Ardian Klosi passes away

The 55-year-old alarmed his relatives by not answering the telephone for several hours. It was the police that entered his residence only to find out that he had ended his own life.

Klosi was suffering depression and had attempted suicide even earlier, through large amounts of medicine. This attempt made the well-known publicist to attend a cure at the psychiatric hospital, where he received a treatment against depression.

The 55-year-old author of several books and translations from the German literature left behind his German Wife, Jutta Benzenberg, and two daughters.

The Albanian President, Bamir Topi, expressed his condolences to the translator, critic and well-known activist, Ardian Klosi.

The President considered it an irreplaceable loss for the family and the entire Albanian society, which today more than ever needs intellectuals with independent and courageous voices, who carry out altruistic missions on behalf of the Albanian citizens.

The Socialist Party expressed their condolences for the loss of the man whom they consider a good Albanian with an illuminated mind, and also a great loss for the Albanian free speech, for the civil society and the contemporaneous culture of our nation.

“Ardian Klosi created a precious value with his example as an intellectual committed to give his efforts for democracy and social justice, and for an Albania that should be protected with its assets. He will be remembered as an active citizen in the civil battle against the environmental destructions, and who made the voice of independent citizens to be listened for environmental protection”, the SP message says.

The opposition leader, an old friend of the late Klosi, dedicated the first page of his blog to him, with a photo and a message “A dear friend of this country left this night, after he refused to coexist with vulgarity”.

The Albanian Prime Minister also sent a condolence message for Mr. Klosi.

“The tragic loss of your dearest has deeply saddened me. I express my most sincere condolences. This is a great loss for you and also for the Albanian letters and civil society. My prayers go to you and may your dear husband and father find the deserved tranquility”, Berisha’s message says.

Who was Ardian Klosi?

Ardian Klosi was a publicist, writer, translator, civil society activists and a well known opinionist. Klosi was born in 1957 and graduated in 1981 for Literature, Tirana University.

He received his doctorate titles in 1990. He lived in Germany for the first five years of post-communism, where he met and married the photographer Jutta Benzenberg, with whom he had two daughters.

Klosi returned to Albania in 1998 and strongly engaged in civil society activities and journalism. In the recent years he was very active in defending the environment. He supported the civil society causes and the cultural heritage. Klosi was especially active against the government movement for demolishing the Pyramid. Klosi’s activity is closely related to books. He published many books, such as “Reflections”, “Albania, a violent awakening”, “Quo Vadis, Albania”, and “Albania, what could it become”. He also published in German “Albanian Survival” and the German-Albanian vocabulary, in cooperation with other authors in 1997.

Klosi has given a great contribution in translation. He was awarded several times as the best translator, as in 2008 for the translation of “Scanderbeg”, from Oliver Jens Schmitt. Through his translation, Klosi brought a new image of the National Hero and spurred many debates among the public opinion. In the last years, Klosi had formed a good profile as journalist of political and social topics in the country, turning into a well-known media figure for the Albanian public.

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