Today marks 99 years since the mysterious death of Ismail Qemali, the man who in 1912 proclaimed the independence of Albania, in the city of Vlora. He died on January 24, 1919 in Perugia, Italy, moments before giving a press conference. To this day, there is no definitive version of his death, but suspicions have always been raised that he was poisoned by Greek, Serbian, Turkish or Italian circles.
Ismail Qemali was born in Vlora in 1844. He spent the last years of his life in exile, always working for the good of the homeland and cooperating with the Albanian colonies. In 1917, the National Political Party of the Albanians of America appointed him as its delegate to the Peace Conference in Paris 1919-1920. Shortly before his death, convinced that history would justify his foresight towards the legitimate demands of the Albanian people, he would write: "Peace in the Balkans will not be restored by sacrificing the rights of other nations in the interest of expansionist goals. Without the addition of Kosovo from the north to Albania and Chameria from the south, there can be no peace in the Balkans".
The situations that Ismail Qemali had spent those days in Peruxha, Italy had caused him a serious mental and physical condition. Although in that state, he had not hesitated to appear in front of the press.
One of Ismail Qemal's sons stated in those days that Rome's attitude made their father very depressed. In order not to forget his mission, Ismail Qemali invited on January 23, 1919 to the "Brufani" hotel where he was staying, the correspondents of several Italian newspapers located in Peruxha. Ismail Qemali, Luigj Gurakuqi and Ismail's two sons.
According to his son, Et'hem, when Ismail Qemali, after having lunch, appeared in front of the journalists who were waiting for him, as soon as he started talking, he turned yellow and started shaking and stammering. Ali Asllani, the mayor of the Municipality of Vlora, says that Ethemi had told him that Ismail Qemali "asked to be accompanied to the bathroom. There he drowned in foam and vomit."
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101 years since the death of Ismail Qemali
His death was announced, among other things, by a special communiqué of the Italian newspaper "L'Unione Liberale", organ of the center-right Liberal Party of Italy, with the following words:
"Yesterday evening, at 23.30:XNUMX p.m., the prominent guest of the city, Ismail Qemal Bej Vlora, stopped living in the 'Brufani' hotel."
He worthily represented a large and ancient family from Vlora. Since he was an ardent patriot, a friend of our Italy, inspired by the principles of freedom and justice, he was frowned upon by the Turkish government, which had condemned him and forced him to seek refuge in exile.
He was 75 years old, kept clear of mind and physical strength, tireless at work, as if he were young and cordial with everyone.
Cerebral hemorrhage struck him on January 23, resulting in paralysis. Even the most careful treatment of the doctor who cured him, doctor Leone Pernossi and of the consultants, prof. Silvestrini and prof. Righetti nor the compassionate presence of the boys.
The corpse of Ismail Qemali was kept in Peruxha for two weeks after his death, with the idea of embalming. But this added to the suspicions of poisoning even more, as they removed all the internal organs to eliminate any signs for the autopsy.
Accompanied by his three sons: Et'hemi, Qazimi and Qamili and by representatives of the Italian Foreign Ministry, on February 8, 1919, the body of Ismail Qemali was sent by train to Brindisi from where, on board the torpedo boat "Alpino", was accompanied to Vlora. On February 12, under a grand ceremony, his body, placed on the ball bed and wrapped in the National Flag, was escorted to Kanina, where he was buried in the yard of Teqe, in the Vlora family cemetery. "...If we measure the greatness of a political personality with the love of the common people, - Safa Vlora wrote in 'Family Memories', - we must affirm that no one comes close to Ismail Qemal Vlora. In the solemn ceremony... neither peasant nor citizen stayed at home. All the sides of the mountains and the coasts, which stood during the journey, were filled with people. It was a great apotheosis of all the people, without distinction, and a crown that He earned with his great work in the service of his country, until he breathed his last...”
At that time Vlora was under Italian occupation. The Italian command, which was afraid of rebellion, ordered that no Albanian flag be used in the ceremony. This was humiliating to the feelings of a patriotic people. The municipal council of Vlora insisted on the use of the Albanian symbol. The Italian command understood the patriotic ultimatum well and allowed the coffin to be covered with the Albanian flag during the ceremony. And so it was. The coffin was covered with the red flag with the black eagle. This flag was given to Ismail Qemali by the duke of Monpasie in March 1913, when he visited Vlora.
In those days, the flag was carried by the eldest son of Ismail Qemali, Ethem Bey Vlora. The funeral ceremony took place on February 12, 1919. It was Wednesday. Two impressive speeches were given by Jani Minga and Qazim Kokoshi.
The procession was interrupted by twelve crowns worn by the Boys of Vlora, of the society with the same name. The wreaths were all flowers, respect and love from the people of Vlora, from the schools, from the Djelmoshat e Vlora society and from the Kuvendi newspaper. After these came the Boys' Society. Then the military band played the funeral march. After them walked the carriage with the coffin covered with the red flag and the black eagle, honored and guarded by two rows of soldiers.
The group of uncles walked behind the cart and after them the three sons of Ismail Qemali. Then general Settimo Pacentini, rear admiral Lrubetti, military and civil authorities of the province, city and district pariah, citizens, school students and finally the cavalry soldiers. Before the burial, the sons of Ismail Qemali took the flag, which flag they used again at his reburial in Flag Square on November 28, 1932. After that, Ethem Bey Vlora donated the flag to the National Museum.
On November 28, 1932, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Independence, at the request of the people of Vlora and by decision of the Royal Government, his body was moved to Vlora, in the flower garden of the city, in a monumental tomb, the work of the sculptor Odhisa Paskali , where before was the house where he was born and from where he proclaimed the Independence of Albania. Today, next to his grave, a magnificent monument stands, symbolizing that November day, which would give the beautiful name to that big square: "Flag Square".
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100 years since the death of Ismail Qemali
Ismail Qemali died at a time when in Albania, due to foreign occupations, there was no free Albanian press. There is no doubt that his death caused a general pain throughout his countrymen. This is evidenced by the few press organizations that were published that year, some in Albania and others abroad.
Nikolla Ivanaj in the newspaper "Koha e Re", which he published in Shkodër, when the city was under the French military occupation, wrote five days after the death of Ismail Qemali, on January 31, 1919: "We received the news as black as a crow, as cold as ice sharp as the sword of Maidan: Ismail Qemali of Vlora died". Further: "The history of the new Albania, in its time, will speak more widely and long about this great man of our homeland". N. Ivanaj ended his speech: "Today, we pray to his soul to help us in this difficult and critical time, where his body and mind were still begging us, more than ever until today."
The newspaper "Kuvendi", an organ published once a week in Rome, under the direction of Sotir Gjika, in Albanian and Italian, announced on February 8, 1919, the death of Ismail Qemali, with these words:
"On January 24, 1919, in the Brufani hotel in the city of Perugia (Italy), died at the hands of his sons, Etem and Qazim, Ismail Qemal Bej Vlora, former chairman of the Provisional Government of Albania and now representative in Europe of the 'Party Political'".
The multitude of subjects does not allow us today to deal at length with the biography of the Albanian statesman. Undoubtedly, Ismail Qemali will occupy a wide page in the history of the Albanian Birth, because the role played by this man with a great mind of our race is particularly outstanding.
He had the good fortune to raise the flag of Albanian independence in Vlora on November 28, 1912, an event that made him remain a historical figure, a merit that even his strictest opponents will not be able to deny.
The Assembly participates in this national mourning and sends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
The Italian government did, for its part, very nobly, what was necessary to exhume the body of Ismail Qemali in Vlora".
Mihal Grameno, in an article entitled "The loss of Ismail Qemali", published on March 12, 1919, in his newspaper "Koha" (Boston, Mass.), wrote among other things:
"The bitter news about the loss of the Elder of Albania, Ismail Qemalit, spread like lightning, not only in Albania, but in all parts of the world.
This news was like a bolt of lightning and one of the biggest blows for the Albanian nation, because Albania lost the biggest hero it had produced, after Skënderbeu. He lost the great and famous diplomat, he lost the key pillar of the national program, he lost the Father of the nation, who saved him from danger, he lost the lion who crushed the chains of slavery and who raised the flag of Skanderbeg and proclaimed the self-government of Albania. We are too small and our power is weak to be able to describe the high and holy deeds that the immortal Elder brought to the altar of the homeland".
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"Proclamation of Independence of Albania"
The renaissance warrior outlines in his article this human portrait of the Elder of Vlora: "In Ismail Qemali, all the good virtues that can be found in the world were summed up." ("Time" newspaper, Boston, Mass., March 12, 1919).
Ismail Qemali, as prime minister and the first president in the history of the Albanian state, remained at the head of the Government from November 28, 1912 to January 22, 1914, i.e., 12 months and 56 days.
