ABSTRACT

Albanians are among the oldest and most autochthonous people in Balkan. Known as the "Illyrians", "Albans", "Arberesh" and "Albanian", the Albanian people are among the founders of the Balkan Peninsula and among the most authentic contributors to the culture and civilization of the European continent. Historians and great scholars of the world and Albanian schoolars such as Thuman, Hahn, Shuflai, Stipcevic, Hosch, Çabej, Buda, Zheliskova have confirmed with their historical and linguistic studies the autochtonity, authenticity and contribution of Albanians in this region of more than three thousand five hundred years. This study investigates the early period of the Albanian National Renaissance and its repercussions on the establishment of the Albanian Nation State. Felt alone and without any support from international protection of any Greater Power and especially from the Othoman Empire, Albanian National Identity started to be seen as one of the main idea, which remained to be proclaimed by Albanian Renaissancers. So the Albanian National Renaissance movement began later than all the other Balkan peoples and not well-prepared in its political projects. In the cultural, civilizational and spiritual plan, the Albanian National Renaissance was as broad and western as many other peoples of the region. This paper will study the efforts, challenges and in general the elements in the context of creation of the Albanian nation, by bringing the main elements, which characterised this period of time.