Maria Shllaku – the name that never dies
Flamur Buçpapaj
Maria Shllaku was not just a young girl from Shkodra, a philosophy student in Italy; she was a conscience that dared to speak the truth, a flame that could not be extinguished, an example of youth that refuses to be humiliated, and a symbol of patriotism that knows no compromise. She was executed by the Serbian authorities in 1946 simply because she spoke what was clear and undeniable to every Albanian: Kosovo is Albanian, and sooner or later it will be united with Albania.
But her life did not begin and end with her execution. It began in Shkodra, a city where the Catholic faith and the Albanian language served as a shield for national identity, where every small library, church, and school was a center for preserving awareness and Albanian culture. It was there that Maria’s character was forged: upright, unwavering, and ready to sacrifice everything for ethnic Albania and for the legacy of generations to come.
For the Catholics of Shkodra, faith was not division, but the foundation of love for the nation. It educated the youth, preserved the Albanian language, nurtured literature, and shaped individuals who understood the nation as a community of values, history, and culture. Maria was a daughter of this tradition, its most beautiful and courageous fruit.
The Serbs spared neither youth, knowledge, nor faith. They condemned a young, brilliant, and devout student because her ideal was stronger than any weapon. They thought that by executing her, they would extinguish the idea she carried. But every sacrifice Maria made only strengthened the national cause and created a legacy that continues to inspire generations.
Maria’s story is not only told in facts; it is felt, experienced, and honored in poetry, for poetry is the purest way to preserve a spirit that does not die:
Like a breeze that blows in spring,
it awakens and refreshes the flowers;
Maria comes to us every time,
like the sun that only shines.
She never knew old age,
for the flower only remembers youth;
she fell for Albania,
and every spring she blooms again.
She blows like wind in every season,
and rests in Shkodra;
like a rainbow above the roofs,
she lives forever.
Even God has said:
life passes, youth fades;
but the one who remains, who truly lives,
is the name – Maria.
Her name is more than a memory; it is a call to awareness, unity, and the defense of the nation. It teaches us that the national cause is not defended by words alone, but with knowledge, courage, sacrifice, and strategic preparation. History shows that without moral and cultural readiness, without strengthening the state and internal unity among Albanians, danger can return.
Today, the threat is no longer only open violence; it appears in indifference, in internal division, and in the denial of values and heritage. Therefore, Maria’s memory is a guide for the youth, a call to understand history, preserve the language, protect identity, and always remain vigilant.
Maria Shllaku remains proof that even a young girl can be stronger than an empire of violence, more determined than any weapon, and brighter than any propaganda. Her monument does not stand in stone, but in the memory and spirit of the Albanian people, in every library, in every history lesson, in every generation that learns about her.
Every time a spring breeze blows, every time a truth is spoken without fear, every time Albanian youth rise to protect their identity, Maria Shllaku is there, reminding us that ethnic Albania is stronger than any violence, and freedom is not a gift, but a moral duty and an eternal sacrifice.
She did not live for herself; she lived for all of Albania, for the language, the culture, and the heritage that unites us. In this sense, Maria blooms every spring, because her name will never be extinguished.
Maria Shllaku – the name of truth that lives beyond time.
