TIRANA, February 20 – The events of 20 February 1991 remain a reference point in Albania’s political transformation. They marked the transition toward a new political system.

The process began on 18 February 1991 with a hunger strike by students at the University of Tirana. They demanded the removal of Enver Hoxha’s name from their institution. The protest gained broad public support.

On 20 February 1991, citizens pulled down the monument of Enver Hoxha in Skanderbeg Square.

The event is documented in Albanian historiography and material evidence. The National History Museum preserves the cable used to remove the statue. Cameras used by journalists Daniel Damon and Azis Gjergji recorded the historical moments of 1990–1991, including the statue’s fall.

These objects testify to the country’s move toward political pluralism. They document the closure of the communist chapter in Albania and the start of a pluralistic political system.

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