Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of the Italian writer and publicist, Antonio Baldacci, who in 1933 published in Rome a voluminous book about Albania, entitled “Studi Speciali Albanesi”. The great echo of that book in European intellectual circles and the article of the German scientist, prof. dr. Frank Babinger, for Baldaccin, whom King Zog appointed honorary consul in Italy
I pray that this forgotten people, without any reason from foreign countries, muandobare be preserved to be respected by the whole world as a single and unparalleled monument of antiquity, of that antiquity that marks a boundary between prehistory and history. This people deserves the most precious sympathy of today’s science, from the point of view not lower than the first one, it deserves all our sympathy as it represents the power of the Adriatic, in the broadest sense of the word, which has managed today to be summed up only in its high mountains that are not crossed and in its fields where like the frightened hero, he is wounded and approached other neighboring peoples, his death with the support of Europe ”. This is stated, among other things, in one of the pages of the book “Studi Speciali Albanesi”, by the Italian author, Antonio Baldacci, published in Rome in 1933. The author of that voluminous book on Albania and Albanians, was a friend and benefactor great country of eagles, which since the end of the XVIII century, when many of the European states that were under the Ottoman Empire were seeking secession from it, he raised his voice in defense of Albania, demanding that even that small country, but with great history on the Adriatic coast, to be respected by the whole world as a single monument of antiquity. Likewise, in 1903, when many European countries asked Turkey to undertake reforms in its vilayets in Macedonia, Antonio Baldacci published a very harsh article in the newspaper “L’Italia Coloniale”, in which he made them knowing European diplomacy, that Albania also had the right to demand reforms from Turkey, as it was the lord of the four vilayets. The rights of Albania and Albanians, Antonio Baldacci, continued to defend them with fanaticism, appearing publicly in many articles in newspapers and magazines published at the time in France and Italy, where he openly sought the independence of Albania. Which when it became a reality in 1912, was considered by many publicists of the time to be a prophecy of Baldacc. Antonio Baldacci summarized all the writings about Albania and the Albanians he had written over the years in a voluminous book entitled “Studi Speciali Albanesi”, which he published in 1933 in Rome. That book had a great echo not only in the Albanian and Italian intellectual circles, but also in Europe. One of those foreign scientists who welcomed Baldacc’s book was prof. dr. Frank Babinger, of the University of Berlin, who in one of his articles, where he talks about a series of German authors who have long dealt with the Albanian issue, among other things writes about the values of Antonio Baldacc’s book. Regarding what is treated in the book “Studi Speciali Albanesi” and its author, Antonio Baldacci, is the following article, which we have taken from the newspaper “BESA” of Tirana in 1933. Also, together with this article, we are also giving the article of the German scientist, prof. dr. Frank Babinger, who speaks with superlatives and details about Baldacc’s book.
Echo of Baldacc’s book in Albania
In the newspaper “BESA” of Tirana (with publisher Fiqri Rusin) dated February 4, 1933 under the title, “About the publication of a book by Mr. Antonio Baldacci on Albania”, it is written: “The well-known Italian writer and true friend of Albania. Mr. Antonio Baldacci has recently published a book entitled “Studi Speciali Albanesi”, which contains some of his works that he wrote a few years ago, when our country was under Ottoman rule, and perhaps you do not hope that to gain his freedom, in such a short time in fact, Mr. Baldacci is one of those scholars who have understood better than others the importance of the Albanian people in the Balkans and the Adriatic; ay has raised his voice and complained to the Italian people, that beyond the Adriatic coast, is a nation that deserves the respect of all of Europe, and as the great-grandson of the Illyrians, Italy should, before the others, give up to raise him to the degree he deserves. In this regard, Mr. Antonio Baldacci, has foreseen the real interests of Italy and Albania. In the friendship of the two peoples ay believes that the future of the Adriatic, which belongs to the most delicate part of Italian interests, will be secured. In the new book, Mr. Antonio Baldacci, has done nothing but collect, as he needed, the previous articles he has published in domestic and foreign magazines such as those of France and Germany, where he expresses original thoughts about him. the rights of the Albanian people, and is thought to form a public opinion, that among the other Balkan nations, which have gained their independence, is the Albanian people. The book “Studi Speciali Albanesi”, consists of 300 pages and is divided into three parts: the first contains historical and political issues, the second deals with the economic situation and in the third part has summarized some of the scientific works. To show and the few items. Mr. Antonio Baldacci in 1900 published an article in the magazine “Bolettino della Società Geografica Italiana” in which after telling at length the ancient history of the Albanian people, on page 25 of the book in question, he says: “I pray that this people forgotten, for no reason, by foreign states, muandobare to be preserved to respect the whole world as a single and unparalleled monument of antiquity, of that antiquity which marks a boundary between prehistory and history. This people deserves the most outstanding sympathy of today’s science, from the point of view not lower than the first one, it deserves all our sympathy as it represents the potential of the Adriatic, in the broadest sense of the word, which has managed today to be summed up only in its high mountains that are not crossed and in its fields where like the frightened brave man, he is wounded and approached other neighboring peoples, his death with the support of Europe ”. In 1903, when the Macedonian revolution took place in Turkey, Europe decided to demand from Turkey some reforms for the Macedonian villas. In this case God. Baldacci published a strict article in the magazine “L’Italia Coloniale” dated 1903, in which he shows that “Albania has the right to demand reforms, and if they succeed in securing the rights of Albania, then there is no place left” for others in the Balkans, that the people are the lord of the four villas of Turkey. And this time what Mr. Baldacci showed in 1903, was confirmed in the Balkan war which flowed because Turkey was already recognizing Albania with some privileges. In 1906, a notebook “Albanje” was published in Belgrade, in which it is said that one of the German princes, Easter, intends to one day become King of Albania, for which he had begun to learn the Albanian language. At a time when Turkey’s escape from the Balkans was being discussed, the Albanian people were also considered, for whose throne many people could have hoped. At the moment Mr. Antonio Baldacci publishes a harsh article in the “Spanish Cvailes” where he clearly explains the period of Austria and Russia that followed to achieve their goals, when Turkey left the territories in question, and shows the opinion is that “Albania will gain its independence when the last Balkan war for the escape of Turkey takes place; at that time Albania will also have its King, with the chord of great powers. It cannot be said that we do anything strange when I say that the Throne of Albania should be held by a National King; and if no such one is to be found, then let him who takes the throne be neither German, nor Austrian, nor Russian, but of some other race”. These and other facts of Mr. Antonio Baldacci, are a clear proof that ay they predicted a few years ago, as the prophet of those facts, really all came true; Albania became independent with the King of the Albanians, who is exalting Albania to that high place that Mr. Antonio Baldacci warned, to be the mistress of her country and the preservation of the Adriatic, which is a separate part of the Illyrian homeland. The rest of the historical and scientific, of the book in question, are items of great value to be studied by the present generation, for there they will find very valuable elements for the most imported parts of our national history as from every point of view. The tyrannical narrowness of the pillars of this notebook does not promise us to dwell further on the details of this book, where we imagine some of the most interesting problems for the Albanian cause. Mr. Antonio Baldacci, has written other books on Albania, when it was sent by the former Italian Prime Minister, Crosspit, who is of Albanian descent, and thus Mr. Baldacci was given the opportunity to study the homeland of the Illyrians in the full sense of the word, for which is now filling valuable pillars, in order to inform the Italian people, the importance of independent Albania and the need for their support from Italy. For all this that Mr. Baldacci has done, for a long time of more than a quarter of a century, in favor of Albania, His Majesty, our King, has appointed Honorary Consul General of Albania in Italy. So, we warmly recommend the book of Mr. Antonio Baldacci “Studi Special Albanesi” printed in Rome, because it is a work that shows the heart of a friend of Albania, and his opinion on the protection of the ideal of the Albanian Nation.
Prof. dr. Franc Babinger: Here are the values of Baldacc’s book
German scientist about the book “Studi Speciali Albanesi”
The book “Studi Speciali Albanesi”, by the Italian writer and publicist, Antonio Baldacci, published in Italy in 1933, had a great echo not only in the Italian and Albanian intellectual circles, but also beyond. That book was even commented in the circles of some of the most famous European scientists, such as prof. dr. Frank Babinger, of the University of Berlin, who in his article on various German authors, who had long been involved in studies on Albania and Albanians, also dwells on the values of the book “Studi Speciali Albanesi”, by Antonio Baldacci. Writing of the German scientist, prof. dr. Franc Babinger (which we are publishing in full in this article), was translated and published in the newspaper “BESA” of Tirana, in 1933. Under the title German literature on Albania, By Prof. Dr. Frank Babinger, University of Berlin “, that article reads:” Albanian has been described in recent years in very little detail and successfully in almost all European languages. Mostly in Italy they have been accused of the world war, a special interest as evidenced by the sums of works and partly large, for this Balkan country, which until recently was almost unknown and especially in some of its years. Thus e.g. Antonio Baldacci, who has dedicated a long life to the study of flora, has added with his publication “L” ALBANIA “1929 in Rome, in a very useful way the number of valuable works for Albania, giving on the studies of a painting which lets me understand the essence of the object with which he deals. Germany has helped no less than Italy and has complemented the Italian works on many important points. Undoubtedly, we dedicate the German work on Albania privately to the Berlin docent, Dr. Herbert Louis, who as a topographer has participated in the geological trips you make Austrian geography, Dr. Ernest Noësek according to the order of the Albanian government. Dr. Herbert thus gained a deep knowledge of the country and the people. Thus, his work “L’ALBANIEN”, a study of the country based mainly on his travels (Stuttgart J. Engel horn) gives, although he mainly longs for geological truths, a very fruitful help to know Albanian. To this same scholar is dedicated a very good complete geographical map of the country (1: 200.000), a card which was attached to the temporary geographical society in the case of the centenary in 1028. His friend at this time of the walk, Dr. Ernest Noëak, who in many articles and treatments has clarified the geology of Albanian with the above-mentioned measure, so that both German scholars can be considered as the true repeaters of Albanian cartography. Another scholar, private assistant professor of Botany at the University of Berlin, Dr. Friderich Margraf, traveled to study Albanian in the campaign of his branch (in 1924) and (1928) and returned with very good results from the interior of this country. In the spring of 1930, he published a work of writing in the popular language and illustrated with many paintings “In Albanien Bergen” (Stuttgart, Sirecker aud Schroeder) in which he clearly describes his inner instructions, especially his walks among the mountains. Albania is a dorado for mountaineering, because its mountains full of greatness and beauty, TOMORRI, visible from afar, up to 2400 meters altitude, KORABI even up to 2700 meters, rise mightily in the sky, not to mention the beautiful world of ice in the south of the Kingdom. As of today, many travelers dare to enter the interior of this country to be attracted by the beauties of nature and the rare qualities of the inhabitants. The author of this article makes the first proof by publishing a book in 1929 in “BEDEKERS DALMATIEN UNO DIE ADRIA” an attempt to serve the travelers as a guide, which was repeated by the French unnrechologist Leon Rey in a Guide de Albanie, but in silence on the work of the first. H.A. Barneizi, who is known for his excellent photographs of AFRICA, aims to photograph Albanian motifs and paintings, which he added to his book “EUROPAS VERGESSENE LAND” to write easily, but also a little superficially, they count without a doubt among the most beautiful that have been taken on Albanian. Under the title “NEULAND ALBANIA”, published for years dedicated to the writer Dr. Felderich Wallisech a book (FRANCKSCHE VERLAGSHANDLUNG STUTTGART) which was republished for the second time. Those who know Albanian really well, know that they are at many points of a different opinion, and that some mistakes need to be clarified, which we hope will disappear in a later edition. Wallisch, who has been named Honorary Consul General, is of the opinion that Albania, in order to make an unexpected and foreseeable development and looks at things, is very optimistic. Despite all this, his book, written in a conversational style, provides a striking picture of the country and its people. Even when the founder of scientific studies on Albanian, John Georg V. Hann from Frankfurt (1811-1899) in the book “Albanesische Studen” (January 1854) laid the foundations for all subsequent studies, this place was also considered a white dot on the card of Europe. And if today we have studied in the most dangerous areas and scientifically described in all directions, this result is dedicated no less to German scholars. Recent years have yielded very important conclusions and it is to be hoped that the winning announcements since the war by the many German and Austrian scholars who have traveled Albania have not ended./Memorie.al
Tirana 10. I.1933.
