Elbasan, the first Albanian city to raise the flag and declare Independence

The Declaration of the Independence from Elbasan

 The Albanian National Revival, has been a bright period of our history, was a decisive era for the fate of all Albanians.

Throughout the Renaissance period, the goal of our entire nation, of patriots and patriots who fought with pens and rifles, has been the Declaration of Independence of Albania.

The Ottoman Empire has long tried to thwart this goal with various policies. Administrative divisions were one of these policies, which aimed to mix different nations. Within them, Elbasan, for example, was part of the Vilayet of Manastir.

Elbasan was a city with a lot of potential for several reasons, among which we mention the main: the favorable geographical position in the middle of Albania. The central dialect of the Albanian language, economic and commercial development since the beginning of the XVII century, which was clearly shown by the trade organizations of various crafts.

Part of this flourishing of the city was also the performances of cultural life and the efforts for an Albanian alphabet, from the Anonymous of Elbasan, Dhaskal Todri to Kristoforidhi.

The Elbasan Congress and the Opening of the Normal School were other hallmarks in Albanian history. All these shows with facts that Elbasan had started the road to the Declaration of Independence long ago, so it was no coincidence the declaration of independence on November 25, 1912. Raising the flag of independence remains a moment of historical pride for Elbasan.

All these steps, stretched over the years, made it possible that on November 25, 1925, Elbasan was the first city in Albania to raise the flag and declare Independence. The local party and local authorities were prepared for this purpose and were even well organized to successfully crown the great event. This initiative undertaken initially by Elbasan had an impact. Even in other cities like Peqini that declared Independence a day later and then Tirana, Durres, etc.

Initially, the flag was raised in Elbasan, on November 25, but this was not just a ceremony but meant a lot to Elbasan, because an Albanian administration would now be created. The prefecture of Elbasan in those times was twice as big as today's prefecture. Local government would therefore replace the former Turkish administration (prefecture, sub-prefecture, province).

The constructor of the whole local government was Aqif Pasha Elbasani, a man with the value of the extraordinary contribution, who did not leave as a delegate in Vlora, on the 28th, but stayed in Elbasan to face the Serbian tricks. The raising of the flag in Elbasan on November 25, in front of all other cities, was related to the direct danger of Serbian occupation, namely to put foreign armies before the fact that they would invade the territories of an independent state and that state was Albania. So now there was an Albanian state, part of which was this city, Elbasan. After enjoying Independence, Albanians faced even more difficult days, such as those of land fragmentation and confrontation at international conferences on the issue of borders..