Kristo Dako

{{Short description|Albanian patriot, politician, preacher and educator}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Kristo Dako
(Christo A. Dako)

| image = Christo Anastas Dako.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Kristo Anastas Dako

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1880|12|25}}Oberlin College Archives, Box 234, Folder 2812 "Dako, Kristo Anastas 1913 DB", Information Questionnaire (filled out by hand and signed by Kristo Dako)

| birth_place = Korçë, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1941|12|26|1880|12|25}}

| death_place =

| nationality = Albanian

| spouse = Sevasti Qiriazi

| children = Aleksandër Dako, Gjergj Dako

| other_names = Christo Dako

| occupation = Politician, educator, author, scholar, preacher

| awards = 17px Honor of the Nation

| signature = Kristo Dako (nënshkrim).svg

}}

Kristo Dako (1880–1941), son of Anastas Dako, was an Albanian patriot, author and educator of the early 20th century.

Early years and education

Kristo Dako (Christo Dako) was born in Korçë, in the Manastir Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in 1880. He migrated to Bucharest, where he finished high school and later the Faculty of Mathematics. Dako was also a student of literature at Bucharest University.

Though he had studied mathematics, Dako's passion was in ancient history. He was the strong supporter of the thesis that Albanians are descendants of the ancient Illyrians, Epirotes, and Macedonians, one of the pillars of Albanian Nationalism.

From 1906 to 1913, Dako studied theology at the Graduate School of Theology of Oberlin College, graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity.“Dako, Kristo Anastas 1913 DB [Bachelor of Divinity]” (folder), Student Records, Oberlin College Archives (OCA) (accessed July 14, 2022).Kombi (Boston) no. 87, June 5, 1908. He became a member of the First Congregational Church in Jamestown, N.Y. in December, 1906.Church Records, February 1894–January 1928, in the Jamestown, N.Y. First Congregational Church records, 1816–2006, RG5049, p. 51, nr. 348. The Congregational Library & Archives, Boston, MA.

Biography

While in Bucharest Dako, together with Aleksandër Stavre Drenova, founded Qarku i studentëvet shqiptarë (Circle of Albanian students) in 1899. By March 1902 this had become the Shpresa (Hope) Society consisting of young nationalists that aimed to enlighten Albanians on the national question.{{cite book|last=Elsie|first=Robert|title=Albanian literature: A short history|year=2005|location=London|publisher=I.B. Tauris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ox3Wx1Nl_2MC&q=Christo+Dako+Shpresa&pg=PA101|isbn=9781845110314|pages=101–102}} Dako represented Shpresa at the Congress of the Subjugated People of Turkey held in Vienna, 1902 and presented proposals relating to the creation of Albanian schools, Albanian language liturgy being conducted in Orthodox churches, and release of all political prisoners.{{cite book|last=Skendi|first=Stavro|title=The Albanian national awakening|year=1967|location=Princeton|publisher=Princeton University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8QPWCgAAQBAJ&q=Kristaq+Daku&pg=PR15|isbn=9781400847761|pages=150}}

Dako was the husband of Sevasti Qiriazi, Albanian patriot and pioneer of female education in Albania, from the well known Qiriazi family of Monastir. The couple met in Bucharest, and moved to the US in 1907.{{cite book| author=Robert Elsie| title=Historical Dictionary of Albania| pages=97–98| series=Historical Dictionaries of Europe|isbn=978-0810861886|volume=75| publisher=Scarecrow Press| date=March 19, 2010| edition=II}} Dako pursued there a degree in philosophy. He is remembered for initiating and opening the first Albanian school in US in 1908, located in Natick, MA. Petro Nini Luarasi taught there between others.{{citation |url= http://www.ballikombit.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=387&Itemid=9| access-date=2014-10-22 |language=sq |publisher= Ballikombi.org |location= Boston |author= Rozi Theohari |date=2008-06-03 |title= Festa e abetares ne shkollen shqipe te Bostonit |trans-title=The Primer's Feast in Albanian school in Boston| quote=Historikisht, shkolla e parë shqipe në Amerikë është hapur më 1908 në Netik të Massaçusetts, nga iniciatori dhe mësuesi Kristo Dako , ku ka dhënë mësim edhe patrioti e mësuesi i shqipes Petro Nini Luarasi.[Historically, the first Albanian school in US was opened in 1908 in Natick, MA, with teacher Christo Dako as initiator, where even the Albanian teacher Petro Nini Luarasi taught...]}}

Dako returned shortly in Albania in June 1911, right in the middle of the Albanian Revolt of 1911, together with Charles Richard Crane of Chicago. There he would be imprisoned for a short time due to his nationalistic activities. He was released with Crane's intervention, and his persecutor Şevket Turgut Pasha immediately removed from the Ottoman authorities. Charles Crane would become one of the few lobbyists of Albania at that time, allegedly managing to influence the American government on lobbying for Albania towards the British during the London Conference of 1912–13.{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BUt2lWuq6I| medium=YouTube| publisher=ABC News| language=sq|access-date=2014-10-22| date=2011-10-10| title=SPECIALE KRISTO DAKO pjesa 1}}

File:Cover page of the book "Who are the Albanians" by Kristo Dako (1876–1941).jpg, 1911]]

Dako was editor of the Dielli magazine and chairman of Vatra, the Pan-Albanian Federation of America in 1913.{{cite book | title=Albanian identities: myth and history | author=Schwandner-Sievers, Stephanie | year=2002 | publisher=Indiana University Press | pages=71 | isbn=978-0-253-21570-3}} In 1914, he shortly visited his home town in Albania. Due to later divergences with Fan Noli, he partly retired from Vatra. In 1918 he would join the "Albanian Political Party" (Albanian: Partia Politike Shqiptare). In 1916, he published the short-lived (8 issues) newspaper Biblioteka Zeri i Shqiperise ("Voice of Albania Library") in Southbrigde, MA. Dako later participated in the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. He met twice with then United States president Woodrow Wilson. His wife Sevasti wrote Wilson to explain Albanian national aspirations.{{cite web |title=Letter to president Wilson |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/dcmsiabooks.albaniasrightsho00dako/?sp=3&r=-0.855,0.106,2.709,1.634,0 |website=Library of Congress |access-date=9 January 2020}}

Dako also became minister of education in one of Ahmet Zogu's cabinets. Apparently Zogu showed respect for Dako, and shortly met him in the eve of the Italian Invasion of 1939, asking for US support through Dako's connections. Because of this affiliation, Dako's name would be thrown in darkness during the communist regime of post WWII. His family would be persecuted (including his sister in law Parashqevi) and two sons would be arrested and imprisoned.{{citation|language=sq |publisher=PrishtinaPress |url=http://prishtinapress.info/familja-atdhetare-qiriazi-dhe-mjeshtri-i-madh-i-turpit-t-b/ |title=Familja atdhetare Qiriazi dhe mjeshtri i madh i turpit (T.B.) |last1=Luarasi |first1=Petro |quote=Si rezultat i kësaj të motrat dhe familjet e tyre u bënë object përndjekjesh nga ana e regjimit. Dy djemtë e Sevastisë u burgosën si spiunë. Djali i vogël , Gjergji, duke mos u bërë dot ballë torturave, vrau veten më 1949. Pak më vonë vdiq edhe Sevastia, nga hidhërimi i thellë për humbjen e të birit.[As a result of this both sisters and their families became target of persecution from the regime. Both sons of Sevasti were imprisoned as "spies". The younger son, Gjergj, not resisting to the tortures, killed himself in 1949. Soon after Sevasti died, from the big despair of losing her son...] |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201223055/http://prishtinapress.info/familja-atdhetare-qiriazi-dhe-mjeshtri-i-madh-i-turpit-t-b/ |archive-date=February 1, 2014 }}

One of Dako's most significant achievements was founding the Kyrias Institute for Girls in Kamëz, Tirana, together with his wife Sevasti and sister-in-law Parashqevi.

Published works

The following works are known to have been written by Kristo Dako:

Cilet jane Shqipëtarët? ("Who are the Albanians?"), Monastir, 1911.
Albania's Rights and Claims to Independence and Territorial Integrity (memorandum sent to President Woodrow Wilson), July 20, 1918.
[https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/albaniasrightsho00dako/albaniasrightsho00dako.pdf The Strength of the National Consciousness of the Albanian People], August 1918.
Albania, the Master Key to the Near East (Boston: E.L. Grimes, 1919). (Republished 2020, IAPS, {{ISBN|978-1-946244-29-1}}).
"Albania and its Unredeemed Territories" (map) (Boston: E.L. Grimes, 1919).
Liga e Prizrenit ("The League of Prizren"), Bucharest, 1922.
Shenime historike nga jeta dhe vepra e Nalt Madherise se tij Zogu i Pare, Mbret i Shqiptarevet, Tirana: Shtëpija Botonjëse "Kristo Luarasi", 1937.