In Gjakova was born Zekeria Rexha, activist of the National Liberation Anti-Fascist movement in Kosovo, history researcher, writer, and Teacher of the People. He completed primary school in his hometown. He finished high school at the French Lyceum of Korça. He continued his higher studies in philosophy in France and later completed them in Belgrade. In the time between the two world wars, he served in the Ministry of Education in Tirana, and in 1942 he founded in Gjakovë and, for some time, directed the first Normal School of Kosovo. He was a participant of the Bujan Conference (1943-1944) and one of the drafters and signatories of its Resolution. After the war, he worked as a philosophy teacher in the high school of Prishtina, editor of the literary magazine “Jeta e re,” and scientific researcher at the Albanological Institute of Prishtina. In addition to educational, cultural, and scientific activity, he made the first translations in Kosovo, especially by French and other classical authors. He was known by his pseudonyms: Ramë Zuka, Azi and Shpend Dukagjini. With the first pseudonym, he published the cycle of humorous-satirical stories with the character of Talush Efendi, which appeared in 1951-1956, on the pages of “Jeta e re”. After the author’s death, the stories were published in Pristina in a seperate book titled “Talush Efendija” (1973). (In the photo: Zekeria Rexha)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. II , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 1417–1418.
Photo: © https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zekeria_Rexha
Graphic processing: AHCF
