Civil society groups took to the streets of Vlora on Saturday to protest against the construction of a Jewish Museum in the historic area surrounding the Ethnographic Museum and the building associated with the founding of the Labëria Patriotic Club in 1908.
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| A group of demonstrators in Valona waved an Albanian flag during the protest organized to ask for the protection of the historical heritage of the palazzo associated with the foundation of the Club Patriottico Labëria. |
“Not a Jewish Museum, but a Museum of Labëria,” read one of the messages displayed during the protest.
For the protesters, the issue goes beyond the construction of another museum. They argue that the historic identity of the site must be protected and that buildings connected to the history of the Albanian national movement should remain at the center of the city’s cultural memory.
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| A group of protesters gathered in Vlora's historic center to protest the construction of the Jewish Museum, demanding the protection and enhancement of the building associated with the founding of the Labëria Patriotic Club in 1908. |
Government Says the Historic Labëria Building Will Not Be Touched
Culture Minister Blendi Gonxhja has rejected claims that the Jewish Museum is being built inside the historic building where the Labëria Patriotic Club was established.
According to Gonxhja, the Jewish Museum is being constructed in a separate building next to the Labëria Club, rather than in the building housing the Ethnographic Museum.
The minister says the two buildings are legally registered as separate cultural properties and are subject to two different projects.
The building housing the Vlora Ethnographic Museum is officially recognized as the historic residence where the Labëria Patriotic Club was established in 1908. The building intended for the Jewish Museum is registered separately as the “Residence next to the Labëria Club”.
Gonxhja has insisted that the historic building will not be demolished or repurposed.
“The Labëria Club building will not only remain untouched, but will be restored and brought back to life,” the minister said.
He also stated that the Ethnographic Museum will retain its function and that funding has been approved for a comprehensive restoration and museum project.
Protesters Remain Concerned Over Vlora’s Historical Identity
Despite the government's explanation, the protest highlights a deeper concern among parts of Vlora’s civil society: who decides which elements of the city’s history should receive prominence and how historic spaces should be used?
For those opposing the project, the existence of a separate building does not necessarily settle the cultural debate.
The Labëria Club carries a powerful symbolic meaning because of its connection to the Albanian patriotic movement and the political and cultural developments that shaped Vlora in the years before Albanian independence.
The protesters therefore argue that any transformation of the surrounding historic area must be approached with particular sensitivity and with the participation of the local community.
Their message is essentially that Vlora’s own historical heritage should not be overshadowed by a new institutional project, particularly in a location associated with one of the city’s most important patriotic chapters.
A Dispute That Goes Beyond the Museum
Gonxhja has accused critics of spreading what he describes as misinformation, arguing that the distinction between the two buildings was already made clear in March 2024 during a meeting of the Vlora Municipal Council.
According to the minister, the official record from that meeting explicitly stated that the Ethnographic Museum and the Labëria Club building would not be affected by the project.
He has also argued that the restoration of the historic Labëria building and the creation of the Jewish Museum in the neighboring building could eventually form a new cultural and museum center in Vlora’s Historic Center.
But for the protesters, the controversy is precisely about how Vlora’s historical memory is preserved and represented.
Their demand is clear: the city’s patriotic heritage, including the legacy of the Labëria Club, should remain protected and prominently represented rather than becoming secondary within a broader museum development.
The dispute is therefore unlikely to end simply with an architectural clarification over which building is being used. It has opened a much larger conversation about history, cultural identity, heritage protection and who has the right to define the historical narrative of one of Albania’s most important cities.