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The Illinois Holocaust Museum invited Elizabeth Vrato to discuss Kadri Cakrani's story in February 2022. The presentation includes content from this website and additional information.

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The following entities and individuals have been instrumental in sharing the Kadri Cakrani story...

The Solomon Museum
Rruga Mihal Komneno
Berat 5001 Albania
+355 69 307 9580


Presented by the Toska Foundation (Paris, France).

After the fall of Communism in Albania, Professor Simon Vrusho of Berat conducted more than 150 interviews, collecting names of both those who were sheltered from the Nazis and those who did the sheltering, along with supporting documents, letters, and photos, now on display and in its archives. The museum is run by his widow, Angjelina Vrusho. Kadri Cakrani’s portrait hangs on the wall in the museum, and his place in WWII history is being shared with the world for the first time.

 

The Auschwitz Memorial Museum

Auschwitz was the largest Holocaust extermination camp, where Nazis sent 1.3 million people (nearly 1.1 million were Jewish). Approximately 85% of the people sent to Auschwitz were killed. Allies liberated the Auschwitz camp in 1945.

The Auschwitz Memorial Museum was created in 1947 and today serves as a global center for research, education, conservation, and awareness-building. Its magazine, Memoria, published Kadri Cakrani’s story in 2020: “Kadri Cakrani: A Happy Story for Albanians, Jews, and the World,” Memoria 31 (04/2020). It shared the magazine article with its over 1 Million social media followers.

The Albanian Studies Program of DePaul University

The Albania Studies Program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, launched in 2020, with Dr. Gazmend Kapllani as its chair. It is the first Albanian Studies program in the United States. Dr. Kaplanni is an internationally-acclaimed academic and writer. One of the topics on which he is an expert is Albania’s role in WWII. His Facebook page was the first online forum for Kadri Cakrani's story. Dr. Kaplanni is willing to provide media commentary and historical context on the Kadri Cakrani story: 


Dr. Gazmend Kaplanni
Chair, Albanian Studies
DePaul University
Lincoln Park Campus
Office 320/Modern Languages

(773) 325-2070
gkapllan@depaul.edu

 

Illinois Holocaust Museum

The Illinois Holocaust Museum is one of the premier Holocaust museums in the world, with a mission that includes preservation of survivor stories and progressive educational programs for students and adults. Discussions are ongoing for appropriate educational programs and exhibits to feature the story of Kadri Cakrani.

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A documentary, book, and feature film are under development about the life and suppressed heroic acts of Kadri Cakrani that could ultimately not be contained, thanks to the goodness of people.

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“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

                —Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank

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"Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant."

—Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech (1986)

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