Albania

On 5 June 2023, the exhibition “Memory as a Mission and Dialogue Across Generations” opened at the Albanian Presidential Office. Works of students who participated in the Albanian History Competition 2023 “Ask Your Grandparents” were exhibited there for two days.

The event was initiated by First Lady, Armanda Begaj, in collaboration with the Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture (IDMC). The President of the Republic, His Excellency, Bajram Begaj, sent his greetings, while the First Lady, Armanda Begaj as well as Dr. Jonila Godole (Executive Director of IDMC), Fatmiroshe Xhemalaj (curriculum specialist in the subject of history), Vojsava Kumbulla (President of the Albanian History Teachers' Association), and the winners of the Albanian History Competition 2023 were present on site.

The Albanian History Competition 2023 invited young people aged between 14 and 19 years to look for symbolic objects with a special meaning or value to them. The objects provided inspiration for telling their family or relatives' story using three genres: visual arts, written stories (storytelling) and digital storytelling (multimedia). On 28 February 2023, the award winners were announced during the annual Albanian MEMORY DAYS 2023. More than 150 works were submitted and 10 prizes were awarded. First prize was awarded by First Lady Armanda Begaj who thanked the students and teachers for the emotions conveyed with their works, as well as for their help in making sure history is not forgotten.

German ambassador to Albania, Mr. Peter Zingraf, expressed excitement over the work of the second-place winner, saying that the research object brought to mind his father. While Katja Fausser, Managing Director of EUSTORY, encouraged all winners to apply for the EUSTORY Summit 2023.

The Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture (IDMC) has been organising the Albanian History Competition “Ask Your Grandparents” since 2016. The Albanian History Competition became an official member of the EUSTORY Network in spring 2023.