Jani Vruho, an activist of the Albanian National Movement and publicist, was born in Vërtop, Berat. He received his early education in his hometown. In 1881, his family emigrated to Egypt, where he collaborated with Albanian patriotic circles. He entered the fields of journalism and publishing in the first decade of the 20th century. Vruho is notably associated with the publication of the satirical notebook “The Cane,” which had the motto: “I Claim the Rights of the Albanian Nation” (Cairo, 1907-1908). Between 1909 and 1910, he published the newspaper “Rrufeja” (“The Lightning”), with the motto: “Carefully Remove Damage from Foreigners,” followed by the newspaper “The Axe” in 1910. These publications addressed the critical issues of national unification and the armed struggle for independence. From a platform of advanced democratic and anti-feudal perspectives, he also contributed to newspapers such as “The Lightning,” published by Shahin Kolonja, “Liri e Shqipërisë” (“Freedom of Albania”) by Kristo Luarasi, and “Shqypeja e Shqypnis” by Josif Bageri. Vruho steadfastly defended the rights of the Albanian nation for freedom, independence, and territorial integrity. He supported the Lushnja Congress and the Vlora War in 1920. In 1927, on behalf of the Albanian community in Egypt, he addressed the League of Nations with a protest against the Italian-Albanian pacts of 1926 and 1927, which he deemed oppressive acts. For this opposition, the regime of the time sentenced him to death in absentia. Jani Vruho passed away in Egypt in 1931. (In the photo: Jani Vruho)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2924.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jani_Vruho
Graphic processing: AHCF
