Jews in Albania: Crossed Perspectives

Conference Languages: Albanian, English
Conference Venue: Academy of Sciences of Albania, "Aleks Buda" Hall

Jewish culture has been part of the Albanian heritage in many forms. For over two thousand years, we can trace it back to archaeology, linguistics (toponymy and liturgical vocabulary), ethnology and folklore, faith and rituals, worship etc. One can find temples and monuments of Jewish material religious culture in at least 300 Albanian locations, proving the mark it left on the country and its epic poems.

During World War II, the presence of Jews in Albania represents an important historical fact in the relations between the two peoples. There, around 3,000 people found shelter and salvation from the catastrophe caused by the Nazi Judeophobia. Researchers have not examined this period in detail, or not thoroughly enough, but we can approach the Jews' cultural presence today from different perspectives, how their identity was preserved or how well they integrated with the culture and the people of the host country.

As part of the international REMSHOA project, the Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture (IDMC) in cooperation with LUISS and the Faculty of History and Philology, will organize on 27 January 2017, on the Holocaust Remembrance Day, the conference: "Jews in Albania: Crossed Perspectives".

The conference aims to bring insights from history, literature, media, music etc. into the role of Jewish culture in Albania. It is firstly meant to highlight the importance of dealing with this topic, and secondly, as a message to place emphasis on the importance of promoting cultural diversity in societies that foster democratic values.

Part I: Conference

Part II: Workshop

Organizers

Partners