History

The National Renaissance, from the second half of the 19th century, with its efforts to awaken our national consciousness, in the fight for freedom and independence, to affirm the Albanian nation and culture, gave a great impetus to the progress of scientific thought on issues of the history of the Albanian people, its traditions and language, for the spread of education in the native language, for the unification of the Albanian alphabet, also for the dissemination and processing of initial knowledge in various branches of science. Many bright figures of the Albanian nation, such as Sami Frashëri, Hasan Tahsini, Refat Frashëri etc., although they developed their activity outside the homeland, strove not only for freedom and independence, but also for the development of Albanian education, culture and science. They even gave special importance to cultural development, as a condition for achieving national freedom. Naim Frashëri has summarized this in the programmatic verses: “And the light of knowledge will lead us forward, forward towards freedom!” From the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, many Albanian societies and clubs were created, mainly in exile, but also in Albania, which united intellectual and literary forces around themselves.

After the Declaration of Independence in November 1912, with the efforts of the most prominent Albanian intellectuals and researchers, several cultural centers and clubs that also performed research functions were created in some of the main cities of Albania. These first efforts to create a bed of Albanian science were increased and became more organized with the consolidation of the Albanian state, after the Congress of Lushnja. Several special services were established that also performed some research function, such as the Veterinary or Epidemiological Service (1928), the Xhafzotaj Farm and some others. Foreign researchers, such as F. Nopça, H. Luis, F. Markgraf, A. Hajek, E. Durham, L. Rei, etc., also gave their valuable contribution to the development of Albanian studies, furthering the tradition of Albanological studies of the 19th century. During the years of World War I and afterwards, not only the language, ethnology and history of the Albanians were researched, but also the geology and natural resources, relief, vegetation, and archaeological research and excavations were carried out. Albanian specialists who were being trained in foreign universities began to participate and cooperate in these research and studies. The Albanian language, history and folk culture, literature, art and traditions were the main areas of their personal contribution.

This scientific activity began to take its fullest form and develop further during the 1930s and 1940s, when many intellectuals, educated abroad, laid the foundations of Albanian studies, such as: Aleksandër Xhuvani, Kostaq Cipo, Eqrem Çabej, Bilal Golemi, Gjovalin Gjadri, Hasan Ceka, etc.