Communism through archival documents 1: Repression in the self-isolation period

Year: 2017
Editors: Dr. Idrit Idrizi, Dr. Jonila Godole, Fatmiroshe Xhemalaj

Based on the recommendations from a series of workshops organized by IDMC with history educators from all over Albania in 2017, in collaboration with historian Idrit Idrizi (Austria) and history expert Fatmiroshe Xhemalaj, "Communism through Archival Documents" contains fragments of archival material and comments that educators can use in the future.

The content selected for this volume highlights only the repression under the dictatorship starting from the second half of the 1970s through the first half of the 1980s. During this period, Albania's self-isolating politics reached a high point that had started since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1961.

Through this publication, IDMC aims at sensitizing educators and students on the content of archival documents from the former communist bloc, for which the public opinion in general has little information. Professional publications that cover these subjects are hard to find and are missing from the school textbooks. Although they are published in the media on a regular basis, the approach to archival research can be problematic and documents can often be selected mainly for sensational impact.