The University of Tetova, today, through a solemn academy, marked the 110th anniversary of the Congress of Manastir. This date represents one of the most important events for our nation, known among Albanians as the Alphabet Day, an event in which the unification of the alphabet of the Albanian language was made. The Vice-Dean for Science of the Faculty of Philology, Prof. Dr. Izmit Durmishi, in his speech said that after the Albanian League of Prizren, the Congress of Manastir is the convention that brought together patriots from different Albanian territories, hence giving the first signal towards the national independence of the Albanian people. “The history of the Albanian language alphabet is quite old and complex, as it is known that our language, since the first known documents up to the Congress of Manastir in 1908, is written in several alphabets. This way of writing the Albanian language complicated to a great extent the spread of Albanian knowledge and culture, thus the unification of the alphabet was one of the sacred duties that the ideologues of the Albanian national renaissance carried out. Achieving an agreement for a single and common alphabet for all Albanians, enabled the Albanian activists to easily preserve and affirm the national identity, therefore the Congress of Manastir was called the Congress of Albanian language Alphabet”- said Prof. Dr. Izmit Durmishi.
The historian, Prof. Dr. Zeqirija Idrizi said that the effort and sacrifice of activists of the Albanian language, for the future of the nation and language should never be forgotten, because from these letters are written many historical acts with special importance for the Albanian people all over the ethnic territories. “It’s not enough just only to mark this day and its celebration in a symbolic way only by expressing simple congratulations, but these letters should be used to the maximum, which our predecessors adapted for us, in order to have a solid ground for writing, study, innovation in various fields and to use their example that united we can achieve everything. Therefore, we should give our best, because one day we will be held responsible for the ineffective use of this inexhaustible source – the Albanian language alphabet. Because, with the alphabet of the Congress of Manastir, was written the document of Independence of Albania, with this alphabet was written the act for the foundation of the University of Tetova, with the same alphabet was signed the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo”- said Prof. Dr. Zeqirija Idrizi.
The Academy dedicated to the Congress of Manastir was enriched with an artistic program prepared by the students and professors of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Philology of the University of Tetova.