Kosovo Govt Unveils Design to Preserve Memorial Complex in Prekaz

The final project for the “Adem Jashari Complex” aims to cover a 450-hectare area in Prekaz, with plans to place the Jashari family towers under transparent glass.

Nearly three decades after the Serbian forces’ attack on the Jashari Family, the winning proposal for the development of the master plan for the ‘Adem Jashari’ Memorial Complex in Prekaz was presented.

The ambitious project aims to cover a 450-hectare area in Prekaz, with plans to preserve the Jashari family towers under transparent glass, allowing visitors to see them more clearly.

The memorial is situated in the village of Prekaz in the Skenderaj municipality, at the site where 59 civilians, including  Jashari himself, were killed in an attack by Serbian forces from March 5-7, 1998.

Public concern about the state of the memorial  already sparked a parliamentary debate in 2018 but no substantial measures were taken in the meantime to preserve the complex.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, announced the winning project, highlighting its importance and delicacy.

“This project, delayed for years, is one of the most significant and sensitive processes for our country,” Kurti stated.

He quoted Shaban Jashari, Adem Jashari’s father, saying, “I have only one home and I have nowhere to go beyond it,” underscoring the Jashari towers and family as a global symbol of sacrifice for freedom. 

Kurti expressed confidence that the proposal will provide a comprehensive interpretation of the Jashari Family’s history.

“We have taken all the steps to ensure this project is treated with sensitivity and a multidisciplinary approach up to the highest technical evaluation,” he added.

Bekim Jashari, representing the Jashari Family, expressed deep emotions and memories upon the announcement of the winning proposal.

“It is a long-awaited step to prevent further damage to the towers that once belonged to father Shaban, and now belong to all of Kosovo,” Jashari remarked. 

He emphasized that father Shaban’s land is the birthplace of every hero of Kosovo and declared that “by building this complex, we show the world our rightful fight for freedom.”

Eckhard Gerber, director of the winning company Gerber Architekten, expressed his privilege in working on a project that chronicles Kosovo’s history. 

The winning consortium, comprising Gerber Architekten International GmbH (Germany) and Donald Insall Associates & Barker Langham (United Kingdom), assured that the towers will be preserved without altering their identity.

The project will feature a national museum within the complex, a library,  visitor spaces, a children’s area to educate about Kosovo’s history, an archive, training spaces, conference areas,  an amphitheater, and more. An additional element included in the complex is the “Water Tower.”

More than a year after the  announcement, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports in July 2024 announced the winner of the nearly 8 million euro contract for the development of the master plan. The contract is valued at 7 million 890 thousand euros, nearly 5 million more than the estimated value. The project is expected to be completed within 22 months.

The signed contract includes the drafting of projects and plans, both conceptual and implementation, totaling 21 products. These include the Master Plan for the entire Memorial Complex, projects for the conservation and interpretation of the Resistance Towers and other monuments within the complex, the Curatorial Program, and detailed regulatory plans.

The houses within the “Adem Jashari” Memorial Complex have remained in the same condition since 2000, following emergency conservation measures taken at that time.