Kryeziu Brothers

First row from right to left: Seit Kryeziu, Hasan Kryeziu, Llazar Fundo, Gani Kryeziu

Kryeziu Brothers were Ceno Bey, Gani Bey, Said Bey, Ali, Rada, and Hasan Bey Kryeziu from Gjakova region in Kosovo.[1]

Biography

Kryeziu family was a very powerful and influential in Gjakova, Kosovo and other parts of Dukagjin during 19th and 20th century. They were part of the Ottoman cast. Riza Bey Kryeziu was active during the Albanian Revolt of 1912. He was one of the organizers of the League of Junik and activist of Albanian national movements of early 20th century.[2][3]

His sons, Gani, Ceno, Hasan, and Said, were influential during early and mid 20th century in southern Kosovo and north Albania. At a short notice they were able to gather men and logistics for constructing guerrillas.[4]

Ceno Bey became the brother-in-law of Ahmet Zogu. He was the first widely accepted Yugoslav spy in Albanian political leadership.[5] Because of the pro-Italian orientation of King Zog I, the Yugoslav authorities pinpointed Ceno as a near replacement for Ahmet Zogu, who became aware of the connection between Ceno and the Yugoslavs and paid one of his agents to assassinate him in Prague in 1927.[6][7]

The other three brothers were less famous than Ceno until World War II, but still very influential. They became the leaders of the partisan anti-communist guerrillas in Albania, fighting against the Italians, then Germans, and the strong communist fraction of the National Liberation Movement. During this time they kept strong relationship with Yugoslav secret services and Allied Headquarters, and collaborated with American and British officers.[8][9][10] Enver Hoxha called them later in disdain "British and Yugoslav agents".[11]

See also

References

  1. Mithat Q. Begolli (2012), Gani Perolli, ed., KRYEZINJTË E GJAKOVËS, p. 235-236, ASIN B009AOPND6, ISBN 978-1304127679
  2. "History of Albanian People" Albanian Academy of Science.ISBN 99927-1-623-1
  3. Hasan Bey Prishtina (1921), Nji shkurtim kujtimesh mbi kryengritjen shqiptare të vjetit 1912 [Brief Memoir on the Albanian Uprising of 1912], Elsie, Robert, retrieved 2013-10-14
  4. Durime P. Zherka (December 9, 2008), The Price of Life: Memories from a Long Lasting Grief, AuthorHouse, p. 10, ISBN 978-1438917665, retrieved 2013-10-12
  5. 50 agjentet sekrete me te famshem shqiptare [Top 50 famous Albanian secret agents] (in Albanian), shqiperia.com, retrieved 2013-10-14
  6. Ahmet Qeriqi (2012-10-14), Ngjarje: '14 Tetor 1927 Vritet Ceno Bej Kryeziu' [Event, October 14, 1927, Ceno Bey Kryeziu gets killed] (in Albanian), Gazeta Kritika, retrieved 2013-10-11
  7. Robert Elsie (December 24, 2012), A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History, I. B. Tauris, p. 260, ISBN 978-1780764313, retrieved 2013-10-14
  8. Ragip Megjuani (2013-04-14), Këto 21-22 vjet mediumet e Kosovës , sidomos gazetat bënë krim në të vërtetën historike shkencore kombëtare [These 21-22 years, Kosovo media, especially newspapers, performed a real crime over the national scientific historical truth] (in Albanian), ALbanianPress.com, retrieved 2013-10-12
  9. Owen Pearson (April 3, 2007), Albania in the Twentieth Century, A History 3, I. B. Tauris, p. 300, ISBN 978-1845111052, retrieved 2013-01-14
  10. Robert Elsie (December 24, 2012), A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian Histor, I. B. Tauris, p. 262, ISBN 978-1780764313, retrieved 2013-10-14
  11. Enver Hoxha (1982), The Anglo-American Threat to Albania: Memoirs of the National Liberation War (1 ed.), Nëntori, pp. 320–321, ASIN B0000D5S7C, retrieved 2013-10-11