The Order of Skanderbeg (Albanian: Urdhëri i Skënderbeut) was instituted in 1925 as an Order of Merit of Albanian Republic. It was replaced by the Communist government in 1945 and replaced by a new award of the same name. Skanderbeg is the national hero of the Albanian people.The Albanian Royal family maintain the order of Skanderbeg, which has only been awarded to a select number of people since the fall of the Monarchy 1939.