Rilindja

Rilindja, meaning rebirth in Albanian, refers to a broad Albanian national awakening that developed mainly in the 19th century under Ottoman rule and culminated in independence in 1912. The movement combined cultural, linguistic, and political initiatives aimed at renewing Albanian national consciousness across religious and regional divides. It drew on European nationalist ideas, and emphasized the Albanian language, literature, education, and self-organization as foundations for national life.

Key components included the promotion of Albanian-language schooling and press, efforts to standardize the Albanian alphabet, and political activity such as the League of Prizren (1878), which sought autonomy and unity for Albanian-inhabited lands within the Ottoman state. The Monastir Congress of 1908, which established a unified Albanian alphabet, is often cited as a landmark in Rilindja. Notable figures associated with Rilindja include Naim Frashëri, Sami Frashëri, Kostandin Kristoforidhi, and Pashko Vasa, whose literary and scholarly work advanced modern Albanian language and national awareness.

The Rilindja laid the groundwork for the 1912 declaration of independence and for subsequent nation-building in Albania and among Albanian communities in the Balkan region. In historiography, it is treated as a formative period of modern Albanian culture and politics. Today, rilindja remains a reference point for Albanian cultural revival and is used in the names of various cultural and educational initiatives.