Florian Hysi will no longer be the head of the Cultural Heritage Agency in Gjirokastra. He has decided to step down from his position after numerous public reactions and online comments regarding the way the clothes of national hero Çerçiz Topulli were presented at the Castle Museum.
The cause of the debate was the mannequin used to display the clothes, especially the portrait placed on it, which was considered inappropriate for an important figure in Albanian history. After criticism, the portrait was removed and the clothes were placed on a faceless mannequin.
Hysi submitted his resignation to the mayor of Gjirokastra, Flamur Golemi, taking responsibility for the way the exhibition was carried out.
In his resignation statement, he says that the decision was made due to the responsibility that every leader must bear for decisions and possible mistakes while exercising his function.
"What was considered a mistake was corrected and I take full responsibility," Hysi says.
He thanks the Municipality of Gjirokastra, colleagues and employees of the Cultural Heritage Agency, while emphasizing that during his term in office, several works have been carried out in the field of museums and heritage.
"My resignation is not a surrender of what I believe in. It is an act of responsibility and respect for the institution," he writes.
At the end of the statement, Hysi states that he will continue to support Gjirokastra and its cultural heritage, while closing with the message:
"We tried, we corrected what was considered wrong, and we will let the work speak for itself."
