Historical Dictionary Of Albania

Albania is not well known by outsiders; it was deliberately closed to the outside world during the communist era. Now it has thankfully become free again, its borders are open and it can be visited, and it is increasingly integrating with the rest of Europe and beyond. Unfortunately, Albania has had its share of problems in the post-communist era; it's a land of destitution and despair, thanks in part to the Albanian mafia, which has turned the country into one of blood-feuds, kalashnikovs, and eternal crises. Yet, Albania is, in essence, a European nation like any other and will soon, it is to be hoped, advance and take its proper place in Europe and the world. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Albania relates the history of this little-known country through a detailed chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, appendixes, and over 700 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets.

Contains 450 entries on places, people, historical events, geography, culture, language, the diaspora that includes over half of all Albanian speakers, and the personalities trying to forge a new country while the Balkan Peninsula resumes its traditional activity. Includes three maps and a chronolog

Kosova or Kosovo is a dependent region of Serbia, part of the former country of Yugoslavia. It was part of the province of Dalmatia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire before 1919.

The history of Albania includes some memorable characters - from the legendary Albanian hero Scanderbeg to the glamorous Queen Geraldine. Robert Elsie's extensively researched Biographical Dictionary of Albania History provides fascinating and comprehensible information on over 700 Albanian and Albania-related historical figures, from the Ancient World via the centuries of Ottoman rule, the struggle for independence and the years of communism right up to the end of the twentieth century. Taking an encyclopaedic approach, this unique book considers the colourful cast of characters that influenced Albania's history and development - be they native Albanians or visitors from overseas. All notable historical and political figures - from the Kings of Illyria to Enver Hoxha - are included as well as leading figures of culture and the arts - from Marin Barleti to Faik Konitza. Visitors who had intimate ties with Albania - including Lord Byron, Benjamin Disraeli, Edward Lear, Aubrey Herbert, Edith Durham and Rose Wilder Lane - are also studied. In addition to these well-known figures, the entries also comprise individuals as diverse as an eighteenth-century Montenegrin impostor, a German circus acrobat and the Austrian mistress of King Zog. As the most reliable and comprehensive source of information about Albanian history available in English, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of this pivotal Balkan state. Robert Elsie shows how this important group of individuals influenced Albanian history and helped to shape the country as it is today.

In some senses, Albania is a living museum of the past. Originally a small herding community in the most inaccessible reaches of the Balkans, the presence of Albanians in southeastern Europe has been documented for over a thousand years. Albanian traditional folk culture, which evolved over centuries of relative isolation, is surprisingly rich. Yet despite recent events this culture remains little known to the Western world. Due to the lasting effects of a half century of Stalinist dictatorship, very few individuals even in Albania know much about their own popular traditions. The Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture makes available for the first time a wealth of knowledge about Albanian popular belief and folk customs. Alphabetical entries shed light on blood feuding, figures of Albanian mythology, religious beliefs, communities, and sects, calendar feasts and rituals, and popular superstitions, as well as birth, marriage, and funeral customs, and sexual mores. This unique volume will stand as the standard reference work on the subject for years to come.

This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Kosovo relates the history of Kosovo through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Kosovo.