TIRANA, Nov. 14- The remains of intellectual, writer and statesman Mid’hat Frasheri returned on Wednesday Nov. 14 morning in Tirana from the USA, where he unexpectedly passed away. Frasheri, who is also known as Lumo Skendo, his pen name, will be buried near the intellectual brothers Frasheri at the artificial lake park of Tirana.
A honorary commemoration ceremony was held for his figure at the Academy of Sciences, where notable political and intellectual figures participated. A number of public also participated in the ceremony to honor the beloved figure of Albanian independence history and language.
Mid’hat Frasheri is the son of Abdyl Frasheri, the eldest brother of the renowned Frasheris brothers, intellectuals, writers, statesmen.
He was born in 1880 in Ioannina, and died suddenly in 1949 at New York. The purpose of his visit at the US was to organize the Free Albania Committee in America. He was buried at the Ferncliff, Westchester, and then finally relocated in Albania, making his testament come true after almost seven decades. His mortar crate covered with our national flag was inearthed next to his father’s tomb.
Mid’hat Frasheri, or Lumo Skendo, has a long history of activism in Albania. After finishing his studies in Istanbul, he worked for the Turkish administration until 1905 before moving to Thessaloniki where he was working in political related duties.
He has been writing since 1987, and when in Thessaloniki he established the ‘’Kalendari Kombiar’’ (National Calendar) newspaper which had a circulating publication until 1928. In 1901 he published the first full biography of his uncle Naim Frasheri. In 1908 he also established the newspaper ‘’Liria’’ (Freedom) in Thessaloniki. In his newspapers he was discussing Albania-related issues, regarding its independence, language and national identity.
In Nov. 1908, he was appointed director of the Manastir Congress, where the Albanian alphabet was discussed and composed, along with Albanian linguistic issues. He was later appointed deputy director of the Alphabet Commision, and was the first to suggest a Latin alphabet adaptation to our own.
Shortly after the Congress finished, Skendo established ‘’Diturija’’ (Knowledge), a magazine for the Albanian literature and language, which holds high linguistic, cultural and literary values for our history. The National History Museum is also to publish a compressed two-volume publication of the magazine for the public, in celebration of our unique language and history.
Later in Sept. 1909, he participated at the National Congress of Elbasan where the delegates discussed about culture and education, and decided to start introducing the Albanian alphabet chosen by the Manastir Congress in all schools in the Albanian territory.
Frasheri was also appointed delegate of Permet, Elbasan and Peja in 1912 at the National Vlora Assembly of Ismail Qemali and signed the Declaration of Independence, along with the many other intellectuals and statesmen of our nation.
In Qemali’s provisional government he was appointed Minister of World Affairs. He has also held the post of Minister of Public Affairs, Albanian consul general in Belgrade and postmaster general. In 1920 he was was appointed Albanian delegate at the Paris Peace Conference where he remained until 1922. After returning from that post, he was appointed Albanian ambassador to Greece and United States until 1926.
When Zog became the first King of Albania, Skendo decided to choose the path of the quiet life by opening the Lumo Skendo bookstore in Tirana from 1926-1939. Considering the multitude of his knowledge, he also worked as a pharmacist as well.
During World War II he established Balli Kombetar (National Front), a political organization that fought on behalf of ethnic Albania against the fascist occupation in our country. Balli Kombetar collaborated with the German militants in our nation to fight the fascist and anti-nazi guerrillas groups. When the communist regime of Enver Hoxha was established in Albania, he was considered an enemy and became a politically persecuted individual, as many other intellectuals during that era.
He fled to Italy, and then moved to London where he established the Free Albania Committee, and engaged in anti-communist groups. In 1949 he went to the US to establish the Committee there, after he was chosen director in London, but died of a heart attack at the Lexington Hotel in New York, and buried there.
Mid’hat Frasheri never married, but dedicated his life to Albania’s liberation instead. He worked to establish an alphabet, Albanian-speaking schools and education. He fought in building a national identity for our citizens, better our history and develop our culture and linguistics. A great statesman, and the father of Albanian Nationalism at its best, purest form.
