Minister Blendi Gonxhja Says Jewish Museum and “Labëria” Club Are Two Separate Buildings, Ethnographic Museum to Be Restored and Revitalized

The Jewish Museum in Vlora will not be constructed in the historic “Labëria” Patriotic Club building, according to Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports Blendi Gonxhja, and the Ethnographic Museum will not be removed from the Municipality of Vlora or have its purpose modified.
The minister emphasized that there is a significant distinction between preserving history and utilizing it to spread misinformation, fear, and division in response to current talks.
Gonxhja asserts that there is no evidence to corroborate the assertions that the Jewish Museum will be erected in the “Labëria” Patriotic Club building. These are two distinct buildings, two independently recognized cultural objects, and two distinct projects, according to official documents.
Officially known as the “House where the ‘Labëria’ Patriotic Club was established in 1908,” the structure that houses the Vlora Ethnographic Museum is a cultural landmark. In the meantime, the Jewish Museum is being created in a different structure that is listed as the “House adjacent to the Labëria Club” and is also a cultural monument.
The minister pointed out that these details are established facts that have been shared and made public for a while rather than being revealed for the first time in reaction to current allegations.
The matter was brought up and made clear on March 13, 2024, when the Vlora Municipal Council met to debate the Jewish Museum proposal. The Ethnographic Museum would not be impacted, the intervention would only effect the house next door, and “the Labëria Club itself will not be affected,” according to the meeting’s official minutes.
This explanation was institutionally made public more than two years ago, specifically in the Vlora Municipal Council, according to Minister Gonxhja. Throughout the decision-making process, the differences between the two structures were evident, and the information and records were readily available.
He underlined that this is not two versions of the same tale, but rather the distortion of publicly available and documented information in an effort to paint an untrue picture of the project.
Gonxhja also explained that the historic “Labëria” Patriotic Club edifice will be restored and revitalized in addition to remaining intact.
Funding for the planning of a thorough restoration and musealization project for the Vlora Ethnographic Museum has been authorized by the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF) Board. The project will modernize the museum in line with modern standards, restore the cultural monument, and preserve the building’s history and patriotic symbolism.
The minister emphasized that the facts are clear: the Municipality of Vlora is not losing the Ethnographic Museum, nor is its purpose being changed.
In order to preserve and communicate its priceless history, legacy, and symbolism, the Ethnographic Museum will continue to function in the historic “Labëria” Patriotic Club building in a renovated setting under a new museum design.
In the meantime, the adjacent building is being developed for the Jewish Museum. Together, the two museums are anticipated to build a new museum and cultural center in the center of Vlora’s Historic Center, enhancing the city’s spiritual and cultural offerings, fortifying its collective memory and identity, and giving the community’s tourism, cultural, and economic growth new life.
The Jewish Museum in Vlora will not be constructed in the historic “Labëria” Patriotic Club building, according to Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports Blendi Gonxhja, and the Ethnographic Museum will not be removed from the Municipality of Vlora or have its purpose modified.
The minister emphasized that there is a significant distinction between preserving history and utilizing it to spread misinformation, fear, and division in response to current talks.
Gonxhja asserts that there is no evidence to corroborate the assertions that the Jewish Museum will be erected in the “Labëria” Patriotic Club building. These are two distinct buildings, two independently recognized cultural objects, and two distinct projects, according to official documents.
Officially known as the “House where the ‘Labëria’ Patriotic Club was established in 1908,” the structure that houses the Vlora Ethnographic Museum is a cultural landmark. In the meantime, the Jewish Museum is being created in a different structure that is listed as the “House adjacent to the Labëria Club” and is also a cultural monument.
The minister pointed out that these details are established facts that have been shared and made public for a while rather than being revealed for the first time in reaction to current allegations.
The matter was brought up and made clear on March 13, 2024, when the Vlora Municipal Council met to debate the Jewish Museum proposal. The Ethnographic Museum would not be impacted, the intervention would only effect the house next door, and “the Labëria Club itself will not be affected,” according to the meeting’s official minutes.
This explanation was institutionally made public more than two years ago, specifically in the Vlora Municipal Council, according to Minister Gonxhja. Throughout the decision-making process, the differences between the two structures were evident, and the information and records were readily available.
The underlined that this is not two versions of the same tale, but rather the distortion of publicly available and documented information in an effort to paint an untrue picture of the project.
Gonxhja also explained that the historic “Labëria” Patriotic Club edifice will be restored and revitalized in addition to remaining intact.
Funding for the planning of a thorough restoration and musealization project for the Vlora Ethnographic Museum has been authorized by the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF) Board. The project will modernize the museum in line with modern standards, restore the cultural monument, and preserve the building’s history and patriotic symbolism.
The minister emphasized that the facts are clear: the Municipality of Vlora is not losing the Ethnographic Museum, nor is its purpose being changed.
In order to preserve and communicate its priceless history, legacy, and symbolism, the Ethnographic Museum will continue to function in the historic “Labëria” Patriotic Club building in a renovated setting under a new museum design.
In the meantime, the adjacent building is being developed for the Jewish Museum. Together, the two museums are anticipated to build a new museum and cultural center in the center of Vlora’s Historic Center, enhancing the city’s spiritual and cultural offerings, fortifying its collective memory and identity, and giving the community’s tourism, cultural, and economic growth new life.