by Kozma Borova. Translation Petrit Latifi

Kajo Babjen’s platoon (in the middle of the photo, with a beard) and Austro-Hungarian soldiers during World War I, around 1915-1917. Foreign armies always “kept the conversation going” and paid the strongest in the area, because they needed them to keep the peace in the rear, because they did not know the country and the people and were also busy fighting with opposing armies.

In these platoons there were also scoundrels who had fought against the Turks, but there were also those who “had come out to loot”, and thieves, etc. For example, the detachment of Shqhin Matraku (where, if I’m not mistaken, Kajo Babjeni was also there, I think his nephew), fought against the Turks, but also took and held hostage for 6 months (in 1884) the patriot and teacher Gjerasim Qirjazi and forced him to pay a “fine” to release him, but since the payment was delayed for 6 months, they became friends, which shows how complicated war could be.