Occupation writer, publisher Role Writer Name Jani Vreto | Ethnicity Albanian Died 1900 | |
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Literary movement Albanian National Awakening | ||
Notable works Histori e Skenderbeut | ||
Shkolla jani vreto
Jani Vreto (1822–1900) was an Albanian writer, publisher and important figure of the Albanian National Awakening.
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Life
Jani Vreto was born in Postenan, a village near Leskovik, southern Albania in 1822. He went to the local school where he took his first lessons from Nikolla Ikonomi, who would teach him both Greek and Albanian.
In 1878, he represented the Albanian population of the Ottoman Empire alongside Abdyl Frasheri at the Congress of Berlin.
In 1879 he became one of the founders of Society for the Publication of Albanian Writings, (Albanian: Shoqëri e të shtypurit shkronjavet shqip), an organization responsible for publishing Albanian textbooks and opening Albanian schools. Vreto transferred its headquarters from Istanbul to Bucharest after the organization was banned by the Ottoman authorities. As a member of this society Vreto set up and operated the Albanian printing house of Bucharest playing an important role in the advancement of the Albanian movement.
At the same time he was excommunicated by the Orthodox metropolitan of Gjirokastër, who accused him of having committed heresy by "creating an Albanian question". Many of the works of Naim Frashëri, national poet of Albania were published by this organization. Vreto was also a member of the Central Committee for Defending the Rights of the Albanian People along with Pandeli Sotiri, Hasan Tahsini, Pashko Vasa, Koto Hoxhi, Sami Frashëri and Abdyl Frasheri.
Works
Jani Vreto's most known work is an epic poem titled Histori e Skënderbeut (English: History of Skanderbeg), dedicated to national hero of Albania Skanderbeg. In 1888 he edited and published the poem Erveheja of Muhamet Kyçyku transliterating it into Latin script completely removing all Turkish or Arabic words Kyçyku had used. Part of Vreto's own work was published in Spiro Dine's work Valët e Detit (English: Waves at the Sea), a collection of Albanian history and literature.
Vreto together with Sami Frashëri supported the idea that the Albanian alphabet should be based on the Greek alphabet, since according to them, Albanians and Greeks have the same ancestors, the Pelasgians.
Recognition
On 13 January 2012 the President of Albania, Bamir Topi decorate Jani Vreto after death Honor of Nation Order of Albania.
There is a statue of him in the town of Leskovik.