Rauf Fico

Abdurrauf Fico (1881–1944), also known as Rauf Fitso Bey was an Albanian ambassador and politician.

Rauf Fico
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office April 19, 1929 – April 20, 1931
Minister of Internal Affairs (acting)
In office December 12, 1921 – December 24, 1921
Personal details
Born	March 13, 1881 Sanaa, Vilayet of Yemen, Ottoman Empire
Died	January 23, 1944 Tirana, Albanian Kingdom (1943–44)
Nationality	Albanian
Signature

Early life

Rauf Fico was born in Sanaa, to Tahmaz Fico of the Fico family of Gjirokastër and Hava Buzo from Berat. After finishing high school in Shkodra, he continued his studies in Vienna and later at the Mekteb-i Mülkiye.

Political career

In 1912, Fico joined Vlora's government as a councillor in the Ministry of the Interior. In 1916, he served as vice-prefect of Tiranë. During his tenure as vice-prefect, Fico, along with co-founders Zyber Hallulli, Mytesim Këlliçi, Luigj Shala, and Xhelal Toptani, co-founded Streha Vorfnore, the city's first public orphanage on November 28, 1917, the date of the fifth anniversary of the Albanian Declaration of Independence.^[1] In 1918, he was one of the initiators of the Congress of Tiranë—together with Abdi Toptani and Ismail Ndroqi—which along with the Congress of Durrës later that same year, established the continuity of the newly created Albanian state after World War I.^[2] Fico then served as Minister of Interior Affairs in Pandeli Evangjeli's cabinet in 1921 and served two terms as deputy of Durrës.^[3] His political career culminated in 1929 with a 19-month appointment as Foreign Minister of Albania—a post he was removed from in 1930 for his opposition to the Fascist Italian regime.

Ambassadorships

Fico first served as an ambassador to Turkey and Bulgaria in the late 1920s, before his time as Foreign Minister of Albania. He then served as ambassador to Yugoslavia (1933–36), Greece (1937) and Germany (1938-9), where Fico helped dozens of Jewish people escape the country on Albanian tourist visas.^[4]

Interment and death

During the Italian invasion of Albania, Fico was arrested and interned in Italy. He died in Tirana on January 23, 1944, a few months after he returned from Italy following the country's capitulation.^[5]

Orders, decorations, and honours

Throughout his political and diplomatic career Fico had been awarded various orders:^[6]

• Grand Cordon of Order of Franz Joseph.
• Grand Cordon of Order of Leopold.
• Grand Cordon of Order of the Crown of Romania.
• Grand Cordon of Order of the Crown of Italy.
• Grand Cordon of Order of the Phoenix (Greece).
• Grand Cordon of the Luxemburg Crown.
• Officer of Order of Skanderbeg
• Officier of the French Legion of Honor.
• Palm of French Academy.
• Order of Boris, Bulgaria.
• Doctor Honoris Causa of Naples Academy

References

1. Frashëri, Kristo (2004). Historia e Tiranës (in Albanian). Toena. p. 395. ISBN 9992718978.
2. Shyqyri Hysi (2007-12-27), Kongresi i Tiranes, fakte dhe dokumente te reja (in Albanian), Lajmi Shqip, retrieved 8 January 2014, Me 7 dhjetor te vitit 1918, atdhetaret tiranas hartuan thirrjen e pare per mbrojtjen e interesave kombetare te popullit shqiptar. Ne procesverbalin e kesaj mbledhjeje, qe u mbajt ne zyren e Reuf Ficos shkruhet: "Vendim i marrun per mbledhjen e kongresit ne Tirane. (origjinal i vetem). Ne mbledhjen qe u be ne mes t'one me 7-12-'18 ne Tirane u vendos qe te grishen (thirren) qarqet: Elbasan, Peqin, Kavaj, Durres, Kruje, Mat, Diber, per me ba nje bised permbi qetesine e bashkim te plote te ketyne viseve me 19-12-918 te enjten te behet mbledhja." Thirrja u hartua nga atdhetari Abdi Bej Toptani, i cili ishte organizatori dhe mbeshtetesi i kesaj veprimtarie. Ne nje takim te organizuar ne zyren e nenprefektit Reuf Fico me 7 dhjetor 1918, Sotir Peci, Abdyl Ypi, Ismail Ndroqi, Mytesim Kelliçi, Sinan Hoxha, Myslim Beshiri dhe nenprefekti(R.F), nenshkruan thirrjen apo nje dokument, siç e quan Ficoja, me te cilin ftoheshin te merrnin pjese ne kete mbledhje, nga dy perfaqesues te: Tiranes, Elbasanit, Gramshit, Peqinit, Durresit, Kavajes, Krujes, Matit dhe Dibres . Per kete vendim, nje njoftim te posaçem prej organizatoreve moren Hasan Prishtina, Aqif Pashe Elbasani dhe Ahmet Zogu, te cilit organizatoret i kerkuan te vinte me heret ne Tirane.
3. "Parliament, Legislature, Deputies" (PDF). Parliament of Albania. 2005. Retrieved 29 September 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
4. Özdalga, Elizabeth (2005). Late Ottoman society: the intellectual legacy. Routledge. p. 319. ISBN 0-415-34164-7.
5. "Streha e parë Vorfnore, Rauf Fico apo Zyber Hallulli?". Gazeta Shqip. 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
6. Skender Shkupi (2012-11-22), Rauf Fico, si u mohua kryediplomati që pajtoi Zogun me Ataturkun [Rauf Fico, how the chief-diplomat who brought together Zog and Atatürk got denied] (in Albanian), Bota Sot, retrieved 2013-12-29