Demographics of Ferizaj

Feriz Khan or Hani I Ferizit is known as the first place who brought the first inhabitants in the region of today's city, Ferizaj.

The first families to come in Ferizaj

Goga Families The city of Ferizaj was established in 1873, however, many decades before the creation of the city, in Ferizaj settled the first family known as Goga. Their houses were built in the village of Nikadin, which before the construction of the railway did not have a certain name. This family lived in the region of Ferizaj also in the period when Elezit Khan existed. They begin to work and create households and living conditions. While near their houses there was the crossroad, which linked all the roads of Kosovo, they became the most important family of that time. Members of this family are considered as the first inhabitants and the creators of the city. It is thought that Goga family is derived from the areas of northern Albania, from the great highland, the village of Muraj. In those areas the surname Goga is very extended and many families around the beginning of the 18th century moved and were placed in the flat of Kosovo, in order to create better living conditions across Albanian territories. Together with the members of Goga family, in the created city of Ferizaj there was transferred the culture, the unique and wealthy spoken language originated from northern Albania. The chamber of Ismajl Goga is famous for its hospitality for friends, guests and people who were just passing by. Some of the first leaders of the Goga family are: Bislim Goga II, Haxhi Kadri Goga III, Ismajl Goga and his descendants are: Muharremi, Faiku, Samiu, Kadriu, Remziu, Xhylizarja.^[1]

Vata Families Early residents of Ferizaj city were also Vata Family. These families lived quiet until the year of 1912, in the same place where nowadays is settled the military barrack. This family mostly worked with agriculture and the cultivation of vegetables. The first leaders of Vata family are: Ali Vata, Avdi Vata, Bajram Vata, Beqir Vata, Fejze Vata, Haki Vata, Halim Vata, Hetem Vata, Halim Vata, Ismajl Vata, Liman Vata, Mustafe Vata, Muharrem Vata, Nazif Vata, Rizah Vata, Rifat Vata, Sylejman Vata, Shaban Vata, preacher, professor, teacher and one of the creators of the first Albanian school, known as "Ismajl Qemaili" in Ferizaj (1914–1968).^[2]

Familja Kurti, Ferizaj 1920

Kurti Families^[3]Early residents of Ferizaj city were also Kurti Family. Around 1750, Kolë Kurti and his brothers (Seba, Andrea and, Toni) moved to Gjakova, and later Zef Kurti married with Petra from Janjevo moved to Ferizaj in 1878 during the time the railway was under construction. They were mainly tradesmen and hand- craftsmen who brought up great individuals like: Father Shtjefën Kurti^[4] (1898–1971) who was a priest and a martyr. He was born and raised in Ferizaj and studied in Graz, Feldkirch, and Innsbruck in Austria as well as Rome in Italy. From 1936 he was the parish priest in Tirana where he was executed by the communist regime of that time. Gjon Serreqi is another member of the Kurti family who was the leader of LNDSH (Lidhja Nacionale Demoratike Shqipetare) - Albanian National Democratic Union. Gjon Serreqi^[5] was a professor, politically confined, sentenced to death for national activities by the regime of that time. Today, in his honor one of Europe’s largest Secondary Schools bears his name "Gjon Serreqi". The Kurti family brings the first pharmacist in Ferizaj, Anton Kurti, the father of Vilson and Marsel Kurti as well as the tradesman Leon Kurti, who is the father of Kolë and Franc Kurti, both mechanical engineers and gold tradesmen who to this day, reside in Ferizaj. The Kurti family is a large family whose members also live in Albania: Tirana and Durrës; Croatia: Opatija, Rijeka, Pula and Umag.

Albanian Catholic families Ferizaj became a very attractive place for those who learned' for its foundation, because it created new opportunities for work and it was an environment where there weren't national or religious separations. Because of that it became attractive for catholic families too, that came here since the beginning. Most of the catholic families were Handcrafts. They had different experiences to visit the most well-known handcrafts, economic, and cultural centers. The headers of those families were: Anton Kurti, Pharmacists, the father of Vilson and Marse Kurti, Merchant: Leon Kurti the father of Kolë and Franc Kurti both of them mechanical engineers, Violeta Kurti-Pufjes, education veteran; Anton Gjoni, baker and painter; Bate Kajtazi, officer, the father of Marsel and Viktor; Dede Gjini; Dede Pren Palaj, baker, Ded's father, teacher; Dedush Ndou, worker; Franc Dedushi, shopkeeper, Gap Gllasniqi, Merchant, Kole Gllasniqi's father, doctor of professional orientation; Gjon Serreqi, professor, politically confined, sentenced to death as a leader of Albanian National Democratic Organization for national activities.^[6]

Refugee families Along the violent displacements of Albanians from Serbia (Sandzak o Nish) after the Berlin Congress in 1878, a big number of people were placed in Ferizaj. The most well-known family headers were Abdullah Musliu-Petrovci who were the Head of Ferizaj in 1946, Ahmet Qunglla, Ahmet Svarqa, Avdyl Rexhepi, Avdyl Qerimi, Emin Islami, Fetah Hasani, Hajdin Petrovci, etc.^[7]

Gorani families This category came to Ferizaj from villages around Sharr (Dragash), that were known as very professional Handcrafts, cookers and confectioneries. Headers of Gorani Families were: Adem Limani, Beqir Mehmeti, Berzat Osmani, Daut Sadiku, Ejup Limani, Elez Rexhepi, etc.^[8]

Serbian and Montenegrin families A big number of Serbians came to Ferizaj Merchants and Craftsman. They came from different places and areas in Kosovo. Serbians and Montenegrin came between two World Wars as colonizing population from all Serbian areas. The first family headers were: Dusha Llukiq, Marko Gjorgje Nikoliq, Sava Vitkoviq, etc.^[9]

The historical population for the current area of Ferizaj, divided into statistical areas as follows: ^[10]

The number of residents and households economies in Ferizaj for the years 1961,1971,1981,1999

^[11]

References