Book on history Serb-Albanian relations - for better future

Book on history Serb-Albanian relations - for better future

The third volume (in Serbian) of the capital edition of "Serbs and Albanians through the centuries" by Petrita Imami, with the subtitle "Serb-Albanian cultural links and other contributions" (published by Samizdat B92), whose publishing has been enabled by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Pristina, brings the following chapters:

"Language and folk influences, First cultural contacts, Albanians in Serbian eyes, Serious interest in the Albanian people, Education of Albanian students in Serbia at the beginning of the twentieth century, Contacts and cooperation between the two world wars, Interstate cultural and educational ties (1944 - 1948), Development of culture, education and science among Albanians in Yugoslavia, Cultural relations between the Serb and Albanian peoples in Yugoslavia, Lack of interstate cultural convention, Education of Albanians in Belgrade, Bekim Fehmiu, Serb-Albanian literary relations in Yugoslavia, Characters of Albanians in the Serbian literary and film works, Art and showbusiness in the function of politics, Compromising of science, Abolition of scientific, cultural and educational cooperation of Kosovo Albanians with Serbia, Individual contributions to cultural cooperation, Thawing of the ice."

A special essay, a chapter, speaks about "The origin of the Serb leader Karadjordje."

The thematic unit, "The ethnological profile of Albanians" is about the physical and psychological characteristics, dress and appearance, diligence, hospitality, family cooperatives, the position of Albanian women, fraternization, the besa, blood feuds, mourning, folk dances, the cult of the sun, St. Petka and St. Jovan Vladimir.

Imami speaks in detail about the close links between Albanian and Montenegrin tribes, as well as Arvanites, Greek Albanians,and the displacement of Albanians under the Ottomans.

In addition to these studies, the following documents and texts are also published:

Dimitrije Tucovic, "Blood feud of the soldateska“, Dragisa Lapcevic, "Betrayed hopes and demands of the Arbanas,", Marko P. Cemovic, "Souther Serbia's troubles", Punisa Racic, "The Radicals' report on the situation in Kosovo in 2021", Vasa Cubrilovic "The expulsion of Arnauts", and, "The minority problem in the new Yugoslavia" - a study by Ivo Andric about Albania published in 1939.

Apart from these, the following works have also been published: the Resolution of the National Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija from 1945, the Constitutional amendments in the provinces of Yugoslavia, the SFRY Constitution from 1974, the Summary of the agreement on Kosovo in 1999, the Interim Agreement for Peace and Self-Government in Kosovo, the Peace agreement, Military technical agreement, Resolution UN 1244, the Kosovo declaration of independence, and the Plan of implementation of the agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

The book is published in three volumes on over 1,500 pages, in Serbian and Albanian language editions, and is by far the most comprehensive description of the relationship between the Serbs and Albanians since the beginning of their coexistence in the Balkans. The text is written with an encyclopedic approach, rich in facts and quotations of various sources, with a strong desire to achieve a high degree of objectivity, with much energy invested so that individual texts, chapters, but also the whole are not subject to excessive differences in interpretation of all readers, and within the nations whose relations are a thematic focus, but also between these two nations.

There is a strong desire to raise the level of knowledge about one another, which is worryingly low, and therefore subject to all possible disinformation, stereotypes, conspiracy theories.

Imami has written a capital trilogy that will remain an indispensable work for all future researchers of Serbian-Albanian relations, a book that must take its place in each library in Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro, but which must be available in English as a shortened edition, adapted to youth media formats - it should be accessible to all young people living in the areas of coexistence or neighborhood of Serbs and Albanians in order to strengthen the foundations for the establishment of communication, bridges and normalization in relations and the creation of space for the historic reconciliation of the two nations.

About the author:

Petrit Imami was born in 1945 in Prizren. That same year, the family moved to Belgrade, where his father Sitki Imami worked as a translator for Radio Belgrade's Albanian language broadcasts. Petriti was educated in Belgrade, graduating in 1974 from the Academy of Theater, Film, Radio and Television (now the Faculty of Dramatic Arts) spent his entire working life, from an assistant professor to a full professor. He is the author of numerous film, TV, radio scripts and the winner of the Golden Arena for the screenplay for the film "Wind Oak". He has published professional papers in magazines, and the following books: "The Belgrade Hotshot Dictionary," and "Serbs and Albanians Through Centuries", "The Dramaturgy of Motion Pictures," and "The Origin of Words in Albanian."