Gjergj Fishta

Gjergj Fishta (October 23, 1871-December 30, 1940) was an Albanian Franciscan friar, a poet, and a translator.

Born in Fishta të Zadrimes, Fishta studied philosophy and Catholic theology in Bosnia. In 1902, he became the head of the Franciscan gymnasium in Shkodra.He interpreted Albania in the conference of Paris on 1919.From the beginning of April 1919 to 1920, he served as Secretary of the Albanian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference. At the end of 1920, he was elected to parliament by Shkodra, and in 1921 the became the Vice President of the Albanian parliament. In 1924, Fishta supported Fan Noli in his attempt to found a democratic system in Albania. After the establishment of the Zogu Regime, Fishta left willingly to go into exile in Italy in 1925/26, before he resumed his position as teacher and writer in Shkodra. He died in Shkodra in 1940.

Through both his work as a teacher as well as through his literary works, Fishta had a great influence on the development of the written form of his native Gheg Albanian. Fishta worked moreover as a translator (of Moliere, Manzoni, Homer, et al.).

Works

Lahuta e Malcís, epic poem, (Zara, 1902)
Anzat e Parnasit, satire, (Sarajevo, 1907)
Pika voese më vonë ri botuar si Vallja e Parrizit, (Zara, 1909)
Shqiptari i qytetnuem, melodrama, (1911)
Vëllaznia apo Shën Françesku i Assisi-t, (1912)
Juda Makabe, tragedy, (1914)
Gomari i Babatasit, Shkodër, (1923)
Mrizin e Zanave, Shkodër, (1924)
Lahuta e Malcís (2d. ed.), Gesamtdruck, (Shkodër 1937)

Fishta was editor of the magazine Hylli i Dritës (1913) and the newspaper Posta e Shypnisë (1916-1917).

References

The information in this article is based on that in its German equivalent.
Maximilian Lambertz: Gjergj Fishta und das albanische Heldenepos "Lahuta e Malsisë" - Laute des Hochlandes. Eine Einführung in die albanische Sagenwelt. Leipzig 1949.