Havzi Nela

Who was Havzi Nela?

Havzi Nela was Albanian dissident poet. Havzi Nela was born on February 20, 1934 in the village Kollovoz district of Kukës. He managed to finish both elementary and high school while living in extreme poverty. Since high school he expressed objections against the injustice created by the communist regime. After this he began studies at the Higher Pedagogical Institute of Shkodra, but was expelled due to seemilngy rebellious and controversial beliefs. After much difficulty, he found a job as an elementary school teacher at Plani i Bardhe, a small village in the district of Mat. He was forced to leave the village due to suspicious activity. Suspicion arose after students began reading his poetry. He then went on to study at the Higher Pedagogical Institute of Shkodra by correspondence. He worked as a teacher in different villages such as Kruma, Lojme and Shishtavec until 1967, when he moved to Topojan. Topojan was where the most dramatic events of the poet and his family began.

Havzi Nela was constantly under surveillance and was often taken in to custody. He was restricted and censored heavily in what he wrote, but also where and how he could live. After his students read the poem "Shko dallandyshe" written by Filip Shiroka, Havzi Nela and his wife, Lavdie were under threat of prosecution from the government due to its controversial content. They risked their lives by taking the journey across the border into Kosova on April 26, 1967. While crossing the boarder he wrote on a piece of paper; "Goodbye, homeland, I am leaving, but with a broaken heart," He placed the piece of paper in the branch of a hazel tree. It is widely believed that the purpose of this was to declare an undying love for the country and its people however expressing disdain towards its dictatorship. A tragic fate would soon follow in Kosovo. He was captured just beyond the border together with his wife. They were arrested and imprisoned in Prizeren, Kosova. On May 6, 1967, the Yugoslavian government agreed on an exchange turning Havzi Nela and Lavdie Nela in for several Yugoslavian prisoners held in Albania. The exchange took place at Morina border crossing point.