In Tirana, Nexhip Vilçani, a participant in the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War, generalmajor, passed away. He was born in Vinçan (Korçë). He started high school at the National High School (French) in Korça, then at the Military School in Tirana and at the gymnasium in Shkodra. In 1939, he began higher studies in law at the University of Rome, but interrupted in 1941, and returned to his homeland, where he joined the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War. He was admitted to the Albanian Communist Party since the formation of the Korça Circuit (December 1941). He became the main organizer of guerilla units and partisan detachments in the district of Korça and Berat, as early as the beginning of 1942. He was a delegate of Korça at the Peza Conference (September 1942). He took part in the battles for the liberation of Voskopoja (January 15, 1943), Leskovik ( May 16-25, 1943), etc. During the war for the liberation of Tirana, he was the deputy commander of the Operational Headquarters. After that he was appointed division commander in Peshkopi and then in Shkodër. In the years 1946-1948, he completed his higher studies at the “Frunze” Military Academy in Moscow. After returning, he was appointed commander of the Korça Division (1948), director of the Operational Directorate of the Army General Staff (1949), head of the Military Branch in Elbasan (1951), division commander in Tirana and Gjirokastër (1952-1953), commander of Coastal Defense (1953–1956). After the Conference of the Party organization in Tirana in 1956, for his critical attitude towards the leadership of the Party of Labor of Albania, he was dismissed from office, stripped of his rank and title of officer, expelled from the party and sent to the reclamation enterprise in Lushnjë and in Fier. In 1982, he was arrested for “hostile agitation and propaganda” and then interned. He was released in 1990. He is decorated with orders and medals of war and military service, including foreign ones. (In the photo: Nexhip Vilcani)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2887-2888.
Photo: © Xhoxhi L., personal archive
Graphic processing: AHCF
