FROM LLAMBI KOTTA
Part Two
Memorie.al / In November 2009, my house phone rang and a voice from afar introduced itself, saying: “I am Elida Jorgoni. Am I speaking with Mr. Llambi Kotta?” – “Speaking,” I replied. – “I wanted to ask you,” she continued, “what was your grandfather’s name?” – “Llambi Kotta,” I answered. – “Then,” she said, “I have finally found you; now listen to me closely. On the occasion of the celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Second National Congress of Monastir, which took place from April 9 to 11, 1910, in the city of Monastir, an organizing committee has been established to direct and lead all the work to realize the entire program set for the organization of the festivities. Among other things, the committee is trying to find and invite Congress delegates to participate in the ceremony, or in their absence, their descendants – sons or daughters.”
Continued from the previous issue
LLAMBI KOTTA AMONG THE DELEGATES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF KORÇA AT THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF DIBRA (JULY 23-29, 1909, IN DIBRA) AND HIS POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF KORÇA DURING THE YEARS 1908-1910
Beyond the aforementioned letter, after continuous work in other sources, I have found new data that further illuminates the patriotic, political, and social activity of Llambi. In the cultural, literary, and scientific magazine “Diturija” (Knowledge), published by “Lumo Skëndo” (Mit’hat Frashëri), the first issue of which was released on January 1, 1909, in Thessaloniki, specifically in its eighth issue in August 1909, under the section: “Lajmet dhe të rat e vendit” (News and local updates), it is noted among other things: “Hafëz Ali Korça, Llambi Kotta, Hymer Bey, and Loni Logori were elected as delegates of Korça for the Congress of Dibra.”
(As is known, the Congress of Dibra was held from July 23 to 29, 1909, in the city of Dibra and examined problems of education and Albanian schools). This historical source provided me with an important fact. From it, I learned that Llambi Kotta was elected as one of the four delegates (representatives) of Korça for the Congress of Dibra. This made me very happy and enthusiastic, because this data constitutes a fact proving that in 1909, Llambi Kotta was a very well-known figure and personality in the city of Korça.
He must have enjoyed the trust and respect of the people of Korça, who gave him the right to represent them in that national meeting; meaning, Llambi Kotta was an honored patriotic figure who not only participated in the Albanian National Movement but had reached the level of its leaders, so much so that the patriotic, cultured, education-loving, brave, and hardworking people of Korça trusted and honored him, giving him the right to represent them in that national meeting of importance for the fates of the Albanian Nation.
Likewise, in the press of 1909, which was distributed in the city of Korça, there are many news items and notices for public events and activities where the name of Llambi N. Kotta is mentioned as one of the organizers, material contributors, and most active participants in events that were in favor of economic development – creating jobs – and in the interest of improving the health of the people of the city of Korça, the surrounding regions, and beyond. Here are some press announcements: The magazine “Diturija” of August 1909, in the section: “Të ra. Të shkurtra” (News. Brief), gives two reports. In the first, it is emphasized: “We learn that from Korça, a request was made to the Vilayet of Monastir regarding the Maliq Marsh.
The request was made by Messrs. Loni Logori, Llambi Kotta, Qani, and Hysejn Bey. To drain (clear) this marsh, approximately 15,000 liras are needed, which will be found by an anonymous joint-stock company. It is estimated that about 30,000 streme (dynyms) of land will emerge, and thus a very great service will be rendered to the country, as the Plain of Korça will be cleaned and work will open so that thousands of people can be fed. We hope that this company can complete its goals.” In the above-mentioned news, it is clearly seen that Llambi Kotta was among the initiators and drafters of the request addressed to the Vilayet of Monastir, to allow by special decision the drainage of the Maliq Marsh.
This act was undertaken in implementation of the political program of the Albanian National Renaissance, announced in the work of the great thinker Sami Frashëri; “Albania: What it was, what it is, and what it will be?” – a major work of political thought of the Albanian National Movement, where its strategy and tactics are formulated and the Renaissance program is most fully developed. “Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary,” Volume III, page 2617, published by the Academy of Sciences of Albania, Tirana 2009. In that work by Sami Frashëri, among other things, the construction of powers and the economic development of the country were defined, where agriculture would play a special role, influenced by the drainage of marshes and the acquisition of highly fertile lands.
The organization and establishment of central and local powers were to be based on the tradition of our people, on the basis of councils (pleqësitë), and at the head, people who had wealth, enjoyed the respect of the people, and had received education and knowledge in one or several universities were to be democratically elected. Llambi Kotta was inspired by that platform and supported it by implementing its ideas in his activity. Since the creation of the society of Albanian patriots in Alexandria, which was led by the Council (Pleqësia), he was democratically elected as its Chairman by a majority of votes in the society’s meeting.
During October 1909, the magazine “Lidhja Orthodhokse” (The Orthodox Union), in issue number 6, under the section “Announcements,” published two important news items. In the first news published on October 9, it announced that: “The Council of the Society, ‘Band e Lirisë’ (Band of Freedom) …has the honor to appoint as benefactors these honorable and dear patriots, who had the kindness to help the society. These honorable gentlemen are: Mr. Llambi Kotta, Vasil Logori, Shahin Kolonja, Kristo Meksi, Petro Terpo, etc.” Here is another sphere, the sphere of culture, where the contribution and help of Llambi Kotta were felt and valued so highly. He was among the persons who contributed to the strengthening and consolidation of that artistic formation of the city of Korça, which played an important role in the artistic life of the city.
In the second news published at the end of October, the magazine announced: “In Monastir, a decision was given that the Sovjan Lake be cleared by a Korçan Company, with Mr. Loni Logori and Llambi Kotta at the head, and an engineer is expected to arrive soon to measure the boundaries. This news gladdened our entire district (kazanë), because besides prosperity we will also have health, as the lake was ruining the climate.” In this news, the fact stands out that Llambi Kotta and Loni Logori were at the head (the leaders) of a Korçan company which, by decision of the authorities of the Vilayet of Monastir, was given the right to drain the Sovjan Lake, located near the Maliq marsh.
Analyzing the aforementioned news further, we notice that Llambi Kotta, being one of the leaders of a Korçan company, appears as an entrepreneur and not just an initiator or organizer of an activity with an economic-social character, but also as a personality engaged in solving the problems that concerned the residents of the city of Korça, as well as the villages and regions around it. The above facts are quite valuable because they shed new and previously unknown light on the role and activity of Llambi Kotta in the economic, social, political, and cultural life of Korça.
As is clear from the facts above, Llambi was among the initiators and organizers of the most important initiative for the drainage of the Maliq Marsh. This proves that he was convinced and conscious of the great and multifaceted values that this action would have in the field of economic development, for the improvement of the lives of the peasantry and the citizens of Korça. This shows that Llambi Kotta was a visionary personality who had knowledge of the paths of economic development.
He was not a passive spectator of events and the situation; on the contrary, he was very active, a man of concrete action, not only for presenting ideas but also a material contributor and organizer for their realization, for the good of the community – thus, a benefactor. Precisely this trait of his is pointed out by the press of the time. If we look closely at the press of the time, he stayed in Korça throughout the summer; as the newspapers express, he “spent the entire summer in Korça,” and in October Llambi Kotta went to Misir (Egypt).
The data presented above testify to the dedication and perseverance of Llambi Kotta for the realization of his goal, up to the taking of the decision by the authorities of the Vilayet of Monastir for the drainage of the Maliq Marsh in the district of Korça. Besides economic initiatives, as the press of the time emphasizes, he was also noted for the contributions and assistance he gave to the vitalization of the city’s cultural life, also financing the establishment and strengthening of the artistic group “Band e Lirisë” of the city of Korça.
For Llambi Kotta, a feature must be pointed out that distinguishes him and ranks his figure alongside the great patriots of our nation; like them, even though far from the homeland, in exile in Alexandria, in a foreign land, his mind worked for Albania and the Albanians, for his homeland, which he never forgot for a moment and in any circumstance or situation.
Until now, we have discovered only these data presented above, which reflect the broad and multifaceted activity of Llambi Kotta during the second half of the first decade of the 20th century (specifically during the years 1908-1910), i.e., before the Declaration of Independence of Albania. For the period from 1910 to 1918, we have found no documents. We do not believe that Llambi Kotta interrupted his activity. We say this because we have found documents testifying to his activity in the years 1919-1920.
ASPECTS OF THE NATIONAL PATRIOTIC ACTIVITY OF LLAMBI KOTTA DURING THE PERIOD 1918-1919, IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
During research in the Central State Archives, we also discovered documents that evidenced the intensive and powerful political activity of Albanian emigrants in Egypt and especially of the Albanian colony of Alexandria, where Llambi Kotta stood out among others. In these documents, the activity of my grandfather, Llambi Kotta, is also highlighted – his role and contributions, his political and social thoughts and views, his stance, and the alternatives he presented for solving the issues raised for the continuous strengthening of the work and assistance of Albanian emigrants in the interest of the development and strengthening of the Albanian National Movement.
Also, these documents reflect in detail the posts and duties entrusted to Llambi Kotta, not only by the Albanian emigrants of Alexandria where he lived and acted, but also by all the Albanian emigrants of Egypt, so much so that they gave him the highest duty of the Chairman of their “Permanent Council” (Pleqësia e Përhershme), which was their highest leading and representative body. The documents are mainly meeting minutes organized in the years 1918-1919, during the period when the Paris Peace Conference was conducting its proceedings, after the end of the First World War on November 11, 1918, which my grandfather signed as Ll.N.Kotta, reminiscent of the signature of my father, Jorgji Kotta, who signed with two t’s: J. Kotta.
As is known, the Peace Conference officially opened on January 18, 1919. Although Albania maintained a neutral stance during the First World War, the Peace Conference did not consider the just demands of the Albanian delegation to maintain the independence and territorial integrity of the Albanian State and to revise the borders in its favor, including within them those Albanian territories that had been detached in 1878 and 1913. At the Peace Conference, not only were the just demands of the Albanians not taken into account, but on the contrary, the chauvinistic demands of Italy, Greece, and Yugoslavia were supported to the detriment of Albania, and plans were drawn up for further partitioning and its disappearance from the political map of Europe as an independent and sovereign state.
In conditions where Albania was occupied by the military forces of the warring parties, it was impossible to organize and develop the National Movement intensively within Albania; therefore, great assistance was given to its development by the emigrated Albanians. Precisely for these reasons, not only in Albania but also wherever Albanians were located, the movement began to oppose the anti-Albanian plans being drafted at the Peace Conference. In this process, the Albanian emigrants in Egypt were engaged and gave their valuable assistance. Their engagement, activity, and contributions in those difficult and heavy moments for the fates of the Fatherland are reflected in the minutes of the meetings organized by them.
However, I must emphasize that the minutes have gaps; they are not complete and continuous! Nevertheless, I am presenting everything I have been able to find so far. It is not my aim to write the history of their national patriotic activity, but I aim, by utilizing these minutes, to extract from them and evidence the patriotic activity of Llambi Kotta, which until now was unknown. These minutes gave the opportunity to discover his work and contribution in service of the national Albanian cause. This is the only goal of this work. Regardless, I have no [further] claims.
The first minute (though not complete) reflects the conduct of a meeting on December 14, 1918, in Alexandria. According to the content of this minute, it results that the meeting of December 14 in Alexandria was dictated by the need to strengthen the cooperation of the Albanians of Misir (Egypt), which had been emphasized by the meeting of the Albanians of Misir in Cairo on the first of the winter month of 1918 (December 1, 1918), which also elected a temporary commission in which Llambi Kotta and Leonidha Naçi were elected as representatives of the Albanians of Alexandria. Since they had not been notified, the Albanians of Alexandria did not participate in the meeting of December 1, 1918, in Cairo.
Therefore, the Commission elected by the meeting of that day (December 1, 1918), meeting on December 7, 1918, decided to send to the Albanians of Alexandria two of its members: N. Kasneci and Sotir Pluska, who would inform about the conduct of the Cairo meeting and its decision to elect a temporary commission, in which Llambi Kotta and Leonidha Naçi had been elected from the Albanians of Alexandria, and would request their cooperation, as representatives of Alexandria, with the other members of the Commission. / Memorie.al
To be continued in the next issue
