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The flag of Albania ( sq, Flamuri i Republikës së Shqipërisë) is a red
flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The red stands for bravery, strength, valour and bloodshed, while the Eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania. The flag was established as the national flag of Albania when the country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.


Origin

During John Hunyadi's campaign in Niš in 1443, Skanderbeg and a few hundred Albanians defected from the Turkish ranks; for twenty-five years he scored remarkable victories against the Ottomans. He adopted the similar Byzantine imperial flag, with the double-headed eagle and the red background, and his victories brought him the papal title ''Athleta Christi''. The eagle was used for heraldic purposes in the Middle Ages by a number of noble families in Albania and became the symbol of the
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
. The Kastrioti's coat of arms, depicting a black double-headed eagle on a red field, became famous when he led a revolt against the Ottoman Empire resulting in the independence of Albania from 1443 to 1479. This was the flag of the League of Lezhë, which was the first unified Albanian state in the Middle Ages and the oldest representative political body in the country with extant records... The symbol of the double-headed black eagle on a red background was re-used by
Albanian nationalists Albanian nationalism is a general grouping of nationalist ideas and concepts generated by ethnic Albanians that were first formed in the 19th century during the Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja). Albanian nationalism is also associated w ...
during the 19th and early 20th centuries as a symbol of their campaign for their country's independence from the Ottoman Empire.. In Ottoman territory, the first time it was raised in possibly over 400 years is the Battle of Deçiq (6 April) in the Albanian revolt of 1911. It was raised by the rebellion leader Ded Gjo Luli on the peak of Bratila (present-day Tuzi Municipality) after victory was secured. The phrase ''Tash o vllazën do t’ju takojë të shihni atë që për 450 vjet se ka pa kush'' (Now brothers you have earned the right to see that which has been unseen for 450 years) has been attributed to Ded Gjo Luli by later memoirs of those who were present when he raised the flag. It was one of three banners brought to
Malësia Malësia e Madhe ("Great Highlands"), known simply as Malësia ( sq, Malësia, cnr, / ), is a historical and ethnographic region in northern Albania and eastern central Montenegro corresponding to the highlands of the geographical subdivision ...
by Palokë Traboini, student in Austria. The other two banners were used by Ujka of Gruda and Prelë Luca of Triepshi. The Albanian flag has gone through a number of changes over the years as different regimes have modified it. During the reign of King Zog (r. 1928–1939), a crown was added to the flag and was replaced by two
fasces Fasces ( ; ; a ''plurale tantum'', from the Latin word ''fascis'', meaning "bundle"; it, fascio littorio) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, sometimes including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbo ...
during the Italian occupation of Albania. After World War II, the communist regime added a five-pointed golden
star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
, which was removed on 7 April 1992 after the communist government in Albania collapsed. Albania's
maritime flags A maritime flag is a flag designated for use on ships, boats, and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown is related to the country ...
—the civil ensign and the naval ensign—are both different from the national flag. The civil ensign consists of three horizontal bands of red, black, and red. The naval ensign is similar to the national flag, except that the eagle is on a white field, and the lower portion of the flag has a red stripe. The eagle of the flag of Albania is depicted on the
reverse Reverse or reversing may refer to: Arts and media * ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001 * ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film * ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film * ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005 * ''Reverse'' ...
of the Albanian five
lekë The lek (; indefinite singular ''lek'', definite plural ''lekët'', indefinite plural ''lekë''; sign: Lekë in Albanian or Lek in English, sometimes L; code: ALL) is the currency of Albania. Historically, it was subdivided 100 ''qintars'' (; s ...
coin, issued in 1995 and 2000. Beginning in 1969, the flag of Albania was widely unofficially flown in Kosovo by the country's ethnic Albanian population. The flag was the symbol of the self-declared proto-state
Republic of Kosova The Republic of Kosova ( sq, Republika e Kosovës) or First Republic of Kosovo was a self-declared proto-state in Southeastern Europe established in 1991. During its peak, it tried to establish its own parallel political institutions in oppos ...
during the 1990s. Kosovo uses a different flag that was designed to avoid any symbols associated with a particular ethnic group, similarly to the flags of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cyprus.


National flag

The national flag of Albania was standardized by Law Nr.8926, dated 22 July 2002 of the constitution and defined in articles II, III and IV. ''The color scheme laid out below, pertaining to the rules of heraldry, begins with the peripheral color followed by the nearest color.'' A summarized translation of the law is written below:


State flags


Flag raised on

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
(1912)

According to researcher and art conservator Frederik Stamati and his colleague Ariola Prifti, an ethnographic fund specialist at the Center for Albanological Studies, there is no trace evidence of the original flag that was raised in Vlorë on 28 November 1912, the day Albania declared its independence. This viewpoint is reaffirmed in an editorial by news media Top Channel dated 1 November 2012 and titled ''"The mystery of the first Albanian flag"''. It concludes that "there is no definitive proof" on how the raised flag looked on the day Albania declared its independence, while providing ten hypotheses. A model of the flag often perceived as the original is seen in a 1913 postcard that shows alongside it a photograph of Don Aladro Kastriota in uniform. Eqrem bey Vlora writes in his memoirs, published posthumously as "Lebenserinnerungen", Munich (1968–1973), that sometime in 1909 while visiting Paris, he had the good fortune to meet Don Aladro, a wealthy spanish-basque diplomat and a strong supporter of the Albanian cause who at one point had announced his candidacy for the Albanian throne by claiming descent from the House of Kastrioti through his paternal grandmother, a noblewoman that lived during the era of Charles III. With his financial means and some propaganda, he made known the Albanian cause for independence in European political circles. During their meeting, Vlora asserts the following episode occurred: More support is given to this thesis in the testimony of Syrja bey Vlora who in his book of memoirs titled "From the End of Ottoman Rule to the War of Vlora", writes in page 70 the following: "On 28 November, with the desire and consent of all, it was decided to raise the flag of Albania and declare National Independence. As it was not possible to prepare the flag that day, a flag was taken from our house, which my son Eqrem had been guarding with full respect since 1908(?). It rose amid the cheerful manifestations and cheers of the people." Historian Valentina Duka provides further insights into this argument in her book "History of Albania, 1912–2000", where she publishes authentic documents from the archives of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
. From these documents, we learn of the efforts made by the government of Prime Minister
Kostaq Kotta Kostaq Kotta, also known as Koço Kotta (5 May 1886 – 1 September 1947), was an Albanian politician and twice prime minister during the reign of King Zog, who took a pro-Italian right-wing stance. Biography He was educated in Greece and Italy ...
, to collect historical objects of this era and to house them at the National History Museum. In 1930, the minister of foreign affairs
Rauf Fico Abdurrauf Fico (1881–1944), also known as Rauf Fitso Bey was an Albanian ambassador and politician. Early life Rauf Fico was born in Sanaa, to Tahmaz Fico of the Fico family of Gjirokastër and Hava Buzo from Berat. After finishing high scho ...
, began a correspondence with Eqrem bey Vlora, who at the time was serving as the ambassador of Albania in Athens. In these communications, Eqrem bey strongly emphasizes that the flag raised on the day of the declaration of independence is indeed the one that was given to him by Aladro Kastriota. He goes on to explain that the flag along with other personal possessions, were confiscated and burned during 1915, by the government of the so called Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in the home of a family friend in Delvinë. They had been transferred there for safekeeping from the rebel forces of Central Albania that had invaded Vlorë.
Kristo Floqi Kristo Floqi (24 May 1876 – 1 July 1951) was an Albanian patriot, playwright, politician, and lawyer. Life Floqi was born in Korçë, Vilayet of Monastir, Ottoman Albania, son of a merchant (Vasil Floqi). He had three brothers: Dhimitër, Niko ...
writes in the weekly newspaper Arbënia in 1936, that "the national flag that was raised for the first time had been "crafted" with her own hands by Marigo Posio from a cloth purchased by a local drapery merchant named Diamanti and based on the model drawn by Dom Mark Vasa and Petro Fotografi". In a later correspondence that Floqi writes to the editor of Drita Newspaper, dated 17 January 1937 and titled "The designer of the flag that was flown in Vlorë for the declaration of our independence", in response to Kol Rodhe, the flag is described as ''"a thin red woven cloth, 3 meters long and 2 meters wide and on which a black double-headed vulture was branded"''. Floqi may have had such knowledge of the flag as his brother
Thanas Thanas is an Albanian and Ukrainian (''Танас'') given name and onomastic toponym element. The definite form is ''Thanasi''. It is derived from the Greek ''Athanasios'', with the Latin derived equivalent ''Tanush''. Thanas is also considered to ...
was one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence and Floqi himself was married to Urani Poçi, the sister of Marigo Posio. This second hypothesis is also supported by Posio's assistant, Thina Ferra who claims the following: Vinçenc Prennushi ( O.F.M.) wrote in "Gjeth e Lule" his immortal romance "Grueja Shqyptare" which is thought to have been inspired by Marigo Posio.


Flag of the Provisional Government (1912–1914)

The weekly Albanian language newspaper
Zër' i Popullit ''Zër' i Popullit'' ('The People's Voice') was an Albanian language (Tosk dialect) weekly newspaper published in New York City, United States from 1912–1913. Kristo Floqi was the owner and chief editor of the newspaper. The newspaper carried so ...
( sq, The People's Voice), based in New York City, published on the cover page of its 7th issue, dated 17 December 1912, a color illustration of the Albanian flag. It shows a striking resemblance to another illustration found on the cover page of the 16th issue of the 2nd annual edition of Perlindja e Shqipëniës newspaper, the official publication of the newly formed Albanian State, dated 7 March 1914.


Flag of the self-proclaimed

Republic of Central Albania The Republic of Central Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë së Mesme) was a short-lived unrecognised state established on 16 October 1913, with its administrative centre in Durrës, today in Albania. History The government of the Republi ...
(1913–1914)

Recently, while researching the archives of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Fund Section R–130365), scholar Marenglen Kasmi observed a paper envelope which contained a letter signed by Essad Pasha Toptani and addressed by the Austro-Hungarian royal imperial embassy in Berlin to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 7 May 1915. In it, a piece of cloth roughly 20 by 30 cm in length, in light red color with a white
star polygon In geometry, a star polygon is a type of non-convex polygon. Regular star polygons have been studied in depth; while star polygons in general appear not to have been formally defined, certain notable ones can arise through truncation operations ...
at the lower right corner is presented as the "national flag" with Essad Pasha identifying himself as interim president and general supreme commander. What stands out about this flag is its resemblance to the Ottoman flag, where only the crescent has been removed.


Flag of the Principality of Albania (1915)

The National History Museum presently has in its archive a total of 15 flags that date as far back as 1880. One of these flags belongs to the period of Prince Wilhelm's reign. It was given to the museum as a gift by diplomat
Rauf Fico Abdurrauf Fico (1881–1944), also known as Rauf Fitso Bey was an Albanian ambassador and politician. Early life Rauf Fico was born in Sanaa, to Tahmaz Fico of the Fico family of Gjirokastër and Hava Buzo from Berat. After finishing high scho ...
who had found it abandoned in the prince's palace some years later. The flag is in a rather poor state making it difficult to restore and digitally reconstruct. A slightly different image of the flag is found in Jaho Brahaj's book "Flamuri i Kombit Shqiptar" that shows the flag in a deteriorated form, without the shielded peacock and with a gold star on top. A similar model can be corroborated in Artan Lame's book "Princi i Shqiptarëve" that shows a shielded purple-colored peacock and the eagle wingspan in a more compact form with the historically accurate five-pointed white star hovering at the top. A 2012 auction in Genoa, Italy unveiled for the first time the flag of the principality, physically intact, displayed inside a square laminated wooden frame with the descriptive title shown at the bottom in golden letters embossed onto a black coated strip. The flag which was found in Durrës on 20 December 1915, had been taken from there by italian diplomat Baron Carlo Aliotti aboard the Austrian destroyer
SMS Lika SMS ''Lika'' was one of six s built for the (Austro-Hungarian Navy) shortly before the First World War. Completed in August 1914, she helped to sink an Italian destroyer during the action off Vieste in May 1915 after Italy declared war on Austr ...
.


Flag of the

Autonomous Province of Korçë The Autonomous Province of Korçë ( sq, Krahina Autonome e Korçës), sometimes referred to as Republic of Korçë (french: République de Koritza), was an autonomous legal entity established in 27/10 December 1916, by the local French forces ...
(1916–1920)

The protocol agreement on the Autonomous Province of Korçë states in Article IX: A transient flag was previously raised from the second floor balcony of the prefecture building by the police prefect
Themistokli Gërmenji Themistokli Gërmenji (1871 – 1917) was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerrilla fighter. One of the activists of the Albanian National Awakening and the leader of the Albanian irregulars from 1909 to 1914, he became the prefect of poli ...
. Present in the public ceremony were the french commander Henri Descoings and his military personnel. Official surviving flags of this period are currently housed at the Flag Museum in Korçë.


Flag of the Congress of Lushnjë (1920)

The flag used at the Congress of Lushnjë was identified for the first time on 25 November 2011 inside the archives of the Ethnographic Fund at the Center for Albanological Studies. The flag was in the possession of patriot
Veli Vasjari Veli Vasjari (1887–1944) was an Albanian public official and patriot who gave a considerable contribution in the early development of police institutions in Albania. He served as the 4th Director of the State Police and later held several positio ...
who had carried it inside the building where the proceedings of the congress were held. In 1928, it was donated to the National History Museum and it has been a part of its ethnographic fund ever since.


Flag of the Albanian Republic (1925–1928)

State symbols during the period of the Republic were always shown in square form. This was preponderant with the national flag, state emblem, presidential insignia and even symbols used in commerce. The flag of the republic is seen for the first time in Teki Selenica's encyclopedic guide book
Shqipria më 1927, e illustruar ''Shqipria më 1927, e illustruar'' is a 1928 Albanian encyclopedic guide book authored by Teki Selenica. Overview Teki Selenica was an Albanian government official known for having initiated and organized the registration of the first populatio ...
, page 124.


Flag of the Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)

Article III of the Fundamental Statute of the Albanian Kingdom describes the flag as red with a black two-headed eagle in the center. A variant of this flag is on display at the Mezuraj Museum. The square-shaped flag, currently in the possession of the
Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...
, was produced in the latter period of King Zog's reign and can be seen in an archived film footage being replaced by fascist officers during the unveiling ceremony of the new fascist flag, on 4 December 1939.


Flag of the

Kingdom of Albania Kingdom of Albania may refer to: *Kingdom of Albania (medieval) — from the Capetian House of Anjou *Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939) — from the House of Zogu *Albanian Kingdom (1939–1943) — from the House of Savoy during the Italian occupati ...
(1939–1943)

The Yearbook of the Kingdom of Albania in its 1940–XVIII edition, describes in Title I, Article II of the Constitutional Charter the following: Images of the flag used during this time are available at the Istituto Luce archive. The flag is displayed at different public events, from the inauguration of a local school by prime minister
Shefqet Vërlaci Shefqet bey Vërlaci (; 15 December 1877, Elbasan, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire – 21 July 1946, Zürich, Switzerland), also known as Shevket Verlaci, was an Albanian politician and wealthy landowner. Biography In 1922, Vërlaci was the b ...
to the opening session of the
Albanian Fascist Party The Albanian Fascist Party ( sq, Partia Fashiste Shqiptare, or PFSh) was a fascist organisation active during World War II which held nominal power in Albania from 1939, when the country was invaded by Italy, until 1943, when Italy capitulated to ...
congress which was held at the Palace of the Superior Fascist Corporative Council.


Flag of

Albania under Nazi Germany The German occupation of Albania occurred between 1943 and 1944 during World War II. Before the armistice between Italy and the Allied armed forces on 8 September 1943, Albania had been in a de jure personal union with and was de facto under t ...
(1943–1944)

In October 1943 the union with Italy was officially dissolved and the country reverted to the decrees of September 1928. The pre-Italian flags and symbols were used during this period. Flag of the
Congress of Përmet The Congress of Përmet, was a meeting of the Albanian communist leaders on May 24, 1944, in Përmet, Albania, which elected a Provisional Government. The congress was modeled after the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslav ...
(1944)


Flag of the Democratic Government of Albania (1946)

The flag used by the Democratic Government of Albania, which was the first ruling government following the war of liberation, was published for the first time in the War Bulletin of National Liberation ( sq, Buletin i Luftës Nacional-Çlirimtare), issue nr.51 dated 28 November 1944. The usage of this specific flag is widely seen in public events and military court sessions. It has also been confirmed in the 1980 publication by the Marxist-Leninist Studies Institute titled "Epopeja e Luftës Antifashiste Nacionalçlirimtare e Popullit Shqiptar 1939–1944". Prior to this, a transient flag of a different contour with moderately outstretched wings was used at the
Congress of Përmet The Congress of Përmet, was a meeting of the Albanian communist leaders on May 24, 1944, in Përmet, Albania, which elected a Provisional Government. The congress was modeled after the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslav ...
and subsequently at the first Anti-Fascist Youth Congress (BRASH).


Flag of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania

Law nr.5506, dated 28 December 1976 of the constitution of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania in Chapter III, Article I, Title CVIII describes the flag as follows: The flag symbols were designed by painter
Sadik Kaceli Sadik Kaceli (14 March 1914 – 24 December 2000) was an Albanian artist. He studied in Paris at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (1936–1941). Kaceli is one of Albania's best known painters, receiving many decorations as People's ...
. On 7 April 1992, the Assembly formed after the early elections, in the afternoon session voted to remove the communist emblem as the official symbol of the state, the removal of the golden star from the flag and initiated a parliamentary commission tasked with studying the proposals of a new emblem of the state.


Presidential flag

The symbols of the Presidency which include the flag, the emblem and the "Mother Teresa" Decoration, were approved by a presidential decree dated 10 July 2014 by president Bujar Nishani. The presidential flag is described as follows: "The predominant colors are the colors of the national flag (red background and black eagle) and the golden color has been added which symbolizes strength, prosperity and endurance. The decorative symbols of the flag are the black eagle taken from the coat of arms of the House of Kastrioti, accepting it as one of the most ancient symbols used by the Albanian leader, the (golden) Skanderbeg helmet positioned in a straight frontal stance, symbolizing impartiality and determination in representing national unity, as well as oak (golden) leaves which represent longevity, strength and dignity, also taken as a symbol from antiquity used by King Gentius of the Illyrians. The use of the crown-shaped oak branches is also seen as a plinth which holds the other elements in place. Dimensions are specified as 140cm x 100 cm."


See also

*
Armorial of Albania This is a list of coats of arms of Albania. Medieval coats of arms Throughout the course of history, the earliest evidence on the usage of coats of arms by local overlords in present-day Albania can be traced back to the 13th century with the Princ ...
*
List of Albanian flags This is a comprehensive list of flags used in Albania. State flags }), based in New York City, published on the cover page of its 7th issue, dated 17 December 1912, a :commons:File:Zer' i Popullit (1912).jpg, color illustration of the Albanian flag ...
* Coat of arms of Albania *
Albanian heraldry Albanian heraldry is the use of heraldic symbols in Albania. The earliest form of Albanian heraldry is from the late 12th century, with the creation of the first Albanian medieval country, the Principality of Arbanon in 1190. During the 13th to th ...
*
Flag of Kosovo Flag of the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Flamuri i Republikës së Kosovës, sr, Застава Републике Косово/Zastava Republike Kosovo) was adopted by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo immediately following the unilateral d ...


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{Albania topics ! Albania National symbols of Albania Albania Albania