On April 1–2, 1945, the Tivari Massacre took place. Aimed at dismantling Albanian resistance in Kosovo, during March–April 1945, near the end of World War II, ethnic Albanians from Albanian regions in Yugoslavia were forcibly mobilized and deported to the so-called “Adriatic Front,” the secondary frontline. They were gathered and escorted by Albanian officers to the military barracks in Prizren, where they were disarmed along with the officers who accompanied them, and then handed over to the 27th Brigade of the 45th Serbian Division, known for its terror tactics against the Albanian people. The deportation happened in two phases, with three groups. The first group, consisting of 3,700 people, departed on March 24, 1945, suffering brutal mistreatment from the Serbian 9th Brigade along the route, resulting in the deaths of 65 individuals. Two days later, a second group of approximately 4,700 people set off. By midday on April 1, they had reached the city of Tivar, where they were mass-murdered. The third group, around 2,700 people, departed on March 27, 1945, arriving in Tivar on April 2; approximately 800 of them were poisoned, and the majority lost their lives. (In photo: Albanians marching towards Tivar.)
Text: National Historical Museum
Photo: © Wikipedia
Graphic Processing: AHCF
