Sotir Jovan Peçi | |
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Sotir Peçi
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Born |
Dardhë, Ottoman Empire |
July 13, 1873
Died | April 10, 1932 Florina (Greece) |
(aged 58)
Nationality | Albanian |
Occupation | teacher, mathematician, politician |
Known for | Having been the Minister of Education of Albania |
Sotir Peçi (1873-1932) was an Albanian politician, educator and mathematician. In 1906 he published the first Albanian-language newspaper in the United States of America in Boston. In 1908 he participated as a delegate in the Congress of Monastir. In 1920 he was appointed Minister of Education of Albania.
Sotir Peçi, the son of wealthy merchant Jovan Peçi, was born in Dardhë, a village near Korçë, on July 13, 1873. His father died while he was a child. Peçi studied at the local school in Korçë. In 1890 at the age of 17 he enrolled at the University of Athens where he studied physical sciences and graduated with a degree in mathematics. While in Athens he published the Albanian dictionary written by Kostandin Kristoforidhi.
In 1905 Peçi migrated to the United States, settling in Boston. There he became a member of the Patriotic Brotherhood of Dardha (Albanian: Vëllezëria Patriotike e Dardhës) and published the weekly newspaper The Nation (Albanian: Kombi), the first Albanian-language newspaper in the USA. In 1906 he employed the literary, religious, and patriotic figure Fan Noli as deputy editor of the newspaper.
In 1908 Peçi participated in the Congress of Monastir, an academic conference held in the city of Manastir, today's Republic of Macedonia while back then Center of the Vilayet, from 14 to 22 November 1908, with the goal of standardizing the Albanian alphabet, as a delegate of the Albanian communities living in the United States of America for whom he was granted three votes. After returning to Albania in 1908 he taught at the Normal School of Elbasan.