Stefanaq Pollo (1923-1997), historian, professor, academic, personality of Albanian historiography, was born in Përmet. Head of the National Lyceum (French) of Korça. He completed his higher studies in history at “Lomonosov” University in Moscow (1945-1950). He participated in the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War. During the years 1944-1945, he worked as the editor-in-chief of the newspapers “Kushtrimi i Lirisë” (“Call of Freedom”) and “Rinia” (“The Youth”) and of the newspaper “Bashkimi” (“The Union”). In the years 1950-1951, he was a history lecturer at the Two-Year Pedagogical Institute; in 1951–1957, vice president of the Institute of Sciences; during the years 1957–1958 and 1968–1969 dean of the Faculty of History and Philology and head of the history department (1969–1972). With his scientific creativity, he laid the foundations of Albanian studies for the era of the National Renaissance, but, apart from that, he also tackled a wide range of problems of Albanian historiography. His scientific work, summarized in two volumes, “In the footsteps of Albanian history” (1990, 2003), sheds light on problems such as: the formation of the nation and the Albanian national movement, the role of the Albanian people in today’s history on the Balkan and European level, the Albanian League of Prizren, the Declaration of Independence of Albania, the role and place of religions in Albania during the Renaissance, which constitutes a real monograph, etc. Stefanaq Pollo has contributed as a co-author and responsible editor in the drafting of major works of Albanian historiography, such as: “History of Albania” volume I, 1959 and volume II, 1965; “History of Albania” volume IV, 1983, and volume II and III 1984. Stefanaq Pollo is co-author of volume II of “History of the Albanian people” (2002), co-author and responsible editor of the work “History of Albania from the origin to our days”, published in French (Lyon, 1974) and in English (London, 1981). He received the Republic Award of the first degree; has been decorated with the “Red Flag of Labor” Order of the first class. (In the photo: Stefanaq Pollo)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2063-2064.
Photo: © https://www.pinterest.com/pin/838795499335038067/
Graphic processing: AHCF
