Jani Minga was an activist of the Albanian school, of the National Renaissance, the “Democratic Movement” (1920-1924), and a Teacher of the People, was born in Shënpjetër in Fier. He received his first education in Vlora. He attended the Normal School in Qestorat (Gjirokastër) and Çotil (today in North Macedonia). He completed his higher studies in philology in Athens. He taught in the Greek schools of Ardenica, Dhërmi, Vlora, and Kanina, where, from 1895, he secretly taught the students the Albanian language. He was one of the initiators of the opening of the patriotic club “Labëria” and of the first Albanian school in Vlorë (1908), of the Albanian school in Kaninë (1910). He was one of the delegates from Vlora in the National Assembly of November 1912 and participated in the raising of the flag and the Declaration of Independence of Albania. The Provisional Government of Vlora appointed him director of education in Vlora, Berat, Durrës, and Gjirokastër. During the preparations for the War of Vlora, he was arrested by the Italian military authorities and exiled to the island of Sazan (1920). For the school needs, Jani Minga published “Abetare Kombëtare shqip ” (“National Albanian Primer”) (1920) and “Gramatika e gjuhës shqipe” (“Grammar of the Albanian language”) (1925). During the years 1921-1924, Jani Minga worked for the democratization of the life of the country and of the school, demanding that it be national, secular, unified, and compulsory for boys and girls. He became active in the teachers’ associations and participated in the educational congresses of 1922 and 1924. He was on the side of the forces that supported the government of Fan Noli in 1924. He was persecuted along with his family for his activities. He and his family participated in the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Movement, and two of his sons died in Nazi concentration camps. He passed away in 1947. He was decorated with the “Order of the Flag”. (In the photo: Jani Minga)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1723-1724.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jani_Minga
Graphic processing: AHCF
