Today, the National Historical Museum commemorated the 76th anniversary of Asdreni’s death.

On December 11, 1947, Aleks Stavre Drenova passed away in Bucharest. He used the artistic name ‘Asdreni’ to sign the poems published in popular newspapers such as ‘Kalendari Kombëtar,’ ‘Albania,’ and ‘Drita’.

Asdreni was born on April 11, 1872, in Drenova, Korça. He began his secondary education at the city gymnasium. After becoming an orphan, he emigrated to Romania in 1885, where he attended the Commercial Academy of Bucharest. Subsequently, he enrolled in the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University there, although he did not complete his studies.

Asdreni was a prominent activist within the Albanian colony of Romania and served as its secretary between 1913 and 1925. From 1922 to 1934, with some intermittent periods, he held the position of secretary at the Albanian Consulate in Bucharest. Asdreni notably participated in the November 5, 1912 meeting in Bucharest, where the decision to declare Albanian independence was made.

His poems, such as ‘Oath on the flag’ and others infused with patriotic inspiration, played a significant role in bolstering national consciousness. They were instrumental in the period leading up to and following the Declaration of Independence, contributing significantly to the consolidation of the Albanian state.

He also authored the lyrics of the Albanian national anthem, known as the ‘Anthem of the Flag.’

/m.ll/