How did Albania's government control religion under Enver Hoxha?

Under the leadership of Enver Hoxha, the Albanian government systematically dismantled religious life as part of a radical modernization program. Viewing religious institutions as backward, medieval obstacles to national unity and progress, the communist regime enforced a policy of state-mandated atheism.123

In 1967, the government officially banned all religious establishments and proclaimed Albania an atheistic country. The state’s control over religion was absolute and included the following actions:13

• Closure of Worship Sites: All Christian and Muslim houses of worship—including churches, mosques, and zāwiyahs—were forcibly closed.13
• Confiscation of Property: The state seized the property belonging to religious institutions.3
• Prohibition of Observance: All religious practices and observances were strictly banned.3
• Persecution: Throughout its 45-year rule, the party engaged in large-scale persecution of believers, subjecting those who dissented or maintained their faith to public criticism, imprisonment in forced-labor camps, or execution.123

These restrictions remained in place until 1990, when the government finally restored the freedom of worship.3