Jani Minga, an activist of the Albanian school, National Renaissance, the Democratic Movement (1920-1924), and Teacher of the People, passed away. He was born in the village of Shënpjetre in Fier. He received his first education in Vlora. He attended the Normal School in Qestorat (Gjirokastër) and Çotil (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 founders of the patriotic club “Labëria” and of the first Albanian school in Vlorë (1908), and the Albanian school in Kaninë (1910). He was one of the delegates from Vlora in the National Assembly of November 1912 and participated in raising 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 Vlora War, he was arrested by the Italian military authorities and exiled to the island of Sazan (1920). For school needs, Jani Minga published: “Abetare kombëtare shqip” (Albanian national primer) (1920); “Gramatika e gjuhës shqipe” (Albanian Grammar) (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; became active in teachers’ societies and participated in educational congresses of the years 1922 and 1924. He was on the side of the forces that supported the government of Fan Noli, in 1924. For his activity, he was persecuted together with his family. He participated alongside his family in the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Movement and two of his sons died in Nazi concentration camps. He was decorated with ” Urdhrin e Flamurit “. (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
