Today marks the commemoration of Franciscan Father Justin Rrota, who, in 1929, became the first individual to bring three photographed reproductions of the earliest book published in Albanian, “Meshari” by Gjon Buzuku (1555), from the Apostolic Library of the Vatican to Albania.

Father Justin Rrota passed away on December 21, 1964, and was laid to rest in Shkodër.

His dedication to the Albanian language and literature extended to the study of grammar, syntax, morphology, and literary historiography.

He received his initial lessons in his hometown of Shkodër. Subsequently, he pursued theological training in Klagenfurt, Austria. Meshari also worked as an educator, initially in Troshan, and from 1921, at the “Illyricum” gymnasium in Shkodër. Alongside his teaching responsibilities, he was recognized for his diligent approach to his studies. He authored numerous scientific articles using pseudonyms such as “Iris,” “Patër Ndou,” and “Viator.

His writings initially appeared in the magazines “Zani i Shna Ndout” and “Hylli i Drita,” focusing on linguistics and literature. Father Justin was among the pioneering authors of textbooks for secondary schools. In 1940, the Institute of Albanian Studies appointed him as a language teacher, granting him membership in its ranks.

The General Directorate of Archives, on this anniversary, presents excerpts from Rota’s study on the written Albanian language along with fragments from the orthographic dictionary he compiled.

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