Students from a Berlin high school named after Albanian rescuer Refik Veseli traveled to Tirana to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, joining peers from the Gjimnazi Sami Frashëri in a program focused on combating antisemitism and preserving historical memory. The visit highlighted Albania’s wartime code of honor known as besa, under which Muslim and Christian Albanians sheltered nearly 2,000 Jewish refugees during World War Two. Together, the students planted an olive tree and spoke about their shared responsibility to stand against hatred and discrimination.

Refik Veseli, who hid a Jewish family from Nazi forces between 1942 and 1944, was later recognized by Yad Vashem for his bravery. His story has become a symbol of moral courage for the diverse student body in Berlin, many of whom come from immigrant families. Some participants said they feel a personal obligation to remember the Holocaust, whether because of family ties to perpetrators or their own experiences with prejudice and displacement.

Speakers at the event stressed the urgency of education and democratic values amid rising antisemitism in Europe. Albania’s leaders reiterated their country’s strong support for Israel and pride in a legacy of religious coexistence. With new museums dedicated to Jewish history underway and increasing cultural exchanges between the two countries, organizers said the spirit of besa remains a powerful example of solidarity in the face of hate.