Kongresi arsimor i Elbasanit dhe themelimi i Shkollës Normale në burimet diplomatike austrohungareze
The Education Congress of Elbasan and the foundation of the Normal School reflected in the Austro-Hungarian diplomatic reports

Summary/Abstract: Even though the Congress of Elbasan is an event already dealt with in the Albanian historiography, details concerning its organization, the difficulties encountered, its achievements, the variety of representation from different Albanian regions, etc. can still be subject of academic research and analysis, especially when the event is seen from the foreign diplomats point of view. This study is based mainly on the information provided by the contemporary Austro-Hungarian diplomatic documents. In these documents there is ample information on the opening of the Pedagogic School or as it is otherwise known the Elbasan Normal School, the first Albanian national secondary school, in December 1909. The opening of the Elbasan Normal School, the foundation of several other schools, particularly elementary schools, as well as the attempts to formally introduce the Albanian language in all the schools attended by Albanian pupils and financed by the government, together with the foundation in Korça of the Progressive Society^; (Shoqëria Përparimi) dealing with financial support, administration and supply of Albanian schools with the necessary textbooks and teaching materials, etc. are a result of the Elbasan Congress decisions held in September of the same year (2-8 September 1909). All these stages are considered in the Austro-Hungarian documents as progressive, enlightening the path towards the creation of a national identity, educational and cultural development, and taking the idea of autonomy or independence, which varied according the circumstances, a step further. In this authentic information provided by the Austro-Hungarian diplomats of the time, it can be easily detected the motivation of Vienna in the years 1908-1909, in carefully inciting the Albanian National Movement, by eliminating the contradictions amongst the Albanian elite, developing the national culture and education, supporting the national movement to overcome obstacles and certainly, fostering a pro-Austro-Hungarian lobby amidst the Albanians. On the other hand, all the facts reported by the contemporary Austro-Hungarian consuls testify to the fast progress that the Albanians were doing in finalizing their national aspiration. The Congress of Elbasan and its decisions, together with the opening of the Normal School are very important and persuasive evidence that strengthen this conclusion.

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