Qazim Mulleti

Qazim Mulleti (1893–1956) was an Albanian politician, nationalist and mayor of Tirana from 1939 through 1940 and its prefect from 1942 to 1944.

Life

Early life

Qazim Mulleti was born in "Sulejman Pasha" (Mulleti) neighborhood, in Tirana, Albania, Ottoman Empire on December 20, 1893. He had taken first studies in Monastir, continued at Zosimea gymnasium in Yannina, and later conducted studies at Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultanisi in Istanbul, with the gold medal. He was a polyglot. Mulleti knew Albanian, Turkish, Arabic, German, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, and Serbo-Croatian. He was fond of horseriding, ice skating, and collecting souvenirs – in his house he put aside one floor for the purpose of a mini museum. He would be arrested by Austrian authorities in 1931 together with Hasan Prishtina, Rexhep Mitrovica, Menduh Angoni, Luigj Shkurti, Sejfi Vllamasi, and Angjelin Suma as direct organizers of the failed attempt on Zogu, back then proclaimed King Zog I. The attackers were Aziz Çami and Ndok Gjeloshi. Zogu came unharmed, but Eqrem Libohova (1882–1948), who was with him, got wounded, and Zogu's guard Llesh Topallaj got killed. After the release, Mulleti would move to Paris together with Prishtina, Suma, Nikolla Ivanaj, and others. During this time he would receive monetary support from Italy. His name would come up again in a meeting of anti-Zogist diaspora including members of KONARE (founded by Noli), Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo previously outlawed by Zogu, and other nationalist figures in exile. The initiative was triggered by the Revolt of 1935 in Fier against King Zog's regime and poverty. The meeting resulted in the formation of the "National Liberal League" , but Mulleti together with Mustafa Kruja did not sign because of disagreements on the League's programme, allegedly fearing that the support from Italy would be stopped. At the same time, his name appears in several executive orders for the deportation or imprisonment of other anti-fascist elements and their families. Enver Hoxha and the communist regime that followed until 1990 would address Mulleti as a traitor, agent, criminal, or the "bloody prefect". Today, his figure has been rehabilitated.

Family While in Vienna, precisely in 1929, he married Hajrie Kusi. His son Reshit was the only child that came out of the marriage.

Representation in art Mulleti would be depicted in comedies during the Communist Era, based on a script of December 1948 by Besim Levonja (1922–1968). His personage would be brought to the public first by Mihal Popi, and later by Robert Ndrenika and others. Specifically Mihal Popi's performance would be remembered as the best in overall; the play would go on for 25 years. The best-known version would be "The Prefect" of 1974, directed by Pirro Mani and adapted for TV screen by Vera Grabocka in 1976. Robert Ndrenika would take over the personage which would remain a symbol of the Albanian comedy. Mulleti's character would be described with deep nuances of ottomanism, orientalism, and ignorance, as well as a deeply corrupted person, vengeful, and ungrateful beside others. Furthermore, since the first play in 1949, one of the first of the Albanian People's Theater , his and his family members' real names would be used. Therefore, the comedy is described as a "combination of geniality and cruelty".