The National Historical Museum commemorated today the author of the National Anthem, Asdreni, on his birthday, April 11, 1872.

Asdreni (Aleks Stavre Drenova, 1872-1947), was a poet and patriot, author of the National Anthem. He was born in Drenova, Korça. He began his secondary education at the city gymnasium. Left orphaned, he emigrated to Romania in 1885.

He attended the Commercial Academy of Bucharest and later enrolled in the Faculty of Political Sciences at the university there, which he did not manage to complete.

Asdreni was a prominent figure in the Albanian colony of Romania and its secretary for a period (1913-1925); during the period of 1922-1934, with some interruptions, he served as secretary of the Albanian Consulate in Bucharest.

Asdreni participated in the Bucharest Assembly of November 5, 1912, which decided to declare the independence of Albania. His poem “Pledge to the Flag” and other patriotic works played a significant role in strengthening national consciousness on the eve and aftermath of Independence Declaration and during the period of consolidation of the Albanian state.

Always concerned about the fate of the homeland, he addressed political and social issues in contemporary periodicals (“Albania”, “Drita”, “New Albania”, etc.) through a series of articles with a democratic orientation and constructive spirit. A dedicated idealist, Asdreni ended in complete poverty. He passed away in Bucharest on December 11, 1947.

/k.s/