Petro Poga (1860–1944) was an Albanian politician who served as a delegate at 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 Ass ...

event in

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foo ...

, 1912, and an important Rilindas.

Biography

Early life

He could've been born in

Erind Erind is a village in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. It belongs to the former Lunxhëri municipality and is part of the wider Lunxhëri region. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Gjirokastër. Eri ...

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 ...

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 share ...

(then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

), son of Vito Poga, a local who had previously worked in his region and in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

as a tailor.
Poga might have gone to the

Zosimea The ''Zosimaia'' School ( el, Ζωσιμαία Σχολή, ''Zosimaía Scholí'') of Ioannina (in Epirus) has been one of the most significant Greek middle-level educational institutions (high schools) during the last period of Ottoman rule in th ...

Greek language School of

Ioannina Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

(then

) and then graduated in Jurisprudence from the

Istanbul University , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

. In Istanbul he may have been an active part of the

Central Committee for Defending Albanian Rights The Central Committee for Defending Albanian Rights was formed in the city of Istanbul, Turkey, then Ottoman Empire on December 18, 1877, by an influential group of Albanian intellectuals, patriots, and politicians, such as Hasan Tahsini, Abdyl Fras ...

, and the Society for the Publication of Albanian Writings. These two associations, both founded by

Sami Frashëri Sami bey Frashëri ( tr, Şemseddin Sami Bey; June 1, 1850 – June 18, 1904) or Şemseddin Sâmi was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a p ...

, included

Naim Frashëri Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri (; ; 25 May 184620 October 1900), was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, rilindas and translator who was proclaimed as the national poet of Albania. He is regarded as the pioneer of moder ...

Abdyl Frashëri Abdyl Dume bey Frashëri ( tr, Fraşerli Abdül Bey; 1 June 1839 – 23 October 1892) was an Ottoman Albanian civil servant, politician during the First Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire, and one of the first Albanian political ideologue ...

, Jani Vreto,

Koto Hoxhi Konstandin Hoxhi, known as Koto Hoxhi (1824–1895) was an advocate of the Albanian language. He taught the language secretly to his students in Qestorat in Southern Albania. He was imprisoned and died in prison for his beliefs. Biography Koto Ho ...

Shahin Kolonja Shahin bey Kolonja ( tr, Şahin Teki Kolonya; 1865–1919) was an Albanian journalist, politician, and member of the Ottoman Parliament during its Second Constitutional Era. Life Shahin Kolonja was born in Starje, Ottoman Empire, today's south ...

Hasan Tahsini Khawaja, Hoxhë Hasan Tahsini or simply Hoxha Tahsim (7 April 1811 – 3 July 1881) was an Albanians, Albanian ulama, alim, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher. He was the first rector of Istanbul University and one of the founders o ...

, and

Ismail Qemali Ismail Qemal bey Vlora, mostly known as Ismail Qemali (; 16 January 184426 January 1919), was an Albanian diplomat, politician, rilindas, statesman and the Founding Father of modern Albania, and one of the most famous Southern Albanian perso ...

and aimed to create an independent Albania.

Albanian national awakening

There is a chance that an Albanian magazine '' Drita'' appeared in 1884 under the editorship of Petro Poga with

being a behind the scenes editor as Muslim Albanians were not allowed by Ottoman authorities to write in Albanian at that time. Albanian writers such as Naim Frashëri and

Sami Frashëri Sami bey Frashëri ( tr, Şemseddin Sami Bey; June 1, 1850 – June 18, 1904) or Şemseddin Sâmi was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a p ...

would write using pseudonyms in Poga's publication. Poga could have been made to resign his position at Drita due to pressure from the Constantinople Patriarchate and Shahin Kolonja would take over after him. The magazine was maybe later published by

Pandeli Sotiri Pandeli Sotiri (1842–1892) was an Albanian activist that acted as director of the first Albanian school of modern times in Korçë. Sotiri was one of the most important Rilindas figures that contributed in the propagation of the Albanian langua ...

, under the name of ''Dituria'' ("Knowledge" in English). Maybe in his memories Petro Poga wrote:

''The magazine Drita awakened the sacred national ideal and influenced to establish in the Albanians' hearts the thought that religions can not change a nation, because they cannot change the language and customs that create a nation.''

In 1906-1908, Petro Poga was contemplated to be in Gjirokastër where he contributed with the propagation of the Albanian language and the Albanian identity. One of his most important roles might have been the foundation of the patriotic club "Drita" of Gjirokastër, which was further led by Albanian patriots Hasan Xhiku, Idriz Guri, Hysen Hoxha, and

Elmaz Boçe Elmaz is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Elmaz Abinader (born 1954), Arab-American author, poet, and academic * Elmaz Boçe (1852–1925), Albanian educator See also * Elmas (surname) {{Given name Masculine give ...

. Petro Poga strongly advocated for the Albanian move towards independence in 1912. He was elected as one of the representatives of Gjirokastër to the National Assembly of Vlora which declared Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire.

After independence

After Albania's independence in 1912 he was a

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

in the first Albanian government and acted twice as a

Prime Minister of Albania The Prime Minister of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Shqipërisë), officially styled Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of government of the Republic of Albania and the mo ...

(1 February 1925 - 23 September 1925 and 12 February 1927 - 20 October 1927). Poga became the President of the

Supreme Court of Albania Supreme may refer to: Entertainment * Supreme (character), a comic book superhero * ''Supreme'' (film), a 2016 Telugu film * Supreme (producer), hip-hop record producer * "Supreme" (song), a 2000 song by Robbie Williams * The Supremes, Motown-e ...

in 1913-1915. Along with

Dhimitër Tutulani Dhimitër Tutulani (19 March 1857 – 1937), also known as Taq Tutulani or Dhimitraq Tutulani, was an Albanian lawyer and politician from city of Berat. He was one of the signatories of the Albanian Declaration of Independence. Life Dhimitër ...

and Feim Mezhgorani he drafted the Statute that separated the Albanian Justice system from the jurisdiction of the

. On December 25, 1918 he was the representative of

in the

Congress of Durrës The Congress of Durrës () was a conference of Albanian political leaders, held from December 25 to December 27, 1918, in Durrës, at the time capital of the Principality of Albania. Mehmet Konica was the Chairman of the Congress, which aimed a ...

, where he was elected vicepresident and member of the Turhan Përmeti cabinet. Along with

Luigj Gurakuqi Luigj Gurakuqi (also called Louis Gurakuchi; 19 February 1879 – 2 March 1925) 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. B ...

in his discussions in this Congress he asked to adopt a law to respect religious freedoms according to European standards of that time. He also gave his contribution to draft the Albanian legislation and the Constitution of the Albanian Kingdom in 1928. Poga spent his last years in his childhood village in Erind.

References

"History of Albanian People" Albanian Academy of Science. {{DEFAULTSORT:Poga, Petro People from Gjirokastër 19th-century Albanian lawyers Zosimaia School alumni Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni 1860 births 1944 deaths 20th-century Albanian politicians 19th-century Albanian politicians Government ministers of Albania Justice ministers of Albania All-Albanian Congress delegates Government of Durrës Congress of Durrës delegates Speakers of the Parliament of Albania Members of the Parliament of Albania 20th-century Albanian judges