Former monument school building in Ferizaj vandalized and turned into ruins

The building, which has been abandoned for a year, has even had its electrical cables pulled out of its walls to be sold as raw materials in scrap markets. The building, located in the center of Ferizaj, with a long history spanning decades as the “Gjon Serreçi” primary school, and then home to two high schools, has now become a ruin. All of this has happened since January of last year. And since 2021, the building has been a monument on the List of Cultural Heritage under Temporary Protection.

The former building of the "Gjon Serreçi" primary school in Ferizaj has been looted in detail. And the items that have not been put into use for sale have been demolished. The building, abandoned for a year now, has even had its electrical cables pulled out of the walls to be sold as basic material in the scrap markets. The building, located in the center of Ferizaj with a long history of decades as a primary school, and then home to two high schools, has now turned into a ruin. All of this has happened since January of last year. And since 2021, the building has been a monument on the List of Cultural Heritage under Temporary Protection.

Most of the windows have been broken, the doors have been taken away and the walls have been eroded. It looks as if it has been damaged by a war or a strong earthquake. But the cultural heritage asset that is the property of the Municipality of Ferizaj has faced vandalism. The building – with a sensational history in the education of that area – has become a bone of contention between the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Ferizaj. Both institutions point the finger at each other. And the reality is harsh. There is hardly another building in the city of Ferizaj that has experienced that kind of mayhem. 

Recently, the monument has also become a subject for the Cultural Heritage Inspectorate operating within the Ministry of Culture. An inspection report provided to KOHA by the MCYS was drafted in early February of this year. In January of last year, the building that was recently divided between two high schools, the “Shaban Jashari” linguistic school and the “Elena Gjika” medical school, was abandoned after students moved to a new facility. The building's courtyard now also serves as a parking lot. The report by inspectors Pajtim Zogaj and Labëri Dakaj specifies that in 2021 the Municipality of Ferizaj did not agree to the inclusion of this building in the list of cultural heritage assets, “among other reasons due to the fact of other planning in this space.” 

"According to the cadastral documentation submitted by the Directorate for Geodesy, Municipality of Ferizaj, most of the properties surrounding the school are public properties, namely properties of the Municipality of Ferizaj; The school has floors B+P+2; The building is mainly built of concrete material and the internal spaces are separated by baked clay bricks; The building has an area of ​​15 thousand 200 square meters," the findings in the Report are written. It explains that during 2024 the Cultural Heritage Inspectorate inspected the asset area and prohibited unauthorized works. 

"The building has a defined perimeter and a protective zone around the perimeter; The asset space is registered in the cadastre as part of the cultural heritage; This asset, in addition to its boundaries, has defined policies for its conservation and development; At the time when the school was included in the protection, the teaching process was being carried out in this school, despite the fact that it was in a very serious physical condition; Since the inclusion of this school in the protection, no measures for institutional intervention have been taken," the Report states. It specifies that the Municipality has justified the lack of maintenance interventions with the fact of the new construction of the school building

"After the relocation of students to the new school, the asset has remained abandoned; No one has been appointed responsible for its supervision; The school does not have physical security, as a result, unauthorized persons have access to the school continuously; Furthermore, entry to the facility is not prohibited nor is there any warning sign; Doors, windows, balcony railings and parts of the ceilings have been removed and damaged; Damage has been caused to the internal structure of the building, including ceilings and walls," the Report states. It has even been found that a fire has been caused in one of the school's spaces, while the vast majority of electrical installations have been removed and damaged. It also states that the Ministry of Education in 2023 engaged a design company for a project for restoration interventions, but due to the inability to access the basement spaces for measurements, due to the poor hygienic condition, the project has remained suspended. According to the inspectors, a tender was opened and the same failed.

"Due to unauthorized interventions, this asset is losing its authenticity and integrity; Unauthorized entries by persons who appropriate various school materials are the key problem; These damages are not reported to the criminal prosecution bodies," the Report states. 
The Inspectorate has forwarded the report to a number of institutions, including the Municipality of Ferizaj. The Municipality has been recommended to urgently close all entrances and exits to the school with temporary technical protective equipment.

"To establish a physical protective fence around the school; To establish warning signs to prohibit access by unauthorized persons; To engage physical security or camera monitoring; To assess the possibility of taking over some responsibility for this object until another phase; To carry out a cleaning of the space through assistance from cultural heritage institutions", the recommendations state. Meanwhile, the Police Station in Ferizaj has been recommended to increase the presence of the Kosovo Police and patrol until the school is secured by the Municipality of Ferizaj and an investigation is initiated regarding the damage to this cultural heritage asset. 

On February 13, the Municipality of Ferizaj issued a “public clarification.” In the first sentence, it explained that the former “Gjon Serreçi” school building is not under the management of the Municipality, but under the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture.

"For years, the former 'Gjon Serreçi' school building has not been managed by the Municipality, but is under the responsibility and protection of the Ministry of Culture as a cultural heritage object," the Municipality's explanation reads after several reactions on social networks. 

"The Municipality of Ferizaj has requested dozens of times in every public appearance, but also through official letters and communications with the responsible central level institutions, that the Municipality be allowed to carry out works in this area, so that it can be regulated, eliminating any possibility of uncertainty for and around this facility. However, such a thing has not been allowed so far by the responsible central institutions, for which the Municipality of Ferizaj continuously repeats this request and is in official communication with the responsible central institutions so that intervention in the area of ​​the former 'Gjon Serreçi' school is allowed," the reaction reads. But according to the Law on Cultural Heritage, local and central institutions are responsible for cultural heritage assets. Above all, the owner, in this case, is the Municipality. The photograph with which the Municipality has accompanied the explanation is from the days when the school was in good condition. But the Municipality of Ferizaj has a different explanation for the public and a completely different one for cultural heritage institutions. In internal correspondence with the Ministry of Culture and the Inspectorate of Cultural Heritage, it accepts and assumes – at least in writing – the responsibilities that fall to it. 

Before explaining it to the public on February 13, the Municipality on February 9 showed the Inspectorate and the Ministry of Culture its readiness for some of the recommendations received. 

"The Municipality of Ferizaj is fully prepared to take all necessary actions according to its budgetary possibilities and within our competence regarding your recommendations for the protection of this facility, namely: In the urgent period, all entrances and exits of the school should be closed with temporary technical protective means; A physical protective fence should be placed around the school; Warning signs should be placed to prohibit access by unauthorized persons; The space should be cleaned with assistance from cultural heritage institutions," the letter from the Directorate of Education of the Municipality of Ferizaj to the MCYS and the Inspectorate reads. 

Regarding other recommendations, the Municipality has said that they can only monitor with cameras, since engaging physical security and appointing a building administrator cannot be implemented due to budgetary constraints.

"All the above recommendations are also dependent on our ongoing request that we have submitted to the MCYS and its bodies, which has to do with allowing the implementation of the project for the regulation of the park and the reconstruction of the existing road, which according to our assessment and that of the security bodies, directly affect the security of this object and the protection of this heritage, therefore, we urgently request from you to allow us, through an official letter, to develop the relevant project that ensures the long-term protection and care for this cultural heritage object under your protection," the letter states. Also, in the letter of the Director of the Directorate of Education, Afrim Llabjani, a meeting with all stakeholders is also requested.