Dobrošte Explained

Dobrošte (Macedonian: Доброште, sq|Dobrosht) is a village 15 km northeast of Tetovo, North Macedonia, along the highway from Tetovo to Globocica.^[1] Under the new territorial division, Dobroste was moved from the Tetovo municipality to the new municipality of Tearce.^[1]

History

In 1453, Dobroste consisted of 48 families according to Turkish-Ottoman data.^[2] 15 years later, the village consisted of 90 families. Prior to Ottoman rule, the population of Dobrošte consisted of Albanian Catholics, as there were four Albanian Catholic churches in the village in addition to Christian graves with Albanian inscriptions.^[2] Due to Ottoman influence, most of the Albanians converted to Islam. In World War II, 71 people were killed by the Yugoslav Partisans.^[2]

Albanian nationalism

Dobroste was the birthplace of many Albanian nationalists.^[3] In 1917, Isen Hasani and Kadri Azemi fought against the Serbian Army in Skopska Crna Gora, where they were eventually killed.^[4] From 1940 to 1945, Dobroste was headquarters of one of the Balli Kombetar units in the northwest of Macedonia. The most notable of these Ballists were Isen Rustemi and Halil Ivaja, as well as Ramadan Ramadani, Mete Azizi, Brahim Halimi, Llokman Lutfiu, and Hafez Jusuf Azemi^{[2] [5] [6]}

Geography

Coordinates: 42° 6′ 12″ N, 21° 4′ 40″ E,
Elevation: 494 meters
Population: Approximately 2,649

Demographics

As of the 2021 census, Dobrošte had 2,649 residents with the following ethnic composition:^[7]

• Albanians 2,308
• Macedonians 288
• Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources 40
• Others 13

According to the 2002 census, the village had a population of 3,549. Ethnic groups in the village include:^[8]

• Albanians 3,160
• Macedonians 345
• Serbs 3
• Turks 2
• Bosniaks 1
• Others 38

In statistics gathered by Vasil Kanchov in 1900, the village of Dobrošte was inhabited by 220 Orthodox Bulgarians and 196 Muslim Albanians.^[9]

Notable people

• Hafëz Jusuf Azemi

Notes and References

1. http://www.tearce.gov.mk/ Tearce Government website
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20181225030737/http://www.tearca.com/dobroshti/dobroshti/?action=printpage Dobroste from Tearce Municipality website
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=5T-4AAAAIAAJ&q=jusuf+azemi Lidhja Kosovare Kongresi i Pare Botnuer, Chicago 24-25 Nanduer, 1973
4. Dr. Vebi Xhemaili, article: Shqiptarët e Maqedonisë në mbrojtje të Shqipërisë Etnike 1941-1945, http://www.zemrashqiptare.net/article/Speciale/14281/1/print/
5. http://pollogu.net/new/fshati-dobrosht/ Pollogu news
6. http://www.ballikombit.org Balli Kombetar News Agency
7. https://makstat.stat.gov.mk/PXWeb/pxweb/en/MakStat/MakStat__Popisi__Popis2021__NaselenieVkupno__PodatociNaselenie/T1503P21.px/table/tableViewLayout2/?rxid=cc8e0490-07b6-4002-adf4-9b4891b66655 Total resident population of the Republic of North Macedonia by ethnic affiliation, by settlement, Census 2021
8. Macedonian Census (2002), Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion, The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 184.
9. Vasil Kanchov (1900). Macedonia: Ethnography and Statistics. Sofia. p. 264.