Librazhd ( sq-definite, Librazhdi) is a town and a municipality in

Elbasan County Elbasan County () is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population is 266,245 (2021), in an area of 3199 km². Its capital is the city Elbasan. Administrative divisions Until 2000, Elbasan County was subdivided into four districts: Elbas ...

, eastern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. The municipality was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities

Hotolisht Hotolisht is a village and a former municipality in the Elbasan County, eastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Librazhd. The population at the 2011 census was 5,706.

, Librazhd,

Lunik Lunik () is a band from Switzerland. There are currently three members. Lunik started in 1997 with Adi Amstutz, Luk Zimmermann, Mats Marti, Walo Müller and Anton Höglhammer. Singer Jaël joined the band in 1998 and Anton Höglhammer left the ...

Orenjë Orenjë is a village and a former municipality in the Elbasan County, eastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Librazhd. The population at the 2011 census was 3,883.

Polis ''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''poleis'' (, , ), literally means "city" in Greek. In Ancient Greece, it originally referred to an administrative and religious city center, as distinct from the rest of the city. Later, it also ...

Qendër Librazhd Qendër Librazhd is a former municipality in the Elbasan County, eastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Librazhd Librazhd ( sq-definite, Librazhdi) is a town and a municipality in Elbasan C ...

and

Stëblevë Stëblevë ( bg, Стеблево, mk, Стеблево) is a village and a former municipality in the Elbasan County in eastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Librazhd. The population at t ...

, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Librazhd. The total population is 31,892 (2011 census), in a total area of . The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 6,937. Librazhd is the nearest town to the Shebenik-Jabllanice National Park.

History

Librazhd (''Liburazhda'') is attested in the Ottoman ''

defter A ''defter'' (plural: ''defterler'') was a type of tax register and land cadastre in the Ottoman Empire. Description The information collected could vary, but ''tahrir defterleri'' typically included details of villages, dwellings, household ...

'' of 1467 as a village belonging to the ''

timar A timar was a land grant by the sultans of the Ottoman Empire between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, with an annual tax revenue of less than 20,000 akçes. The revenues produced from the land acted as compensation for military service. A ...

'' of Karagöz in the

vilayet A vilayet ( ota, , "province"), also known by #Names, various other names, was a first-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire. It was introduced in the Vilayet Law of 21 January 1867, part of the Tanzimat reform movement init ...

of Çermeniça. The settlement had a total of 33 households, represented by the following household heads: ''Ilia Berishi'', '' Pop Mihali'', ''Gjergj Vaskuqi'', ''Ivo Stajo'', ''Nikolla Todini'', ''Miho Gjirgashi'', ''Todor Sqavi'', ''Mihal Arassi'' (''Arrasi''), ''Gjurko Papa Sedani'' (possibly, ''Papasdani''), ''Gjergj Arassi'', ''Gjergj Gjonjo'' (possibly, ''Gjonevi''), ''Miladin Simko'', ''Dimitri Gjinko'', ''Todor Kalini'', ''Petër Simko'', ''Ivo Nikoto'', ''Pop Nikolla'', ''Todorec Nikoto'', ''Stan Mali'', ''Dimitri Kozmo'', ''Petko Stajko'', ''Stajo'' son of ''Semini'', ''Gjin Franku'', ''Bogdo Kalini'', ''Frank Radoslani'', ''Gjon Prokopi'', ''Petër Rado'', ''Gjon Birko'', ''Simo Birko'', ''Stan Kaliqi'', ''Pejko Stajo'', ''Miho Makini'' (possibly, ''Magjini''), ''Gjergj Budisha'', ''Manec Berishi'', ''Dimitri Kostovi'', ''Gjoni'' son of ''Rado'', ''Dimitri'' son of ''Miho'', ''Dimitri'' son of ''Aleko'', and ''Nenada'' son of ''Niko''. Librazhd was one of the youngest cities in Albania and was proclaimed on the 18th of February 1960. Librazhd is also famous for being connected to the

Via Egnatia The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thracia, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . of ...

road that stretched from

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

all the way on to

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...

. The people of Librazhd also participated in the

Albanian Declaration of Independence The Albanian Declaration of Independence ( Albanian: ''Deklarata e Pavarësisë'') was the declaration of independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. Independent Albania was proclaimed in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Six days later the Assem ...

in the 28 of November 1912.

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

two battalions of the National Liberation Movement ambushed defeated

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

troops near Librazhd killing over 200 German soldiers.

Historical Places

*WWII Memorial

Points of Interest

* Shebenik-Jabllanice National Park *

Shkumbin The Shkumbin (; ; la, Genusus, also la, Genessus, label=none or la, Scampis, label=none), also commonly Shkembi, is a river in Southern Europe. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . Etymology It derives from La ...

*World War II Memorial

Transportation

Bus

There are buses in Librazhd that can take you in other cities in

and other countries.

Trains

There is no train line that can goes to or from Librazhd. Elbasan-Pogradec extension has been closed

Highways

The only main road in Librazhd is the SH3 (State Road 3) that starts in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

and ends in

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...

and passes by Librazhd.

Sports

Librazhd favourite city sport is

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

. Its main soccer team is

Sopoti Librazhd KF Sopoti is an Albanian sports club based in Librazhd. The club currently competes in the Kategoria e Dytë, the third tier of football in Albania. History They were founded in 1948 under the name ''KS Albania Tabak Librazhd'', and they play t ...

founded 1948. Its home stadium is

Sopoti Stadium Sopoti Stadium ( sq, Stadiumi Sopoti) is a multi-use stadium in Librazhd, Albania which is used as the home ground of local football club Sopoti Librazhd. It was built in 1964 and the 3,000 seater stadium has been Sopoti Librazhd's home ground ...

created in 1964 with a capacity of 3,000 spectators. The team is now in the

Albanian Second Division Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

group A. The team has had some problems with the stadium being outdated during the 2017-18 Albanian Second Division. Now it is a renovated stadium.

Notable residents

Taulant Balla Taulant Balla (born 12 August 1977) is an Albanians, Albanian Socialist Party of Albania, Socialist Party politician and Parliament of Albania, Member of Parliament (MP) for Elbasan County, Librazhd. He was first elected MP in the 2005 Albanian p ...

(born 1977), politician

References

External links

Municipality of Librazhd Official Website

Librazhd tourist guide

{{Librazhd div Municipalities in Elbasan County Administrative units of Librazhd Towns in Albania