MONOGRAPH
Flamur Buçpapaj
The Role of Austro-Hungary in the Albanian National Awakening
Education, Secret Publications, the Myth of Skanderbeg, and the Protection of Ethnic Albania
INTRODUCTION
The history of the Albanian National Awakening cannot be fully understood without analyzing the role played by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in supporting the language, culture, education, and political consciousness of Albanians. At a time when the Albanian identity was unstable, when most of the population was divided according to religion rather than nation, when the Ottomans had prohibited Albanian-language books and schooling, while Greece and Serbia were attempting to eliminate the Albanian element, Austro-Hungary developed a clear and long-term strategy aimed at preserving Albanianhood.
This monograph provides an expanded analysis of:
The political intervention of Vienna in defense of Albanian territories;
The Catholic educational network as a cultural instrument;
The secret printing and distribution of Albanian books;
The formation of the first Albanian intellectual elite;
The mythologizing of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg;
The preservation of the Western–Catholic component in Albanian identity;
Diplomatic protection during the decisive moments of the Declaration of Independence;
The lasting legacy of this support in the modern Albanian state.
CHAPTER I
Austro-Hungary as a Strategic Factor in the Balkans
Vienna’s Policy in the Balkans
Throughout the 19th century, the Balkans became the most significant geopolitical arena for the Habsburg Empire. Its primary goal was to prevent the expansion of Serbia and Montenegro toward the Adriatic, to maintain regional balance, and to stop the formation of an Orthodox bloc supported by Russia. Within this strategy, Albanians appeared as the only non-Slavic, non-Greek people with the potential to become a strategic ally.
Vienna regarded the Albanians as:
A people with a distinct identity;
An important Western element;
A natural barrier against Serbian and Greek expansion;
A factor that needed to be preserved and strengthened.
Thus began a decades-long policy that would later become a cornerstone of the Albanian National Awakening.
Albanians in the 19th Century: A Shaken Identity
Three major dangers threatened thel Albanian population:
A) Cultural Turkification, especially in southern urban centers such as Shkodra, Prizren, and Elbasan.
B) Hellenization, through the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek schools in the south.
C) Slavization, particularly in the north and northeast, where Serbia and Montenegro claimed Albanian lands.
In this context, Austro-Hungary was the only great power that openly declared that Albanians should remain Albanians.
CHAPTER II
The Role of the Catholic Clergy as Vienna’s Cultural Instrument
Catholic Schools – The Foundation of Albanian Education
From 1850 to the early 20th century, Austro-Hungary built and financed around 100 Albanian-language schools, including:
Primary schools in Shkodra, Lezhë, Kallmet, Gomsiqe, Velipojë, Pukë, Krajë, and Mirdita;
Jesuit seminaries and colleges;
Franciscan schools;
Institutions for training Albanian teachers.
In these schools, for the first time:
The Albanian language was used as an obligatory language of instruction;
The first Albanian textbooks were created;
Students were introduced to their own history, culture, mythology, and traditions.
The Intellectuals Educated Under Vienna’s System
This educational network produced many of the leading figures of the Albanian National Awakening, including:
Ndre Mjeda – linguist, poet, author of the Latin–Albanian grammar.
Gjergj Fishta – national poet, author of The Highland Lute.
Luigj Gurakuqi – Minister of Education and signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
Dom Nikollë Kaçorri – Deputy Prime Minister of the Vlora Government.
Pashko Vasa – diplomat, poet, author of the slogan “The faith of the Albanian is Albanianism”.
Educated in Jesuit and Franciscan institutions, these individuals became pillars of the modern Albanian nation.
CHAPTER III
The Secret Printing and Distribution of Albanian Books
Centers of Albanian Publishing in the Empire
While the Ottomans categorically banned Albanian printing, Austro-Hungary established an extensive network of publishing centers:
Vienna – the primary center of Albanian printing;
Trieste – the main distribution port toward Albania;
Budapest, Zagreb, Sarajevo – secondary centers of support.
These printing houses published:
The first Albanian primers;
Grammars;
School textbooks;
Catechisms;
Poems and popular songs;
Works by Mjeda, Fishta, Gurakuqi, and many others.
The Illegal Distribution Network
Books entered Albania through:
Ships departing from Trieste;
Franciscan priests;
Austro-Hungarian consulates;
Adriatic coastal merchants;
Clergy traveling from Shkodra to Lezhë, Pukë, Mirdita, and as far as Kosovo.
This underground network played a decisive role in preserving the Albanian language. Without these books, there would be no alphabet, no national education, and no National Awakening.
CHAPTER IV
The Mythologizing of Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg as a European Symbol of Resistance
Austro-Hungary supported the publication of hundreds of works on Skanderbeg, portraying him as:
Defender of Christianity;
A Western figure;
A European hero resisting the Ottoman invasion.
Through this myth-making process, a national hero emerged who united Albanians of all faiths.
Skanderbeg in Albanian Cultural Identity
Thanks to Viennese publications, Skanderbeg became:
A school symbol;
A literary theme;
A central figure in popular songs;
A cornerstone of national consciousness.
This transformation was essential for restoring Albanian pride at a time when many Albanians identified as Turks, Greeks, or Slavs.
CHAPTER V
Albanian Catholicism as a Pillar of National Identity
The Western Role of Catholicism
The Catholic Church in Albania, supported by Vienna, served as:
Guardian of the Albanian language;
A cultural center;
An educational institution;
A bridge connecting Albanians with Europe.
When no Albanian state existed, the Church represented a “cultural state” among the people.
Major Figures Supported by Austro-Hungary
Abbot Prenkë Doçi – the key link with Viennese hierarchy.
Shtjefën Gjeçovi – collector of the Kanun.
Bernardin Palaj & Donat Kurti – collectors of folklore.
Dom Shtjefën Kurti – a distinguished figure of religious-national thought.
Their contribution built a national identity with strong Western cultural foundations
CHAPTER VI
Vienna’s Political Efforts for Ethnic Albania
The League of Prizren
Austro-Hungary supported the League of Prizren (1878), which demanded:
Protection of Albanian lands;
Autonomy;
Administrative unification of Albanian-inhabited regions.
Viennese diplomats repeatedly intervened to prevent the complete destruction of the League.
Defense of Albanian Territories Before 1912
Austro-Hungary opposed:
Serbia’s claims over Kosovo;
Montenegro’s claims over Shkodra, Hoti, Gruda, Plava, and Gucia;
Greece’s claims over Ioannina, Chameria, and Korça.
It was the only great power that formally recognized the existence of ethnic Albania.
Albanian Independence and Vienna’s Role
In 1912–1913, Austro-Hungary was the principal power that:
Supported the recognition of the Albanian state;
Opposed its partition;
Ensured that Albania emerged as an independent entity rather than a satellite of its neighbors.
Without Vienna’s diplomatic pressure at the London Conference, the St. Petersburg negotiations, and the meeting of ambassadors, Albania might never have been recognized as a state.
CHAPTER VII
The Permanent Legacy of Austro-Hungary in Albanian Identity
Its legacy can be divided into several dimensions:
. The Albanian Language
The Latin alphabet was strengthened precisely through Jesuit and Franciscan schools and Viennese printing houses.
. National Education
Catholic schools served as the first model of modern Albanian education.
Albanian Literature
Fishta, Mjeda, Gurakuqi, Palaj, Kurti—were all shaped within the educational system supported by Vienna.
Protection of Albanian Territories
Without Vienna’s diplomacy, the chances of preserving a significant portion of ethnic Albanian lands would have been minimal.
5. European Identity
Austro-Hungary brought Albania into the cultural orbit of Europe.
—
CONCLUSION
The role of Austro-Hungary in the Albanian National Awakening was decisive.
Because of this empire:
The Albanian language and culture were preserved;
The intellectual elite that led Independence was formed;
The first Albanian books were published;
Catholicism remained an important component of national identity;
Skanderbeg was elevated to a European heroic figure;
Albanian territories were defended;
The foundations of the modern Albanian state were established.
Without this support, Albanians risked losing their identity across the centuries, disappearing amidst Turkification, Hellenization, and Slavization, and failing to build an independent state.
Austro-Hungary was not merely an external power; it was one of the nurturing forces that assisted in the birth of the Albanian nation.
