Omer Pasha Vrioni II

Omer Pasha Vrioni II (1839–1928) was an Albanian politician and landowner, the last great bey of the Vrioni house of Fier and a notable of Ottoman and early independent Albania: he took part in the League of Prizren in 1878, supported Albanian schooling, hosted Ismail Qemali's caravan on the eve of the Declaration of Independence, and sat on the Albanian High Council of Regency as the representative of the Bektashi community from December 1921. ^{1 2}

This record is for Omer Vrioni "II" (1839–1928), distinguished from his grandfather and namesake Omer Vrioni (d. 1828), the Ottoman commander of the Greek War of Independence at Alamana, Gravia and the sieges of Missolonghi: the Albanian- and Turkish-language articles published under the plain name "Omer Vrioni" belong to the elder, while this man's articles carry the numeral "II", and the two men's Wikidata items are likewise separate. ^{2 1 3}

Omer Vrioni belonged to the House of Vrioni; the Albanian article names him a son of Kahreman Pasha Vrioni and of Gjylje Hanëm of Neim Bey Alizoti, and Wikidata gives his residence as Fier (Mallakastër). ^{2 3}

In his early years he served as a chamberlain (kamerlan) of Sultan Abdülaziz. ²

All the sources tie Omer Vrioni and his house to the foundation and building of modern Fier, but they divide on whether the founder was Omer or his father, as in the legend of the town's foundation: the English, Turkish and French articles say he founded Fier in 1864 "together with his son Kahreman Pasha Vrioni" — while dating that same Kahreman 1889–1955, which is impossible for a co-founder of 1864 — whereas the Albanian article makes his father Kahreman Pasha the founder in the 1860s and credits Omer with developing and rebuilding the town to a modern plan in 1877 and building its konak, mosque, hammam and workshop; the museum sets out both versions attributed, without a verdict. ^{1 4 2}

Omer Vrioni took part in the League of Prizren of 1878, signed the Andrássy memorandum, and pledged 3,000 armed men for the country's defence. ²

In 1882 he was arrested at Preveza and deported to the Dardanelles (Çanakkale); the Albanian article dates his detention at the Çanakkale fortress to November 1883. ^{1 2}

Omer Vrioni was among the financial contributors to the Albanian Normal School of Elbasan, opened on 1 December 1909; under his care Fier was drawn into the new network of roads and buildings, and the photographers of the Marubi and Kristo Shuli studios were received in the town. ²

On 25 November 1912 Ismail Qemali's caravan stopped for lunch at Omer Vrioni's konak in Fier on its way to Vlorë, where independence was declared three days later; his son Sami Bey Vrioni was among the delegates of the founding Vlorë Assembly, and after independence Omer supported Prince Wied against the Central Albania peasant uprising. ^{2 1}

Omer Vrioni was elected a member of the Albanian High Council of Regency in December 1921 as representative of the Bektashi community — the Albanian article says he replaced Aqif Pasha Elbasani as representative of the Bektashi element, and the Turkish article likewise calls him representative of the Bektashi sect — and his seat is given to March 1922, the Albanian article dating his resignation to 3 October 1922 on the forming of Xhafer Ypi's second government, resigned in opposition to Ahmet Zogu; he was the oldest of the politicians who sat on that council. ^{1 2 5}

The French article alone also lists him as "Prime Minister of Albania: December 1921 – January 1922", an office no other article credits him with and which Wikidata's position statement does not carry; it is recorded here as the French article's claim only. ⁴

The sufi segment in his data rests on the Bektashi affiliation attested by those three independent sources (English, Albanian, Turkish) as set out above; no source names a Sunni law school for him. ^{1 2 5}

Omer Vrioni died in 1928; the Albanian article places his death at Fier. ^{2 1}

• English Wikipedia article on Omer Vrioni II (revision 1359543421); Albanian Wikipedia article "Omer pashë Vrioni II" (revision 2995398); Turkish Wikipedia article (revision 36547947); French Wikipedia article (revision 209172341); Wikidata item Q719844.
• Recorded conflicts: the founding of Fier and the direction of Omer's descent from Kahreman (see the section above); the end of his Regency membership (March 1922 against October 1922); the premiership of 1921–22 in the French article alone. Disambiguation: the Albanian and Turkish articles under the plain name "Omer Vrioni" belong to the elder (d. 1828).