Bislim Bajgora

Bislim Bajshora
Born c. 1880
Shala, Mitrovica Kosovo
Died 1947
Nationality Albanian
Occupation Commander of the Balli Kombetar and SS Adjutant for Gunther Hausding.
Years active 1940-1947
Known for Defending Albanians in Mitrovica against Chetniks

Bislim Bajgora (c. 1880 - 1947) was an Albanian commander and Adjutant for the Balli Kombetar forces of Kosovo during World War II.

Early life

Born in Mitrovica sometime around the 1880s to an Albanian patriotic family, he grew up with guns and tales of Albanian heroism. He was from the Shala tribe of Mitrovica. When the Axis powers occupied Kosovo in the 1940s, Kosovar-Albanians saw the chance to free themselves from Serb rule and collaborated with the Germans. Chetnik forces had been expelling and killing Albanians and the family of Bislim Bajgora had fled to Gjirokaster. When the Germans occupied Kosovo, the Albanians freely chose to serve in the German Army which surprised the Germans.

The Germans had for a long time been very interested in working the Trepca mines and when they seized it, they started producing zinc and lead for the army. When the German forces occupied Mitrovica, they were not attacked as the Albanians saw it as liberation fromm the chetnik-Serbian forces. The city was handed over to influential leaders such as Bislim Bajgora, Ahmet Selaci, Ukshin Kovaqica, etc. Bislim Bajgora had a good reputation among the Shala tribe and the region had a good, strategic location enabling a good defence. When the Germans occupied the city they asked for an authoritative character and the Albanians picked Bislim Bajgora to lead the liberation forces of Mitrovica thus the Germans, in need of an ally against the Serb, gave Albanians arms and training. Immediately, the Shala-tribe and the Germans began cooperating and they received help from one of the most educated Albanians named Xhafer Deva who ran the German-Albanian politics in the city. Bislim Bajgora and Xhafer Deva got along well and showed mutual respect. On 21 April 1941, there was a gathering of the Albanian forces and the Germans at the "Jadran" hotel, where Xhafer Deva sought to station his political activities and the Germans approved of his request. Bislim Bajgora had now won full support from the Germans and was considered a good ally of Germany. He became an adjutant for Gunther Hausding, head of Gestapo, the German secret police. After the 21st of April the Germans opened up schools for Albanian language for the first time in 40 years Albanians were able to educate themselves. The tribes of Shala and Bajgora was given arms and they were enforced further by more recruits led by commander Ahmet Selaci and Pajazit Boletini (nephew of Isa Boletini). The forces of the Balli Kombetar were mainly stationed in Mitrovica, but also among regions which were under control of Bislim Bajgora, Ukshin Kovaqica, Mehmet Gradica, Shaban Polluzha, Sylejman Viquterna, etc. The Balli Kombetar patrolled the city, keeping order but they mainly focused on guarding the borders of Greater Albania which the Germans had created for the first time since 1912.[1]

Novi Pazar

For more details on this topic, see Battle for Novi Pazar.

In 1941, chetnik forces began burning houses and killing civilians in the Albanian village of in which Bislim Bajgora and his forces headed for the village in order to save Albanians. When they arrived, the Chetniks fled and the village was saved from further attacks. In 1943, during the chetnik occupation of Novi Pazar, Serbs killed Albanian and Bosniak civilians. The chetnik leaders were Žika Marković and Kosta Pećanac who encouraged the Serbian forces to burn houses, massacre civilians and plunder. Bislim Bajgora arrived in Novi Pazar with 200 fighters, along with Shaban Polluzha, who also had 200 fighters and many others. The list of commanders involved in the fighting was Mulla Iljas Broja, Miftar and Cen Bajraktari, Col Bajraktari, Ymer Fazlija, Isuf Gradica, Imer Selaci, Pajazit Boletini, Sadik Lutani, etc. The first commander to reach the town was Hysen Llakiqi from Polaci, Drenica. During the fight with the chetniks there were numerous casualties among the Albanian forces. The Balli Kombetar killed 163 Chetniks and liberated the town of Novi Pazar.

Peć

In 1943 the Serb forces of Peć began committing war crimes against civilians to which the Albanians responded by sending their forces. The Serb casualties numbered 130 that day. The Serbian population of Kosovo, fearing revenge from the Albanian forces after the Chetnik war crimes against Albanians, began fleeing Kosovo. 40,000 Serbs fled to Italy, 30,000 to Germany and 25,000 to a Bulgarian peace-zone. The total amount of Serbs who fled Kosovo was 100,000. During the war, Albanians were given jobs, arms and schools were opened for the first time in several decades. Albanians were free from Serbian fascist rule and Kosovo was united with Albania as it was planned in 1912. The Germans were much appreciated by the Albanians as the Germans confirmed their cultural and national ancestry as "illyrians".

Death

Bajgora was one of the leaders of the ONDSH (Albanian National Democratic Organization), an anti-communist and nationalist league founded in 1945 to oppose Kosovo returning under Yugoslav rule.[2][3] After guerrilla fights against chetnik forces, winter came and Bislim Bajgora and his men were forced to find shelter. Some of the fighters chose the village of Lupq in Llap where they hid in a bunker. They were discovered by spies who reported them to the Yugoslav forces. On 1 March 1947, they were surrounded. The Yugoslav forces consisted of Albanians and they did not want to open fire against the Balli Kombetar and one commander approached them and asked if they would surrender their weapons in peace. Bislim Bajgora and his friends answered "Back away from the frontline because we did not gather arms only to surrender them!". After the fighting the Yugoslav casualties numbered 350. The surviving friends of Bislim Bajgora took his body away and buried it nearby. His grave remains unknown to this very day.

Afterwards

After the war, Albanians from Kosovo and Mitrovica were expelled to Turkey. The family of Rashit Bajgora, relative of Bislim Bajgora, had fled to Turkey in 1914. The family of Nuh Bajgora, also relative, had fled to Turkey in 1921. The only remaining relative of Bislim Bajgora was Sar Bajgora. After 100 years, in 2014, a forgotten relative of the family, Tuncay Baygora from Istanbul, returned to Kosovo to visit the remaining places of his family. Tuncay also met up with Miradije Bajgora Shala, the daughter of Bislim Bajgora.

Legend

Bislim Bajgora is said to have been one of the greatest Albanian riflemen. He was tall, well-built and often wore his Albanian national costume. Today he is a venerated symbol of Albanians in Mitrovica and a he is celebrated as a hero.

Sources

  1. ↑ Gazmend Islami (2007-06-12), Bunjaket e Samadrexhes Cerdhe Nacionalistesh (in Albanian), Parti Balli Kombetar, retrieved 2016-01-06
  2. ↑ Vladimir Dedijer (1981). Novi prilozi za biografiju Josipa Broza Tita. Liburnija. p. 910.
  3. ↑ Emil Kastrati (2008-10-03), Epopeja e Besëlidhjes kombëtare Demokratike Shqiptare (B.K.D.SH) (in Albanian), ZemraShqiptare.com

External links

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