Authored by Petrit Latifi

Avdi Kola was the Albanian bayraktar of the Gimaj tribe, known for having been part of the Albanian delegation to Vienna in 1917. His father was Kole Marash Shala, part of the Dostanishaj brotherhood. Avdi Kola had a brother named Xhur Kola. Avdi Kola also had a son named Zef Avdi Kola. Many of the tribe lived to be over 100 years old.

Photograph of Avdi Kola

Family of Avdi Kola

The father of Avdi Kola was Kole Marash Shala (1801-1863) from the Dostanishaj brotherhood. Led the uprising of Shala in 1882, also taking part in the fighting around the city of Shkodra against the Turkish forces. In August of 1835, at the head of Shala’s 300 forces, together with those of the city of Shkodra, they drove away Hafiz Pasha’s forces stationed in Tarabosh.

The sons of Kole Marash Shala:

Avdi Kola (1846-1946), son of Kola. Representative of Dukagjini, who in 1917 met Franz Josef in Vienna and in 1933, as a representative of Dukagjini, he met the Pope in the Vatican. He became a refuge and close collaborator of Bajram Curri.

Xhur Kola (1855-1871), the other brother, remains a legend for the murder of Bylykbashi, Zenel Aga. The three of them, with their brother Sokol, fought all their lives in defense of the lands, since the League of Prizren against the Ottoman and Serbian-Montenegrin invaders. Sokol, together with Marash Nike from Pecaj, forced the Serbian-Montenegrins to pass under arms, subjugated at the Shala bridge.

Son of Avdi Kola

Zef Avdi Kola (1893-1992), the son of Avdi Kola, decorated by the President of Albania with the order “Knight of the Order of the Flag”. It is a unique case in centuries of history that several generations fight to protect the country as this family did. Perhaps God himself has given this family values. It is interesting that over 100 years, five people from this family have reached the age of 101 to 113. The story does not end here, because the protagonist of today’s events is an heir of this same family, about whom we will talk below.

References

Dukagjini “The Honor of the Nation”. Periodical Publication of the Patriotic Association “Dukagjini”, XIX Year of Publication, No. 223, May 2022. Account No. UNIONBANK 510367047020112, Shkodër – Albania, Tel. 00355692465784, Internet: http://www.shokatadukagjini.com, Editor-in-Chief: Luigj Shyti, Price 30 lek / 1.5 euro.