Shkodra free zone

establishment of the several councils (starting from 1718),
Diplomatic Missions of the five big powers (France, Britain, Russia,
Italy, Austria) and two regional states (Montenegro and Greece),
branches of the Turkish, Italian, Austrian banks, the bank of Albania
(reportedly it is the first one in the country and was established by
Shkodra businessmen on February 4, 1863) and also the market wellknown
all over the area. According to several western analysts, the
intensive flux of commercial exchanges at the City Market and the
activity of the above mentioned banks were the key factors
attributable to Shkoder’s authority in the Balkans’ stock exchange.
Since the early Middle Ages, especially in the 18-19 th
centuries, the Market operated under the discipline of juridical
principles, and because it was glutted with both domestic and
imported goods, it was rigorously divided into separate wards
amounting to 3500 rich stores and over 2400 big warehouses. In the
second half of the 18 th century, Shkodra, with its domestic and
foreign trade, continued to play the role of a national centre for all
kinds of goods, coming from all parts of Albania and partly from
Bosnia, Macedonia and Thessaloniki. Unfortunately, over the past
100 years, the City did lose the economic autonomy it enjoyed in the
past centuries.
WHY DID THE ECONOMIC DECLINE OF SHKODRA START
AFTER THE PROCLAMATION OF THE INDIPENDENCE OF
ALBANIA?
Referring to the historical events, we will interpret the causes
of the economic devastation of our City over the 20 th century as
follows:
1912: At a time when Shkoder found itself besieged by the
Serb-Montenegrin troops, in south Albania the national
independence ceremony was held. Lonesome, after six months
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