The “National Congress of Elbasan”, a meeting with an all-Albanian character, was convened, which took important decisions for the spread of Albanian schools and for other problems of the national movement. It was called at the initiative of the Albanian Club of Thessaloniki. 35 representatives of Albanian clubs and societies participated as delegates, including Orhan Pojani, Grigor Cilka, Gjergj e Sevasti Qirjazi, Mithat Frashëri, Dervish bey Biçaku, Refik Toptani, Ahmet Dakli, Hamdi Ohri, Abdullah Koprencka, Thoma Papapano, Nikollë Kaçori , Simon Shuteriqi, Selman Blloshmi, etc. It was led by a leadership consisting of four people and headed by Dervish bey Biçaku. The Congress decided to establish in Elbasan, in the fall of 1909, an Albanian pedagogical (normal) high school with six classes, which would prepare teachers for Albanian primary schools and would be maintained with the contribution of all Albanian clubs and societies. It was also decided to establish the central school association “Pëparimi“ (“Progress”) in Korçë, which would take care of the maintenance and administration of the normal school, would work for the opening of other Albanian schools and for the publication of Albanian books and texts. In the closed meetings, the delegates expressed their opposition and distrust towards the Young Turk regime, their determination to ensure Albania’s autonomy and the need for a better organization of the secret committees operating near the clubs. The decisions of the National Congress of Elbasan gave a further impetus to the national movement and to the fight for the spread of schools and Albanian writing. (In the photo: The castle school building where the Congress of Elbasan was held, 1909.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1261.
Photo: © Digital Archive of Elbasan
Graphic processing: AHCF
