“Naum Panxhi” Camp

For the construction of this irrigation canal, prisoners from prison no. 13, Elbasan, were exploited. The prisoners built the “Naum Panxhi” irrigation canal in 1947, which shows that the prisoners there were also part of one of the first temporary labor camps. Prisoners were forced to walk 5 kilometers every day from the prison to the construction site and walk the same distance back. During this path, the prisoners would form a long line. This shocking image would turn everyone’s attention as they walked through the town. This was why the Elbasan Prison’s convicts worked only the first year for the construction of this camp – they would then be replaced by employed workers.