The outstanding patriot of our nation, Ismail Qemali, passed away in Perugia, Italy. Throughout his life he worked and strived for the freedom and independence of the homeland. He was among the prominent patriots who formulated the 12 requests addressed to the Turkish government for the granting of a territorial and administrative autonomy for all Albanian lands. Ismail Qemali played a prominent role in the declaration of independence of Albania. On the eve of this great historical event, he traveled around Europe making contact with statesmen, foreign diplomats and the Albanian diaspora colonies to prepare the necessary conditions. Then, together with representatives of different provinces of the country, he came to Vlora, where he presided over the National Assembly that proclaimed Albania’s independence. (In the photo: Ismail Qemali)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2900-2903.
Photo: © Kadiu A., Personal archive
Graphic processing: AHCF
