, and other monuments within the complex; The curatorial program; Detailed regulatory plans; Projects for the Ammunition Factory and the Ceremonial Guard of the Kosovo Security Forces.
The work on drafting these project plans is expected to be completed within 22 months. In parallel with the drafting of the plans, the implementation of the completed projects will also begin.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Dear Jashari Family,
Dear Baca Rifat,
Dear Bekim Jashari,
Dear Deputy Prime Ministers, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz and Emilija Redzepi,
Dear Mr. Hajrulla Çeku, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports,
Dear ministers and members of our Government Cabinet,
Dear Mr. Ardian Gola, Chairman of the Committee for Education, Science, Technology, Innovation, Culture, Youth and Sports,
Dear members of the Assembly of the Republic,
Honorable Ambassador Jörn Rohde, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Kosovo,
Honorable Mr. Fadil Nura, Mayor of Skenderaj Municipality,
Dear representatives of public institutions,
Dear Deputy Ministers,
Dear representatives of the University of Pristina and other professionals,
Dear members of the Interministerial Committee and the Committee of Experts of the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex in Prekaz,
Dear managers and professionals of the companies from the winning consortium of the international competition,
Dear media workers,
Dear guests present,
ladies and gentleman,
We have gathered today for one of the most important and delicate processes of our Republic, that of the Preservation and Presentation of the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex in Prekaz.
In the Memorial Complex, in the historic Prekaz, where traces of the historical and heroic work of the Jashari family are preserved, we return again and again to remember and commemorate the price and roots of the freedom we enjoy today. We visit the historical prekaz to learn and proudly evoke the history of the Jashari family, which can be summed up in a simple patriotic symbolism, that of Shaban Jashari’s statement in January 1998: “I have only one house and I have nowhere I go from her.” “House” in our tradition does not mean only the building, but the community connected through kinship, and in a broader sense “house” means hearth or homeland. Precisely for this reason, the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex in Prekaz is the most important place of national memory, conceived as the Chamber of the Nation.
Self-sacrifice, sacrifice, self-denial of the Jashari family is the cornerstone of the liberation of our country, and moreover, they are a world example of sacrifice for freedom.
The epic of the Kosovo Liberation Army is the historical event as a universal reality.
Considering the importance of the task, with the greatest responsibility, we have taken all the steps so that this project, of preserving and presenting the memory of the Jashari family, is handled with high sensitivity and responsibility, with a professional and multi-disciplinary approach, from history, monumentality, cultural and natural landscape, to technical professional evaluation and institutionalization of collective memory.
The Interministerial Committee has taken important steps towards the implementation of the Law on the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex, which ensures the protection of the values that this country represents, starting from:
– Assessment of the physical condition and stability of the buildings within the memorial complex, by the best engineers of Kosovo, the esteemed professors of the Faculty of Construction at the University of Pristina; NEXT
– The implementation of consolidating interventions in the endangered structures within the complex, by the responsible institutions of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports, and the Agency for the Management of Memorial Complexes; then,
– Through the professional assessment and emergency interventions carried out in the complex, the security situation of the endangered buildings within the complex has improved; then, –
We have established the Committee of Experts, consisting of national and international experts, who have prepared the multi-sectoral research and the vision for the master plan of the complex; further, – On the basis of the design task drawn up by the Commission of Experts, and approved by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, in May of last year we announced the international competition for the design of the Master Plan of the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex in Prekaz;
– After a period of evaluation, where we included professionals from our public institutions and the University of Pristina, today we have the winning master plan proposal for the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex, which occupies a total area of 450 hectares in the village of Prekaz.
With increased care and patience, we have followed all the steps until now, and after signing the Contract for Drafting the Master Plan, we will continue with the relevant actions for the realization of the Plans and Projects that are part of the Master Plan. We have allocated financial resources and engaged a team of professionals, in order to ensure that the Drafting of the Master Plan is developed efficiently and according to the foreseen dynamics within the time limit.
We are very happy that this Master Plan will be drawn up by an international team of experts with many decades of experience. I look forward to following along with all of you, the presentation of the winning proposal, with the conviction that this proposal will offer a dignified and comprehensive interpretation of the story of the Jashari family. A story that will overcome the time barriers of our generation and the spatial barriers of our country, and the memory of the heroic work of the Jashari family, will transform it into eternity worldwide.
The ultimate goal of this project is that when it is completed, the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex will have the appearance and form of a complex historical landscape, in which visits will be journeys through the entire history of the Jasharis of Prekazi: from genealogy to family structures; from the tradition of resistance to the culture of patriotism; from military exercises in Albania and the first siege of Shaban Jashari’s family in 1991 to the establishment of the Kosovo Liberation Army; from the first armed actions to the organizations of armed groups themselves; from the first KLA battles in Klysyra and Gjashte Lisat to the second siege on January 22, 1998; and especially from the third siege and the resistance of March 5, 6 and 7, 1998, which marked the Epic of the KLA itself, to the legacy of everything that Adem Jashari, the Jashari family and their history represents until today, for the liberation and state-building of our country from our people.
Because everything that was sacred to the man of our nation, and our nation of man, had descended on the shoulders of Adem Jashari, to be preserved and carried until today and to the future generations that will come after us.
We will spare nothing to build an internationally important memorial complex, which will reflect dignified and with a high artistic level, the resistance and struggle of the people for freedom and justice, independence and union, as the figure of Adem deserves Jashari and the Jashari family.
Thank you!
Last modified: August 6, 2024