Lunxhëri

Lunxhëri (Albanian: Lunxhëri; Greek: Λιούντζη) is a region in the Gjirokastër County, Albania.

It is, considered an ethnographic region along with neighboring regions such as Kurvelesh, Zagoria, and so on, considered part of the much larger ethnographic region of Labëria. Its population is in sometimes said to not be completely "Lab", however, by some, because the core area of Lab identity is the area around Kurvelesh and Tepelena.

Geohistory

Apart from the Lunxhëri municipality, Lunxhëri, traditionally incorporates a wider region that extends from Hormovë west, Gryka e Suhës south, the crest of Mount Lunxhëri east and the valley of the Drino west. It includes the villages of Lunxhëri municipality, Odrie municipality, Antigonë municipality, Selckë from the Pogon municipality, Labovë e Kryqit which administratively belongs to Libohovë municipality, and villages of Lekël and Hormovë which administratively belong to Tepelenë District. The region has some rivers and streams: Përroi i Dhoksatit, Perroi i Mingulit, Përroi i Qestoratit, and the river of Nimica. Additionally there are archeological sites near Këllez, Dhoksat, Erind as well the ancient Greek city, of Antigonia, today a National Park.

Lunxhëri has a very complex social history. The area has been characterized by frequent immigration during the late centuries. Its inhabitants have always thrived as politicians, merchants, doctors, benefactors, scholars, etc., giving immense contribute in the history of Albania and Greece. Although most of the locals that migrated to other regions, declared themselves as Greeks, at the same time, the majority of the population in the end of the 19th century spoke Albanian. In the same context, people like Koto Hoxhi and Pandeli Sotiri were pro-Albanian and part of the elite of Rilindas, while Christakis Zografos, Evangelos Zappas and especially Georgios Zografos (head of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus), supported the Greek national ideas. However, the majority of the locals where between this two extreme points. There is also a Vlach minority which was brought by the communist regime after the World War II. During World War I and the interwar period, many families, both of pro-Albanian and pro-Greek left the area. After Lunxhëria's firm incorporation into the Albanian state and the departure or marginalization of many of the strongest pro-Greek ("filogrek") families, a strong Albanian national feeling paired with a strong regional identity took hold. Lunxhots express their pride to be Albanian by asserting that they are the truest Albanians of the area, as opposed to on one hand to members of the Greek and Vlach ethnic minorities who are of non-Albanian ethnicity and suspicious loyalties, and on the other to the ethnically Albanian Muslim migrants from Kurvelesh, who are asserted to have abandoned their Orthodox faith and therefore been partially Turkified, as opposed to the Albanian Orthodox who are said to have better preserved their Albanian culture.
The region was very active during World War II by joining mainly the communist partisan forces. Misto Mame and Mihal Duri are the most known heroes of that period.
Many families have emigrated after 1990, leading to a decrease in population.
Today, the population of Lunxhëri is perceived as three main groups:

• the Lunxhots, who call themselves "ethnic Lunxhots" or "autoktonë" and are called "villagers" (fshatarë) by others
• the Vlach settlers, who call themselves "çoban" or Greek-Vlachs, and are considered as newcomers (të ardhur), after World War II. Despite being officially the same religion as the Orthodox Albanian autochthones of Lunxhëria, the native Albanians of Lunxhëria sometimes refer to them as being of a different fe (religion) and are reluctant to marry, or to let their children marry, Vlachs. Almost all of them come ultimately in Ottoman times from the village of Kefalovrisso (known as Mexhidë in Albanian), now located in Northwest Greece. In modern times, Vlachs were the first group in Lunxhëria to emigrate to Greece.
• the settlers from Labëria region (beside Erind who claim to be autochtone), settling in throughout all 20th century.

Marriages between all local groups are pretty common, as well as between the Christian local communities and Greek villagers of Gjirokastër areas.

Religion

The population is of Orthodox religion majority, with Lab families being a Muslim minority. The so-called "autoktonë" families are completely Orthodox, beside Erind.

Orthodox church in Labova e Kryqit

Notable people

3

See also

• Lunxhëri municipality
• Tourism in Albania
• Orthodoxy in Albania
• Pandeli Sotiri
• Zographeion College

External links

Traditional costumes

• Women's feast and bridal costume. Folklore Museum of Kozani.

Traditional music

• Pjergulla në lis të thatë

"Odria" newspaper

• "Odria" newspaper online