by Florian Hoti. Translation Petrit Latifi

In the first days of December 1912, apparently as early as the 1st, a letter from Luigj Gurakuqi and Nikollë Kaçorri arrived in Rubig announcing the declaration of Albanian independence and the immediate measures that needed to be taken to raise the flag in the provinces and cities of Northern Albania. In Rubig, the national flag was raised that same day. In Lezha, patriots also got involved in raising the flag.

For the first time, the flag was raised in 1911 in the Lezha Castle, after that of Ded Gjo’ Luli in Hot, but after the declaration of independence it was raised in the first days of December 1912, and more precisely the date seems to be the 3rd. The initiators of the raising of the flag were Kolë Toma, Dedë Coku, Gjeto Coku, Gjin Pjetri, Gjokë Murri, Murr Koleci, Zef Xhuxha, Serafin Lusha, Kasem Met Kadia, Ahmet Osman Haxhia, Haxhi Ahmet Litja, Xheladin Hasan Aga, Kolë Gjokë Deda, etc.

The press of the time wrote: “At that moment, Gjeto Coku and his brother Ded Coku gathered the men and raised the national flag in the Municipality and the castle”.

In order to have the alliance of Christian tribes, the Serbian and Montenegrin armies that were in Lezha allowed the Albanian flag to be raised in the fortress, but when the Ottoman armies were defeated in the Balkan War, the Serbs openly showed their anti-Albanian intentions, and on this occasion they also removed the Albanian flag from the fortress, which brought about the immediate reaction of the Albanian forces against them in Lezha and Shnjin. The Serbian reprisals among the population of Lezha were strongly opposed by Austria-Hungary, and even London itself. Thus, in May 1913, the Albanian forces regained control over the city and port of Shnjin, raising the national flag again.