Refik Veseli (1 January 1926–2000) was an Albanian photographer and formerly a co-founder of the Albanian Institute of Monuments.Transactions Ancient Monuments Society, 1975Les Lettres Albanaises, Union des écrivains et artistes d'Albanie, 1988Monumentet, Issue 18, Ministria e Arësimit dhe Kulturës, Instituti i Monumenteve të Kulturës, 1979 He was decorated along with his family by the state of Israel as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jews during the Second World War.
Biography Veseli was a 17 year old Muslim, born and raised in the rural city of Kruja in the mountains of Albania. Refik is one of thousands of Albanians who risked their lives to save the lives of Jews during World War II.The Path of the Righteous: Gentile Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust, By Mordecai Paldiel, 1993, , pages 336-337Saving the Jews: Amazing Stories of Men and Women who Defied the Final Solution, By Mordecai Paldiel, 2000, , pages 111-113Resisting the Holocaust: Upstanders, Partisans, and Survivors , , Paul R. Bartrop, pages 295-297The Story Behind The Zookeeper's Wife and 5 Other Little-Known Holocaust Heroes, Time, Olivia B. Waxman, 31 March 2017Remembering an earlier refugee crisis, and a family who risked their lives to help, Washington Post, 23 April 2017
He was president of the Albania-Israel Friendship Society in Tirana.The Jewish Travel Guide, Jewish Chronicle Publications, 1994
In 2014, a school was named after him in Berlin, the Refik Veseli Schule.Berlin Kids Name School After Muslim Who Saved Jews During Holocaust, Haaretz, 26 October 2014Was Kinder von Refik Veseli gelernt haben, Die Welt, September 2014Neuanfang mit neuem Namen, der Tagesspiegel, September 2014
Publications Berati: qutet-muze, 1987, Refik Veseli Architectural monuments in Albania, 1973, Refik Veseli
References
External links Jewish Foundation for the Righteous: Refix Veseli