Albania's Museum of Secret Surveillance, often called the “House of Leaves,” opened in 2020 to commemorate the country's experience of Cold War secret surveillance.
A parliamentary committee paved the way for the adoption of a new law to declassify documents from Albania’s Communist-era State Security Directorate, the Sigurimi, but questions remain about whether it can be implemented properly.
An Unexpected Foray into Albania
Maria Silver, at right, and Dolores Brown toast their renewed friendship at the Mullixhiu Restaurant.
Courtesy of Dolores Brown
Courtesy of Dolores Brown
Imagine walking the long tunnel to the tricked-out bunker of Albania’s former president, Enver Hoxha, who led and isolated his country from 1941 until his death in 1985. We contemplated all the human effort expended to satisfy Hoxha’s paranoia as he held his country in fear. It was unforgettable.
The “we” here are two retired Foreign Service officers who, true to our roots, remain intrepid. Together, we have more than 50 years of experience with the State Department. We bonded in the mid-1990s while working together on Belarus, another cloistered European dictatorship. Dolores was the analyst for Belarus in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, while Maria was the desk officer.