A rare copy of the Document of Independence

By Ilir Ikonomi

In May of this year, I found in Boston a copy of the Independence Document, which was sent to Fan Noli from Albania in 1938. 

In the Church of St. George, with the help of archivist Neka Doko, I carefully photographed the document together with two accompanying sheets. The document is kept in fairly good condition, although slightly damaged in the corners of the pages due to its 87-year-old age.

It is thrilling to find such a precious stone that brings back memories of our national history. It's just as nice to feel when you touch the document and it comes alive in your hands.

On one of the attached pages it is said that the document was sent to Fan Noli by his friend in Elbasan Beqir Rusi, a former member of the Senate who emerged from the Congress of Lushnja in 1920 and former mayor of the Municipality of Tirana in 1924, when Noli was prime minister.

In 1937, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence, Lef Nosi, who was my grandmother's uncle, allowed a limited number of copies of the Independence Document to be printed, which he had kept for years in safekeeping, as well as many important historical documents in his collection.

At the bottom of the front page he had also printed that part of the signatures that were on the back of the original, putting all the signatures in a single image.

Some copies printed by Lef Nosi were given to various dignitaries or friends of the Albanian Kingdom, such as the American minister in Tirana, Hugh Grant and others. Fan Noli was among them.

Meanwhile, at the Harry Fultz School in Tirana, where today is the Economic Technical School, the original document was exhibited together with the national flag, which was thought to have been raised in Vlora by Ismail Qemali.

By that time, relations between King Zog and Bishop Noli had improved considerably, even though both had sentenced each other to death - Noli Zogu in December 1924 and Zogu Noli in October 1927. In early 1934, Zogu had sent Nolit lands in Boston a grant of 3,000 francs, exactly 800 dollars and 35 cents, to recover from double pneumonia.

I believe this is one of the few copies of the Document of Independence in existence. Although it is not the original, it is still an asset.

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