The placement of the bust of the Hero Themistokli Gërmenji in Korçë

Themistokli Gërmenji was born in Korçë to a family originating from the village of Germenji, the son of Thanas and Katarina. His father was the founder of the movement “The Black Society for Salvation,” and due to his activities, he was killed in Thrace.

In 1892, Themistokli emigrated to Romania along with his brother, Telemak. They returned to their homeland after nine years and settled in the vilayet’s center, Manastir. There, they opened the “Liria” hotel at the beginning of 1908, which, besides offering rooms for lodging, had a restaurant, a large conference hall, and a library accessible to everyone. In a hidden room, there was a collection of national press materials: books, newspapers, and magazines printed in Albanian in Sofia, Bucharest, Boston, and elsewhere. The hotel became a gathering place for Albanian youth studying in the city at that time. Themistokli also helped organize the Congress of Manastir, which was held in his hotel.

On November 24, 1916, Themistokli presented himself to the French authorities and met with Colonel Descoins. His famous words are recorded as:

“I am an Albanian patriot. I have no hostility toward the French. I have never been against you but have sided with those I believed ensured the freedom of my homeland. I see the Greeks as our greatest enemies. I have taken up arms to fight them. Now that the French authorities have removed the Greek government representative from Korçë, I have no reason to remain in the mountains.”

France increasingly leaned toward Serbia and Greece, as demonstrated by treaties signed to Albania’s detriment, such as the secret Treaty of London in 1915 and others that followed. France opposed the political provisions of the Protocol since they conflicted with Greek interests and the pro-Greek orientation of the Paris government.

This stance influenced both the political and military developments in Korçë. The return to power of Venizelos, who aligned Greece with the Entente in June 1917, a goal long pursued by French political circles and beyond, changed the course of events in Korçë. Colonel Descoins was removed from Korçë, being held responsible for signing the protocol of December 10.

Themistokli Gërmenji, the founder and leader of the Autonomous Province of Korçë, was arrested by the French secret service and sent to Thessaloniki, where he was tried by a military tribunal and sentenced to death based on fabricated and unfounded accusations of being a “Central Powers agent” on November 9, 1917.

Intrigues locked Themistokli Gërmenji behind iron doors, guarded by soldiers. He was tried in Thessaloniki by a French military court of the Eastern Army, declared guilty as a collaborator with the Central Powers, and immediately executed on November 9, 1917. Later, he was declared innocent and was buried with a grand ceremony in Korçë. However, nowhere is it mentioned how many bullets were found in his body…

When Colonel Descoins left Korçë, he took with him the flag of December 10, 1916, the very first flag that Themistokli Gërmenji had raised on the balcony of the two-story building. It seems that Colonel Descoins’ clear conscience was in direct contradiction to the hasty decision of the Thessaloniki Military Court. Colonel Descoins showed great goodwill and appreciation for Themistokli, especially for the flag, which he took with him but quickly, in 1922, handed over to the Albanian authorities immediately after the opening of the first museum in Tirana.

CREATED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”