Ismet Toto ( Progonat, 1908 –

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea le ...

, 1937) was an Albanian bureaucrat, publicist, writer and political activist. Along with Vangjel Koça,

Branko Merxhani Aleksandër Merxhani mostly known as Branko Merxhani (1894–1981) was an Albanian intellectual, sociologist, writer, journalist and literary critic. He was one of the most important cultural figures of the pre-World War II in Albania, publishe ...

and Nebil Çika, he was one of the main representatives of the Neo-Albanianism (neo-shqiptarizma) school of thought in the '30s.

Biography

Toto was born on 1908 in Progonat, Kurvelesh,

Labëria Labëria is a historic region that is roughly situated in southwestern Albania. Its inhabitants are known as Labs (referred to as sq, Lab, pl. ''Lebër'', also dial. sing. ''Lap'') and its boundaries reach from Vlorë to Himara in the south, to ...

into an Albanian nationalist family. He graduated in the American Technical School in Tirana and went on to study in economics in the

Sapienza University of Rome The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a Public university, public research university l ...

. During the early 1930s he became known for his writings on the topics of religion, philosophy and ethics. His tract "Grindje me klerin" was amongst the first and one of the most known anti-religious works in Albania.

Political activities and death

He joined the failed Delvina uprising of 1937 was captured by government forces. On 12 July 1937 he was executed by hanging in the prison of

Published works

* "Grindje me Klerin" – polemic (1934) * "Gazi-Kemal Ataturk" – biography (1935) * "Plato" – translation (1936) * "Bota e një djali kryengritës" – sent to the press in 1944

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toto, Ismet 1908 births 20th-century Albanian writers Albanian former Muslims Albanian atheist writers 1937 deaths Critics of religions People executed by Albania by hanging Executed Albanian people People from Tepelenë Sapienza University of Rome alumni