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42-621: Fishta was the chairman of the Congress of Manastir , which sanctioned the official Albanian alphabet , and he was part of the Albanian delegation to the Versailles Conference in 1919 . In 1921, he was a member of the Albanian parliament and eventually became the deputy chairman. Later on, during the 1920s and the 1930s, he was among the most influential cultural and literary figures in Albania. After

84-556: A political figure and as a member of the clergy. In the last years of the Ottoman rule over Albania, proposed by the wali of Shkodër Hasan Riza Pasha he was awarded with the Maarif Order of 2nd class (tr. Maarif Nişanı , Order of Education) for his contribution in the local education. He was awarded with the Order of Franz Joseph from Austro-Hungarian Empire authorities, later on in 1925 with

126-513: A result, the Ottoman Empire organised a congress in Debar in 1909, with the intention that Albanians formally declare themselves as Ottomans, promising to defend their territorial sovereignty and adopting an Arabic-based alphabet. They faced strong opposition from nationally minded Albanians, and the Albanian element took total control of the proceedings. While the congress was progressing, members of

168-493: A right to use a Latin script, and that this would be a ‘tool’ for progress. He did not take the same position on the direction of writing and matters of religion, however. Said ideas continued to be defended by him in the other places the three members visited. The adoption of a Latin character-based Albanian alphabet was considered an important step for Albanian unification. Some Albanian Muslims and clerics, preferring an Arabic-based alphabet, expressed their opposition towards

210-831: A special commission that was to be sent to the United States of America on behalf of the Albanian state. As part of the commission, Fishta visited Boston , New York and Washington . In 1921, Fishta was elected to the Albanian parliament as a representative of Shkodër, and in August of that year was made vice president of the assembly. Fishta attended numerous Balkan conferences, such as in Athens in 1930, in Sofia in 1931, and in Bucharest in 1932. However, he eventually withdrew from public life and devoted his remaining years to his literary works as well as

252-539: Is the first major contribution to global literature written in the Albanian-language. It is arguably the most powerful epic poem written in Albanian in terms of its literary impact and the most successful in terms of public reception. After the Communist regime came to power in Albania, Fishta's literature had been taken out of circulation. Fishta was perhaps denigrated more than any other pre-Communist writer, but this

294-511: The Bashkimi alphabet, declared: “I have not come here to defend any one of the alphabets, but I have come here to unite with you and adopt that alphabet which the Congress decides upon as most useful for uplifting the people”. The audience was deeply moved by Fishta. Hodja Ibrahim Effendi, a Muslim clergyman , rushed to Fishta and embraced him with tears in his eyes. At the beginning of the Congress,

336-491: The Bejte tradition of Shkodër , which he elevated to a literary level. The literature of Shkodra produced by Catholic Albanian clergymen entered a golden age during the first decades of the 20th century, and this blossoming of Gheg Culture is largely credited to Fishta, who was universally recognised as Albania's national poet at the outbreak of World War II . Fishta also translated a number of literary works into Albanian, such as

378-685: The CUP in Tirana orchestrated a demonstration, criticising the adoption of a Latin-based alphabet to the local branch of the Union Association. Talat Bey, the interior minister, claimed that the Albanian population supported the use of the Ottoman Turkish alphabet, and not a Latin-based one. The Union Association did not stop the demonstration, instead organizing a congress with 120 attendees in Elbasan. Due to

420-530: The Communist regime came to power, his literary oeuvre had been taken out of circulation until the fall of communism in the early 1990s. In recognition of his vast contributions to Albanian literature, he is also known as the " Albanian Homer ". Fishta was born in 1871 as Zef Ndoka to a Catholic Albanian family in Fishtë , which is a village located in the Zadrima region. His parents were Ndok and Prenda Kaçi, and he

462-473: The Iliad . Fishta's most notable work is The Highland Lute ( Albanian : Lahuta e Malcís ), a historical epic verse centred around the Albanian struggle for independence. The Highland Lute consists of 15,613 lines and covers the history of Albania (particularly in the north) from 1862 until 1913. Dedicated to the Albanian commander Ali Pashë Gucia , the work is an epic poem that consists of 30 cantos focusing on

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504-601: The Young Turk Revolution , the general uprisings in northern Albania, the Balkan Wars and the Albanian declaration of independence . According to Fishta himself, the hero of The Highland Lute is the Albanian nation. The content and stylistic form of The Highland Lute were deeply inspired by the Albanian epic oral tradition that is depicted in the songs typically sung with the Çifteli or Lahutë . The Highland Lute uses

546-486: The Albanian community of Istanbul, arrived. They were to attend the congress and later advise smaller, similar Albanian societies that operated throughout Albania. At first, the three members sought to protect the writing of Albanian with the use of an Ottoman Turkish alphabet . However, Hodja Vildan nullified his concerns. He denounced Sultan Abdul Hamid and defended the importance of unity among Albanians for self-determination and national spirit. Vildan argued that they had

588-729: The Franciscan order, where he held the office of provincial of the Albanian Franciscans from 1935 to 1938. He spent the later years of his life in seclusion at the Franciscan monastery of Gjuhadol in Shkodër. Lahuta e Malcís (The Highland Lute) (opening and extract) Help me, as then you helped, Oh God Five hundred years the Turk has trod Upon our fair Albanian lands, Our people slaves under his hands, Leaving our world in woe, in blood; No chest can breathe, no flower bud; Here not even

630-577: The Istanbul and Bashkimi alphabets, but with some changes to reduce the differences between them. Usage of the alphabet of Istanbul declined rapidly and it became obsolete over the following years as Albania declared its independence. The Bashkimi alphabet is the predecessor of the official alphabet for the Albanian language in use today. To those who were disappointed that the Congress had chosen two written scripts rather than one, Gjergj Fishta noted that German also had two written scripts. After some discussion,

672-668: The Latin script due to concerns that it would undermine ties with the Muslim world . The situation was also alarming for the Ottoman government, as the Albanians were the largest Muslim community in the European part of the empire, apart from the population of Istanbul. The Albanian national movement was regarded as proof that others also felt a relationship to the nation, not just Christians, and that Islam alone could not keep Ottoman Muslims united. As

714-688: The Medaglia di Benemerenza by the Holy See . On 1931 by the Order of the Phoenix by Greece , and after the Italian invasion of Albania he was part of the Royal Academy of Italy . In Albania: From other countries: Congress of Manastir The Congress of Manastir ( Albanian : Kongresi i Manastirit ) was an academic conference held in the city of Manastir (now Bitola) from November 14 to 22, 1908, with

756-563: The Zanas', 1913); Vallja e Parrizit ('The Dance of Paradise', 1925), and the satirical volumes Anxat e Parnasit ('The Wasps of Parnassus', 1907) and Gomari i Babatasit ('Babatasi's Ass ', 1923). The Wasps of Parnasus is a satirical work that critiqued the Albanians who placed individual interests over national ones and the intelligentsia who did not devote themselves to studying the Albanian language and showed disdain toward it. According to Arshi Pipa , Fishta's satirical works are modulated after

798-424: The ages Thus to stain your glorious pages; This your culture: Albania starves While faithless perjured Brussels carves Her up to feed the whelps of Slavs. Thus you pay them, who sacrificed Themselves to save the lands of Christ. Skanderbeg fought to save your world, While you sat mute with banners furled. (Fishta, trans. Wilton) Fishta authored 37 literary publications during his lifetime, and he

840-454: The alphabet matter and other Young Turk policies, relations among Albanian elites, nationalists, and Ottoman authorities broke down. Though at first Albanian nationalist clubs were not curtailed, the demands for political, cultural, and linguistic rights eventually made the Ottomans adopt measures to repress Albanian nationalism, which resulted in two Albanian revolts ( 1910 and 1912 ) towards

882-636: The centenary of the congress. In all schools in Albania , Kosovo and Albanian-majority areas in North Macedonia , the first school hour was dedicated to honouring the Congress and teaching students about it. Paris Peace Conference Agreements and declarations resulting from meetings in Paris include: may refer to: may refer to: refers to the Charter of Paris for a New Europe (1990), which helped to found

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924-458: The committee was unable to choose a single alphabet, and opted for the use of both the Bashkimi alphabet and Sami Frashëri 's "Istanbul" alphabet, but with some changes to reduce the differences between the two. In response to those who were disappointed that the committee had chosen two written scripts rather than one, Fishta noted that German also had two written scripts, and after some discussion,

966-487: The committee, and although he praised the development of the Bashkimi alphabet, he declared that he had not arrived to defend any one of the alphabets; rather, he had come to unite with his countrymen and adopt the alphabet which the committee decided would be the most useful. Fishta's words deeply moved the audience, and Hoxha Ibrahim Efendi, a Muslim Albanian clergyman , rushed towards Fishta and embraced him with tears in his eyes. After three successive days of discussion,

1008-414: The congress, and eighteen were observers. Below is the list of the participants with the right to vote: The speeches of the first two days with regard to the alphabet were general in character, and helped to create the atmosphere in which to carry out the serious work. The representatives understood the importance of unity, regardless which alphabet was chosen. Gjergj Fishta, who praised the development of

1050-538: The cultural association Shoqnia e Bashkimit të Gjuhës Shqipe ( Society for the Unity of the Albanian Language ) in Shkodër, otherwise known as Bashkimi or Shoqnia Bashkimi . The association published Albanian-language books, notably a dictionary of the northern dialect of the Albanian language. By 1902, Fishta became the director of every Franciscan school in northern Albania, and he replaced Italian with Albanian as

1092-488: The decision for the use of both the Bashkimi and Istanbul alphabets was accepted by all the delegates. It was also agreed to have every local Albanian authority report to the Union Association, monthly, about developments in their areas. Another agreement resulted in another congress in Ioannina on July 10, 1910. On November 20, when the congress was coming to an end, Hodja Vildan, Fazil Pasha and Colonel Riza, three members of

1134-399: The decision for the use of both the Bashkimi and Istanbul alphabets was accepted by all the delegates. Usage of the Istanbul alphabet declined rapidly and became obsolete over the following years as Albania declared its independence ; in contrast, the Bashkimi alphabet functioned as the predecessor of the official alphabet of the Albanian language that is in use today. In 1913, Fishta founded

1176-543: The delegates elected a commission consisting of eleven members (four Muslims, four Orthodox and three Catholics) to make a decision before the other delegates arrived. Gjergj Fishta was elected chairman of the commission, Parashqevi Qiriazi chairwoman and Mit'hat Frashëri its vice-chairman. Luigj Gurakuqi became the secretary of the commission while the other five members of the commission were Bajo Topulli , Ndre Mjeda, Shahin Kolonja, Gjergj Qiriazi and Sotir Peçi. Mit'hat Frashëri

1218-501: The end of Ottoman rule. The Congress of Manastir represents one of the most important events for Albanians, and the most important after the establishment the League of Prizren , not only because of the decisions made, but also because those decisions were to be legally implemented by the Ottoman authorities. In 2008, festivities were organized in Bitola , Tirana and Pristina to celebrate

1260-672: The events that precede and occur during the League of Prizren , which had become a symbol of the Albanian national awakening . The story begins with skirmishes between Albanian highlanders from the Hoti tribe and the Montenegrins who had attacked them, capturing the heroic acts of figures such as Oso Kuka . The main section of the work consists of the cantos VI-XVV, which focuses on the League of Prizren between 1878 and 1880 and covers numerous battles, duels and folkloric elements. The final cantos focus on

1302-403: The goal of standardizing the Albanian alphabet . November 22 is now a commemorative day in Albania , Kosovo and North Macedonia , as well as among the Albanian diaspora , known as Alphabet Day ( Albanian : Dita e Alfabetit ). Prior to the Congress, the Albanian language was represented by a combination of six or more distinct alphabets, plus a number of sub-variants. The congress

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1344-469: The language of instruction. In 1907, Fishta founded the first Albanian public library in the city of Shkodër, alongside fellow Albanian activist Shtjefën Gjeçovi . As a representative of the Shoqnia Bashkimi , Fishta participated in the Congress of Manastir , which was held in the city of Manastir in 1908 with the intention of standardising the Albanian alphabet . Fishta was elected as the chairman of

1386-467: The monthly Hylli i Drites , one of the most important cultural periodicals in Albania prior to 1944, and during 1916–1919, he edited the biweekly Posta e Shqypnis (The herald of Albania) in Shkodër. In August 1919, Fishta served as the secretary-general of the Albanian delegation that attended the Paris Peace Conference , and he was later asked by the delegation's president Luigj Bumçi to join

1428-444: The most common Albanian folk verse, the trochaic octameter , although it also uses the heptameter at different points, and the expressions and richness of the language used are very much in-line with the Albanian epic oral tradition. The most integral feature of the work that ties it to this epic tradition, however, is the idealisation of the heroic lifestyle of Albanian highlanders . Robert Elsie hypothesized that Fishta substituted

1470-508: The struggle against the Ottomans with a struggle against the Slavs , after the recent massacres and expulsions of Albanians by their Slavic neighbours. The majority of The Highland Lute was composed between 1902 and 1909, but it was refined and amended by Fishta until the original 30 cantos were published in Shkodër in 1937 to mark the 25th anniversary of Albania's independence. The Highland Lute

1512-405: The sun moves free, Here all is evil that we see And we must suffer silently, Pitied by mice scrabbling for wheat; Pitied by snakes beneath our feet. ... These men whose God is gold alone - I curse them for their hearts of stone - Desire to take this wretched land, Won by much Albanian blood, and Make a jigsaw of its borders. Why? Because Europe so orders... Europe, you whore of

1554-416: Was also elected chairman of the congress. The delegates took a besa to accept the decision of the committee. The committee deliberated on the question of a common alphabet for three successive days. They promised, through said besa, that nothing would be known before the ultimate decision. However, the Congress was unable to choose one single alphabet and instead opted for a compromise solution, using both

1596-571: Was held by the Union Association (Albanian language: Bashkimi) literary society at the house of Fehim Zavalani , which served as the headquarters of the union. The participants of the congress were prominent figures of the cultural and political life from Albanian-inhabited territories in the Balkans, as well as throughout the Albanian diaspora . There were fifty delegates, representing twenty-three Albanian-inhabited cities, towns, and cultural and patriotic associations of whom thirty-two had voting rights in

1638-498: Was not the result of the alleged pro-Italian or clerical sympathies. Rather, Fishta's censorship was the result of the pro-Slavic sympathies of the Albanian communists that were rooted in Yugoslavian involvement in their actual establishment, and his works were wrongfully labelled as "anti-Slavic propaganda". Fishta's censorship persisted until the fall of communism in the early 1990s. Fishta's talent as an orator served him well as

1680-517: Was particularly notable for his work as a lyric and satirical poet . In the late Ottoman period, Fishta's publications included folk songs and a number of poems, which like other Albanian publications of the time often had to be published abroad and smuggled into the empire to avoid censorship. Fishta's lyric verse is regarded to be his best; these works include the collections Vierrsha i perspirteshem t'kthyem shcyp ('Spiritual Verse Translated into Albanian', 1906); Mrizi i zâneve ('Noonday Rest of

1722-606: Was sent by the Franciscan Order to Bosnia , where he came into close contact with classical Latin and modern West European literary traditions. Fishta was ordained as a priest in 1894 and officially accepted into the Franciscan order under the name 'Gjergj Fishta'. He returned to Shkodër and began work as a parish priest in the village of Gomsiqe and as a teacher in the college of Troshan. In 1899, alongside well-known Albanian activists Preng Doçi and Ndre Mjeda , Fishta founded

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1764-460: Was the youngest of three brothers and one sister. The parish priest of Troshan - Marian Pizzochini of Palmanova - asked Gjergj's parents to make him a friar. At the expense of the parishioner, Zef went to the Franciscan school in Shkodër until 1880, which is when Troshan's College began its activity. After completing his initial education in the Franciscan colleges of Troshan and Shkodër in 1886, Fishta

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