Jeronim De Rada-The Personality of Arberesh World

Abstract

Jeronim De Rada has entered in the history of the Albanian culture as a complex figure of the Albanian literature, as a multifaceted. He was an Albanian from Makia,whose wild and beautiful nature full of vineyards and olive groves reminds us the southern villages of Albania. De Rada is known as a great figure in the public Europian opinion. He is known as a writer with a wide knowledge but at the same time a hardworking promoter of the Albaian language and as a political personality, publicist with a national dignity. De Rada worked for the strengthening of the national consciousness of the Albanian who suffered in the country of the ancestors for almost four centuries under the pressure of the ottomans. He worked at the same time for the blossoming of the Albanian literature with the Albanian breath and folk aspect. With the wide activity and his poetic talent, De Rada had an impact on the whole pleiad of all the poets, whose works were a great part in the golden fund of the Albanian literature. Despite the literary activity De Rada was involved even in scientific activity or research working out a great number of linguistic writings about Albanian language, written in Italian and published in many editorials of that time or in the books that were created especially for them. De Rada strated to take up journalism in the young age, since his first year of his literary career he was the syrong protector of the freedom and independence of Albanian, for this reason he repossessed his position in journalism to emphasize the idea that the Albanians would struggle to win their rights and thier independent as well as the national union. De Rada started his journalistic career from the year 40 of the 19th century as a cooperator and leader in the editing having in mind the idea that the main thing to be strssed are the Albanians and the history of the Albanians through centuries. This made him publish the most known of that time “Fiamuri Arbërit” apo “La Bandiera Albanese” . By means of that magazine monthly it can be said that at that time started the beginning of the Albanian editing. He helped the Albanians to be known in Europe that exists the Albanian people that has a history, a language. Strong traditions that can inspired without fear freedom and independence. Despite the difficulties that were connected with the events in Italy, De Rada helped to promote the field of publishing, not staying far from the struggle of the Albanian people for national freedom. The newspaper ‘L’Albanese d’Italia’ was a tribune, a strong tribune that requires the newborn of the country that was invaded and struggled for its independence. De Rada overtook to organize two Congresses, linguistic ones, one in 1895 and one in 1897. In the last years of his life he was teaching Albanian language in Saint Adrian College. He died on 28th February 1903. His last thought were for Albanian and the bad luck of the Albanians.