Miss Edith Durham and Albanians on the eve and during the first world war

Mary Edith Durham was a British traveler, writer and artist who became known for her historical, anthropological and ethnographical writings dedicated to Albania. Her dedication to Albanian question on the eve and during the First World War influenced British diplomatic officials, international humanitarian organizations, prestigious press and influential personalities of the British public opinion. A great contribution was also her membership in the Anglo-Albanian Society, which appointed her an honorary secretary.

She reflected the suffer of Albanian population, which she personally witnessed, in her correspondences and articles published in magazines and newspapers such as: “The Manchester Guardian”, “Near East”, “The Nations”, “Times”, “New Times and Ethiopia News”, “The Adriatic Review”, etc.

During the First World War the support from Western Europe was more than neccesary for Albania therefore the contribution of Mary Edith Durham for Albanians was viewed with admiration by her collaborators, historians, anthropologists and ethnographs. Although she went in Albania for the last time in 1921, she worked for Albanian question for the rest of her life. In Albania she was called “ Mbretëresha e Malësorëve” and was awarded the prize during the period of King Zog I and during the period of democracy of nowadays Albania.