Museum of National Independence

The Museum of National Independence occupies the house where the historic assembly of 28 November 1912 took place. Inside, the displays trace the lead-up to independence — the decades of Albanian national awakening known as the Rilindja Kombëtare, the role of the diaspora in funding the movement, and the assembly itself. The original furniture and documents from Qemali's government are on display, along with portraits of the assembly delegates.

It is a small museum by any standard, but the building's authenticity gives it a power that larger museums sometimes lack. Entry is inexpensive and the staff are generally pleased to have foreign visitors. Allow about an hour.

things to do museum
A story
This was Albania's first museum, established in 1936. The building is the actual house where Ismail Qemali convened the assembly that declared independence — for the first six months of Albania's existence as a state, this was the seat of its government. When the Communists took power, the museum was heavily politicised; much of the current layout reflects a more honest reinterpretation from the 1990s onward.