The National Historical Museum commemorates Luigj Gurakuq today, on the 98th anniversary of his death. Luigj Gurakuqi was an Albanian writer and politician. He was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and was honoured with the People’s Hero of Albania medal.

Luigj Gurakuqi was born in 1879 and was killed on March 2, 1925 in Bari, Italy. He completed the College of “St. Adrian” in the village of Arbëresh of St. Mitri in Italy. He studied medicine and biology at the University of Naples. Gurakuqi has a rich literary, journalistic, national and political activity. His activity began with lyric poetry and translations in the Albanian language. It continued with the publication of primer texts in the two dialects of Albanian. He wrote articles in the Albanian press. In 1908, he participated as vice-chairman of the commission for the unification of the alphabet in the Congress of Manastir. He is the first drafter of the work “Albanian Metrics”.

In 1911, he was one of the drafters of the Memorandum of Greece during the Shkodra highlanders’ uprising of 1911. In 1912, he participated in the Bucharest meeting. He took part in the Assembly of Vlora for the Declaration of Independence and was appointed Minister of Education by Ismail Qemali. In 1916, he was appointed General Director of Education and member of the Literary Committee in Shkodra.

In 1918 he participated in the Congress of Durrës and was elected Minister of Education and a member of the Albanian delegation to the Peace Conference in Paris. In the years 1921-1924, he was a deputy in the National Council. Luigj Gurakuqi was involved in the June Movement of 1924 and was elected Minister of Finance in Fan Noli’s government.

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