This Sunday, the Borova massacre was commemorated in Kolonjë, marking 82 years since one of the German divisions burned down the village and killed 107 people, including many women and children.

This year’s ceremony was attended by a German citizen who asked for forgiveness on behalf of his people.

“I come from Germany; this is my third or fourth time in Borova. It is the fault of the Germans for what happened here, and I come to honor the victims. I try to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the German people, even though it is difficult, but now we are friends and we will remain friends forever,” said Ulrich Chilian, a German citizen.

Two of the attendees, visibly emotional, shared what happened to their families.

“I lost my mother, father, two sisters, and two brothers. The oldest was 19 years old, the youngest was 5, I was 7. I was wounded, but the bullet didn’t hit me fully — I saw them all dead.”

“I lost my uncle, he was 16, one of the smartest, most brilliant people. Just as he was trying to jump over the wall, they shot him.”

The Mayor of Kolonjë, Erion Isai, drew a parallel between this massacre and current events.

“Time has shown that the cyclical nature of events repeats itself, with new forms, new mentalities, but the same philosophy. Europe is in an identity crisis,” said Erion Isai, Mayor of Kolonjë.

The victims of the Borova massacre have been honored with the title “Martyrs of the Homeland,” and every July 6th, families and state officials commemorate the tragedy.