In the village of Nistrovë of Upper Reka, which then belonged to the Sanjak of Dibra . Josif Bageri was born, poet, writer, publicist, activist of the National Renaissance. He spent his childhood and early youth in his hometown. He learned to read and write Albanian at 17, in Sofia, where he went as an exile. For some time he worked as a shoemaker. He was one of the founders and activists of the Albanian society “Dëshira”, founded in Sofia on January 1st, 1893. In 1899, he visited Naim Frashëri in Instanbul, who greatly influenced his literary and patriotic activity. During the years 1905-1907, he worked on the spread of education and the opening of Albanian schools. In 1908, he opened the Albanian school in Nistrovo. 1910 he founded the newspaper “Shqypeja e Shqipnise” in Sofia. After 1912, he settled in Durrës and was appointed editor-in-chief of the magazine “Ushtima e Krujës”. He published poetry, prose, comments, reactions and other literary and journalistic writings. He was a close collaborator with prominent figures of the National Renaissance and independence of Albania. He passed away in Prishtina, during a trip from Durrës to Sofia, in 1915. (In the photo: Josif Bageri)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 92.
Photo: © https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josif_Bageri
Graphic processing: AHCF
