In Bari, Italy, Luigj Gurakuqi was assassinated, a prominent figure in the Albanian national and democratic movement, poet and publicist, People’s Teacher, Hero of the People. He was born in Shkodër. After completing primary school in his hometown, he attended Saint Adrian’s College in the Arbëresh village of San Demetrio (Italy). He studied medicine and biology at the University of Naples (1901–1906). Luigj Gurakuqi has a rich literary and journalistic activity. He wrote lyric poetry and short prose. With the work “Vargënimi n’gjuhë shqype me nji fjalorth shqyp-frangisht n’marim” (“Albanian verse with an Albanian-French dictionary”) (Napoli, 1906) he made the first successful attempt to codify the Albanian metric. In the same year, he published in Bucharest the book “Abetar i vogël shqyp mas abevet t’Bashkimit e t’Stambollit me tregime n’t’dy dhialektet” (“Small primer in Albanian after the primers of the Union and Istanbul with stories in both dialects”), and in Naples “Fjalorth shqyp-frangisht e frangisht-shqyp i fjalëve t’reja” (“Albanian-French and French-Albanian dictionary of all words”). After 1906, Luigj Gurakuqi devoted himself entirely to the political activity of the war for national liberation. He wrote articles for the most important newspapers in the Albanian press. In the summer of 1907, he collaborated with Bajo Topulli to organize the uprising in the North. He participated in the Congress of Manastir (1908), where he was elected vice-president and commission member for the alphabet’s unification. In December 1909, he was appointed director of the “Normale” school, which was opened in Elbasan. In 1911, he participated in the Mbishkodra highlanders’ uprising and, as one of its leaders, drafted the Memorandum of Greça (1911) together with Ismail Qemali. In 1912, he developed intensive activities for the organization of the general uprising. He participated in the meeting of Bucharest and the Assembly of Vlora for the Declaration of Independence (1912). He was Ismail Qemali’s closest collaborator. He was appointed Minister of Education (December 1912) in the Provisional Government of Vlora (1912) and established compulsory primary education for boys and girls. During the Austro-Hungarian occupation, taking advantage of the position of General Director of Education and the political situation, he opened many Albanian schools. He participated in the Congress of Durrës (1918), was elected Minister of Education in the provisional government, and was a member of its delegation to the Paris Peace Conference. From 1921 to 1924, he was deputy of Shkodra in the National Council, where he fought to democratize the country’s life. As an active member of the “Bashkimi” society, he actively participated in the Democratic Revolution of June 1924, being one of its main leaders. In the government headed by Fan S. Noli, he was appointed Minister of Finance. After the suppression of the Revolution, he emigrated in Italy. In November 1957, his remains were brought home and reburied in Shkodër. (In the photo: Luigj Gurakuqi)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 798-799.
Photo : © Xhoxhi L., personal archive
Graphic processing: AHCF
