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Former German Ambassador Daum Confesses: Here's Why I Left the Gates Open for Albanians in the 90s

2025-07-11 20:56:00, Politikë CNA

Former German Ambassador Daum Confesses: Here's Why I Left the Gates Open

The former ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Tirana during the 1990s, Werner Daum, shared today a story about one of the most decisive periods for the fate of Albanians.

In an interview for 'Syri TV', Daum spoke about the events of the time and the important developments of political and social changes that affected Albanian youth and families.

Daum told how he went against his government's instructions, as he saw the Albanian reality every day.

"Why did I help when almost 3,000 Albanians entered my embassy, ??why did I leave the gates open?"

I had a premonition for a long time, for almost a year, from mid-1989, that the situation in Albania and the situation of Albanians was changing.

Albanians no longer felt afraid of oppression and the oppressive machinery of the government, but were a people willing to take risks, even to sacrifice themselves for freedom and for different and better economic conditions and better opportunities.

All Albanians wanted freedom in every sense, they wanted to have the opportunity to speak freely, to exchange their opinions with others both within the country and with other people, especially with young people abroad, and I had felt this.

The spark that gave strength to the revolution was the demonstration in Kavaja, and in Kavaja they were not hoping to attack embassies to get out of the country, but they wanted freedom, and I felt that.

The first embassies where young Albanians in particular turned to were the Greek, French and Italian embassies, there were several dozen of them, and no one attempted to seek refuge at the German embassy.

I said to myself, how is it possible, I have to do something, I have to show people that they are welcome, I was not ready to go out and tell them to come and invite them, but I wanted to make it clear through some form that people were welcome at the German embassy and that we would do what we could to help them.

The day we all evacuated the embassy, ??I was the last to leave, we turned on the lights, and after that I left the gates almost a meter open so that everyone could see that this was a place where they could seek refuge.

I was traveling everywhere in Albania, I loved this country, I loved the landscape, I loved the mountains, the rivers, and I especially loved the art and history of Albania.

Especially in Shkodra, but also in other places, I have been approached by young people who had overcome the fear and oppression of the state and the Security.

These people approached me and I did not hide my opinion, I thought that Albanians deserved a better life, Albanians deserved to live in freedom.
I expressed this clearly, I did not actively propagate, nor did I encourage a revolution, because it was not my role, but every time someone approached me, I expressed what I thought.

I am a diplomat by profession, and a diplomat must act according to instructions and I have done so throughout my diplomatic life, but in July 1990, I acted against the instructions of my government which did not want to undermine another government, I acted openly against the instructions because I felt that the government, the system and the regime were against the fundamental values ??of humanity and human life and against the written document of the United Nations on human rights.

"So I decided to do what I felt was right," the ambassador said./CNA

 

 

 

 





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