On April 13, 2004, Bedri Dedja, teacher and psychologist, historian of the Albanian education, writer, theorist and critic of children’s literature, academic, passed away in Tirana. He was born in Korça. He completed his higher studies at the “Lenin” Institute in Moscow (1953), simultaneously pursuing two fields of study: pedagogy-psychology and children’s literature. He was a lecturer and dean of the Faculty of History and Philology at the Higher Pedagogical Institute (1954-1957), director of the 2-year Higher Pedagogical Institute of Tirana (1957-1958), editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Mësuesi”, of the magazines “Arsimi popullor” and “Fatosi”; Deputy Minister of Education and Culture (1970-1973) etc. He is the author of pedagogical and psychological scientific publications: “Rrugët e perfeksionimit të sistemit të sotëm të edukatës familjare”(“The paths to perfecting the current family education system”) (1966), “Shënime për historinë e mendimit pedagogjik shqiptar” (“Notes on the history of Albanian pedagogical thought”) (1972), “Studime për problemin e metodave të dhënies së mësimit në shkollë” (“Studies on the problem of teaching methods in schools”) (1987), “Psikologjia sociale” (“Social psychology”) (1990), “Sekreti i talentit” (“The secret of talent”) (1998) etc.; co-author of psychology texts for high schools and postgraduate courses, as in the work “Historia e arsimit dhe e mendimit pedagogjik shqiptar I” (“The history of Albanian education and pedagogical thought I”) (2004), etc. Among the main works as a writer of children’s literature, are the novels “Kalamajtë e pallatit tim” (“Toads of my palace”) (1972), “Met partizani” (“Met the partisan”) (1981), “Kacamisri rreth globit” (“Kacamisri around the globe”) (1993), “Një udhëtim i rrezikshëm” (“A dangerous journey”) (1962), “Qyteti me tri kështjella” (“The city with three castles”) (2003); the poem “Shkolla e pyllit” (“The forest school”) (1967), the volumes “Përralla njëmbëdhjetëkatëshe” (“The nineteen-story fairy tale”) (1996); as a researcher, he published the books “Tradita e probleme të letërsisë shqipe për fëmijë” (“The tradition and issues of Albanian children’s literature”) (1971), “Shkrime mbi letërsinë për fëmijë” (“Writings on children’s literature”) (1978), “Letërsia për fëmijë” (“Children’s literature”) (1961) etc. For this activity, he received the Order of the International Book Organization for Children and Young People (Zurich, 2000). He was decorated with the “Grand Master of Labor” Order, he received the Republic Award of the first degree. (In the photo: Bedri Dedja)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 427-428.
Photo: © Xhoxhi L., personal archive
Graphic processing: AHCF
