Main delegates of the congress

The Albanian Congress of Trieste (Albanian: Kongresi Shqiptar i Triestës) was a congress of Albanians held in Trieste, Austria-Hungary in the period between 27 February – 6 March 1913, organized by Faik Konica and Sotir Kolea[1][2] with strong support from the Austrian authorities.

Developments

The Provisional Government of Albania sent Kristo Meksi as its emissary to the Albanian Congress of Trieste.[3] Baron Franz Nopcsa who participated in the work of the congress, published his notes on the congress that became of particular historical interest.[4] The participants of the congress included Fan Noli, Albert Ghica, Baron Juan Pedro Aladro Kastriota, Nikolla Ivanaj,[5] Giuseppe Schirò,[6] and Terenzio Tocci.[7] All Albanian colonies sent their delegates, they came from US, Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt, Italy, and Trieste. The Arbëreshë community also was present, bringing with Marchese D'Auletta and his sons. Hil Mosi was elected Chairman of the Congress, Faik Konitza and Dervish Hima as vice-chairmen, Fazil Toptani and Pandeli Evangjeli as secretaries.[6] Marchese d'Auletta, one of the main candidates for the Albanian throne, was elected "Honorary President" of the congress.[8]

The congress recognized the provisional government set up by Ismail Qemal bey Vlora and discussed the various candidates for the vacant throne. Among the candidates being discussed at the time were Ferdinand François Bourbon Orléans-Montpensier of France, Albert Ghika of Romania, Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach from Württemberg, the Egyptian prince Ahmed Fuad, and the Spanish nobleman Juan Pedro Aladro Kastriota descent from the Kastrioti family through his paternal grandmother, he was the son of the Marchese Castriota (D'Auletta) from Naples. Baron Nopzsa also proposed himself for the throne. Austria-Hungary promoted the congress, in particular to ensure the selection of a prince of its choice.[9]

The situation of the Aromanians in Albania was also discussed. In particular, the Aromanians demanded the establishment of an autonomous canton within Albania. It had also been proposed in the simulatenous London Conference of 1912–1913 that all lands inhabited by the Aromanians in the Balkans be given to Albania to protect them from Greek and Serbian assimilation. However, this did not happen, and the Aromanians were not given an autonomous canton in Albania as they did not live in compact areas within this unenlarged Albanian state.[10]

List of delegates

Decisions

The program of the congress had four points:

  1. Preparing the request to be sent to the Great Powers for recognition of the political and economical independence of the Albania
  2. Treaty of friendship and support of the Aromanian populations that lived near Albanian-inhabited regions and wanted to be included in the Albanian state.
  3. Borders of future Albania
  4. Discussion about the prince[6]

References

  1. ^ Mano, Nini (3 July 2010). "Sotir Kolea, dhunimi i një patrioti (pas vdekjes)". Gazeta Shqip. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  2. ^ Elsie, Robert. "Albanian Voices, 1962 – Fan Noli". Robert Elsie's personal website. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011. Congress of Trieste which was organized by his friend and rival Faik bey Konitza
  3. ^ Elsie, Robert (1999). "The Viennese Scholar Who Almost Became King of Albania: Baron Franz Nopcsa and His Contribution to Albanian Studies". East European Quarterly. 33. ISSN 0012-8449.
  4. ^ Nopcsa, Franz. "The Congress of Trieste". Robert Elsie. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  5. ^ Nopcsa, Franz. "The Congress of Trieste". Robert Elsie. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011. Nikolla Ivanaj, who endeavoured unsuccessfully to challenge the authority of the chairman simply in order to draw attention to himself.
  6. ^ a b c "Kongresi Shqipetar Trieste". Shipkovica. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  7. ^ Elsie, Robert (2004), Historical dictionary of Albania, Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, p. 445, ISBN 978-0-8108-4872-6, OCLC 52347600, Tocci Torenzio....he took part in the Congress of Trieste
  8. ^ Fan Noli, Kostandin Chekrezi, ed. (1818), Kalendari i Vatrës i motit 1918 [Vatra's calendar of year 1918] (in Albanian), Boston, MA: Vatra, p. 26, ...kryetar i nderit Markisi Auleta Kastrioti...
  9. ^ Robert Elsie (2010), Historical Dictionary of Albania, Historical Dictionaries of Europe, vol. 75 (2 ed.), The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 89–90, ISBN 978-0-8108-6188-6
  10. ^ Meta, Beqir (2009). "Pakica etno-kulturore vllehe në vitet 1912-1920". Studime Historike (in Albanian) (1–2): 57–76.

External links

Albania during the early Independence period (1912–14)
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