English editorial edition of the Albanian article. Prepared for review on this test site; the original documents and numerical readings require final verification before publication on the main site.
Two documents dated 1941 connect the family of Ismail Qemali, a leading figure in Albanian independence, with the expansion of an airfield under Italian occupation. They identify Myvedet Vlora as an heir of the late Ismail Qemali and describe the expropriation of her share of jointly owned land in Vlora.
A decree dated 16 September 1941
The first document is a decree of the Ministry of Public Works. It refers to a request from the Aeronautical Command in Albania, dated 13 September 1941, and to an earlier decree of 7 March 1940 declaring the first expansion of the Vlora airfield to be in the public interest.
The second is a bilingual Albanian–Italian registration notice addressed to the Vlora mortgage registry. It states that the property was to be registered in favour of the Italian State for use by the Demanio Aeronautico, the state administration of aviation property.
A share of land, rather than the whole estate
The distinction between a jointly owned property and an individual share matters. The first document gives a total area of 315,346 square metres and assigns Myvedet Vlora a one-thirteenth share. On that reading, her share corresponds to approximately 24,257 square metres, or 2.43 hectares.
The second document gives a slightly different total, 315,316 square metres. The difference of 30 square metres should remain visible rather than be silently corrected. It may reflect a transcription or reading issue and needs comparison with the original scans.
Muradie, Bogdana and the airfield canal
The bilingual notice locates the property in the Muradie quarter, at a place called Bogdane or Bogdana. Its western boundary is described as the canal of the Vlora airfield. The other boundaries include a stream and neighbouring landowners.
These details are useful historical reference points, but they do not establish the parcel’s exact boundaries on a modern map. A cadastral plan or the relative plan numbered 6/Bis mentioned in the paperwork would be needed for a more precise reconstruction.
Compensation recorded in the paperwork
The Albanian article reads the compensation as 2,880 Albanian francs and reports that the amount was accepted and deposited with the relevant treasury. The numerical figure and its written-out wording should be checked directly against the scan before the amount is treated as settled.
The paperwork therefore describes a formal expropriation procedure with compensation, rather than establishing an uncompensated confiscation. At the same time, the political setting is essential: the procedure took place in occupied Albania, for the needs of Italian military aviation.
What the documents do not establish
These two sheets do not explain when the family acquired the land, identify every co-owner, establish present-day ownership or show what happened to the property after 1944. Nor should the wartime airfield near Vlora and Narta be confused with the modern airport site at Akërni.
The documents offer a focused historical episode: an inherited share of land, an expanding military installation, and administrative institutions operating under occupation. Further research should start with the original decree, the registration notice and any surviving plan accompanying them.
Source: Historiani’s Albanian article, based on a 1941 Public Works expropriation decree and a bilingual Albanian–Italian registration notice. The displayed source article does not provide a complete archival shelfmark. Read the Albanian version.
