TIRANA, February 26 – The Albanian scientist Sabiha Kasimati died on 26 February 1951.

She was born in Edirne in 1912, the daughter of an Albanian doctor. From a young age, she developed a love for Albanian and European culture. She became the first girl to attend the French Lyceum in Korce. There, she excelled in her studies and mastered several foreign languages.

In 1936, she won a scholarship to study in Turin, Italy. She graduated with top results and completed a doctorate on the freshwater fish of Albania. She then returned to Albania to dedicate herself to science. Consequently, she became a pioneer of Albanian ichthyology. She also authored the work “The Fish of Albania”.

After a bomb incident at the Soviet embassy in Tirana, authorities arrested her without trial. She appeared on a list of 22 intellectuals marked for execution. Notably, she was the only woman on the list.

On the night of 26 February 1951, near the Beshiri Bridge close to Tirana, authorities executed her and buried her in a mass grave. During the regime, others published her work under different names. Only after the fall of communism did people properly recognize her contributions.

Finally, the 60th anniversary of her death brought a posthumous honor. She received the title “Honor of the Nation”.

/a.p./