Jahja Ballhysa (4 February 1857 - 1930) was a 19th-century

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 ...

n politician. He was one of the delegates of 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 1912 and the mayor of Durrës in 1926. Jahja Ballhysa was an activist of the

Albanian National Renaissance The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

( sq,

Rilindja Kombëtare The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

). After completing his studies at the Collegio di Sant'Adriano (the college of Saint Adrian) in the

Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including: * Arbër (given name), an Albanian masculine given name * Arbëresh ...

town of

San Demetrio Corone San Demetrio Corone (Arbëreshë: ''Shën Mitri'') is a town and municipality in the Calabria region of Italy, at an altitude of 521 meters and with 3,387 inhabitants. The town is among the most important cultural centers of the Albanian communit ...

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, he returned to Durrës where he joined the patriotic circles of the city. He participated in the Educational Congress in Elbasan in 1909. After overcoming resistance by the Young Turks, he opened in Durrës in 1909 a club called "Bashkimi" ("The Union"), of which he elected president. In Jahja Ballhysa's house and with his financial support it was opened the first

Albanian language Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...

school in Durrës. He participated in the Albanian Revolts of 1910, 1911 and 1912. He gave valuable support to revolt in the field of journalism in particular, calling on the people to support the

Albanian Revolt of 1911 The Albanian revolt of 1911 or the Malësori uprising of 1911 was one of many Albanian revolts in the Ottoman Empire and lasted from 24 March 1911 until 4 August 1911 in the region of Malësia. Background The main headquarters of the rebels ...

. He represented the province of Durrës at the

Assembly of Vlorë The Assembly of Vlorë ( sq, Kuvendi i Vlorës) was an Albanian assembly constituted during the All-Albanian Congress in Vlorë, on November 28, 1912. Background The All-Albanian Congress or ''Albanian National Congress'' or ''Albanian Ind ...

on November 28, 1912, in which

declared the Independence. Jahja Ballhysa signed on behalf of the

elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. D ...

of the city Durrës the petition, which all the Albania's cities elites addressed to the President of the US,

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

, on July 12, 1918, to request his intervention in the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 to rectify the injustice of the Treaty of London (1915) on the Albanian territories. During 1922-1923 Jahja Ballhysa led the progressive forces of the city of Durrës and he was elected Mayor by the opposition. He was part of the Uprising of March 1922. For that reason he was arrested and sentenced with hard imprisonment by the government of

Ahmet Zogu Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's y ...

. He supported

Fan Noli Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, Archbishop, Metropolitan and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albanian Orthodox ...

in the

June Revolution The history of Albania forms a part of the history of Europe. During classical antiquity, Albania was home to several Illyrian tribes such as the Ardiaei, Albanoi, Amantini, Enchele, Taulantii and many others, but also Thracian and Greek tribes ...

of 1924. Jahja Ballhysa died in Durrës."Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary" Albanian Academy of Science.

References

19th-century Albanian politicians 1930 deaths People from Durrës 1857 births Mayors of Durrës All-Albanian Congress delegates Albanian people from the Ottoman Empire {{Albania-bio-stub