Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/publikon some unknown archival documents extracted from the Central State Archive in Tirana, which talk about a correspondence between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and that of Foreign Affairs, in February 1937 with the Royal Albanian Consulate in Vienna, regarding the provision of a copy of the painting of Skanderbeg located in the Ambroso Castle near Innsbruck, which the Albanian government of the Zog Monarchy, sought to purchase through the mediation of the Director of the National Museum of Vienna.
On the occasion of the great celebrations and celebrations that took place by the Royal government of the Zog Monarchy in 1938 on the occasion of the 470th anniversary of the death of our National Hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, the search began and every effort was made to find a rare painting with his portrait, or more precisely a copy of the original painting, as until then the Albanian state did not have one and the portrait of Skanderbeg was only in photos taken from the paintings.
This, among other things, is made known by an archival document recently released by the Central State Archive, which belongs to 1937, where the Minister of Internal Affairs, Musa Juka, through an official letter addressed to the Ministry of Works Foreign Affairs in Tirana (then run by Ekrem Libohova), to inquire about an original portrait of Skanderbeg, located in the Castle of Ambea, in Innsbruck, Austria.
And this thing, that is, the suggestion of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Musa Juka, it seems that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, immediately forwarded it to the Royal Albanian Consulate in Vienna, which also appears from the accompanying letter of the Consul, Nikolla (Kol) Rrota, addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, where he gives explanations of the case regarding the painting of Skanderbeg and the amount to be paid to the painter who would make a copy of that portrait, which for his security, was mediated by the Director of Vienna National Museum. For more, we are familiar with the documents in question that Memorie.al publishes in full in this article.
Letter from the Minister of Internal Affairs, Musa Juka, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, regarding the painting of Skanderbeg in Vienna
THE ALBANIAN KINGDOM Tirana, on 2.1.1937
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL P.
SECRET OFFICE
Nr. 6 Res
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
T I R A N Ë
LANDA;
Please write to our Consulate in Vienna, to be interested and receive, a copy as it is, a painted copy of the photograph of Skanderbeg found in the Castle of Ambras in Innsbruck, and to be sent as before it is possible.
M I N I S T R I
Musa Juka
Letter from the Albanian Consul in Vienna, Nikoll Rrota, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana
THE ROYAL CONSULATE OF ALBANIA IS COMING
Nr. 311 / II Vienna, 17 February 1937
Abbreviation: Explanation of act No.A.III. 114 / I. dated 9.I.1937.
On the copy of Skanderbeg’s painting
Honest
Royal Minister of Foreign Affairs
in Tirana
We have the honor to announce that we have addressed the Administration of the castle Ambras near Innsbruck regarding the copy of the original painting of Skanderbeg that is located there. We emphasize that it is not a photograph, but an authentic painting, and the Administration in question informs us, that within those weeks a canned copy of a painter mentioned in Innsbruck can be obtained, who requests 500. Austrian Schilling (Fr.ar 312.50) and that was recommended to us by the director of the National Museum in Vienna, Mr. Dr. August Gross.
Since to date we do not have an authentic painting of Skanderbeg, such as that of the castle in Ambras, it would be good to make a quantitative reproduction with paints based on the copy as it is the original.
With special honors
Consul
Nikoll Wheels
