If one word sums up Albanian honour, it is besa. It is usually translated as a pledge of honour, or simply keeping your promise. In the Second World War, that promise saved lives.
What besa means
Besa is a cornerstone of the Kanun, the code of Albanian customary law associated with Lekë Dukagjini. Giving your besa means giving your word, and breaking it brings shame on you and your family. A guest who is under your besa is under your protection.
The rescue
During the German occupation of Albania in the Second World War, Albanian families, many of them Muslim, took in Jewish refugees. They hid them in their homes, in cellars and in mountain villages, and dressed them as villagers so they would not stand out.
According to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, almost all Jews living in Albania during the German occupation were saved, and there were more Jews in Albania after the war than before it. By 2016, Yad Vashem had recognised 73 Albanians as Righteous Among the Nations, an honour given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews. Yad Vashem links these rescues to besa.
Why it still matters
Besa is not only history. It is the reason an Albanian will drive across town for you at midnight, and the reason a handshake still means something. It is one of the things we are proudest of, and one of the reasons we put Albanian symbols on things people wear every day.
Read more about the symbols behind A&P on our About page, or explore the Albanian culture guide.
Sources: Yad Vashem: Besa, A Code of Honor (exhibition) · Yad Vashem: Righteous Among the Nations in Albania · Yad Vashem: Jews in Albania · Wikipedia: Besa (Albanian culture) · Wikipedia: Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini