THE CITY OF VLORA: THE BIRTHPLACE OF ALBANIA’S STATEHOOD IN THE FRONTIERS
THE CITY OF VLORA: THE BIRTHPLACE OF ALBANIA’S STATEHOOD IN THE FRONTIERS

Summary/Abstract: Vlora, the city on the coast of Albania, became the birthplace of modern Albania with the declaration of independence in 1912. Why were this city chosen as the place for the launch of independence? The city offered the advantage of having a history of connections between Albania and the rest of the world. In the pre-independence era, this city was a vibrant imperial corner connecting the Ottoman Empire with Western Europe. Vlora's elite, including the founder of modern Albania, Ismail Qemali bej Vlora and his cousins Syrja bej Vlora and Eqrem bej Vlora, persuaded the Albanian elite of the time that Vlora was worthy of being chosen as the seat of the declaration of independence. Most observers of developments in and around Vlora have accepted that it had a considerable legacy of regional and international importance. The aim of this article is to further our understanding of the process by which Albania sought and gained statehood and recognition through the history of Vlora before and around 1912. This examination will hopefully provide us with significant insights into what the historical connections of the frontier city of Vlora have meant for the broader statehood of the Balkan nation of Albania.

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