IV.
C. The Roma in Albania
HASLUCK, Margaret. “Firman of A. H. 1013-14 (A.D. 1604-5) Regarding
Gypsies in the Western Balkans.” Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society.
Third Series, Vol. XXVII, Nos. 1-2 (January-April 1948), pp. 1-12.
Despite its rather broad title, this article
deals principally with the Roma in southern Albania and northwestern Greece.
The Ottoman document deals principally with Romany taxes, while the bulk
of the article centers around the author’s detailed explanations of the
terminology and historical significance of different aspects of this decree.
HASLUCK, Margaret. “The Gypsies of Albania.” Journal of the Gypsy Lore
Society. Third Series, Vol. XVII, No. 2 (April 1938), pp. 49-61; Vol.
XVII, Jubilee Number (1938), pp. 18-31; Vol. XVII, No. 4 (October 1938),
pp. 108-122.
A detailed study of the Roma in Albania, this
series concentrates on the culture and lifestyle of the various Romany
groups in Albania. The author breaks down her discussion into sections
on sedentary and nomadic Roma, and provides a vivid look at the diversity
of life and culture within each group. This fine series, which is based
on extensive field work by the author, also provides valuable insight into
the growing prejudice in Albania towards the Roma.
KOLSTI, John. “Albanian Gypsies: The Silent Survivors.” in David M. Crowe
and John Kolsti, eds., The Gypsies of Eastern Europe. Armonk, NY:
M. E. Sharpe, 1991.
This excellent look at the Roma in Albania during
the Holocaust begins with an historical overview that details the Romany
presence in Albania since the late Middle Ages. The author concentrates
most of his efforts on the status of the Roma in fascist Albania in the
1930s and 1940s. The Greater Albania that emerged during this period was
free from some of the more deadly Nazi racial practices that so deeply
affected the Roma in other parts of Europe. This was partly due to the
more temperate policies of the Bulgarians and the Italians, who jointly
occupied parts of Albania with the Germans. But more importantly, according
to the author, was the ability of the Roma to blend in with the native
Albanian population. All of these factors enabled most of Albania’s Roma
to survive the Holocaust.
PLASARI, Ndreci, and Shyqri Ballova. Politique et strategie dans la
lutte antifasciste de liberation nationale du people albanais (1939-1944).
Studia Albanica, Vol. 2 (1975).
This article tells of the Albanian battle against
its fascist regime, which mentions the role played by each minority, including
the Roma.
POLO, Stefanaq, Aleks Buda, et al., eds. Historia e popullit Shqiptar.
Vol. 2, Prishtine (Originally published in Tirane by the University of
Tirane, 1965).
This Albanian history contains data about the
Vlach and other Albanian Roma, but is difficult to locate in any major
library.
RUCHES, Pyrrhus J. Albania’s Captives. Chicago: Argonaut Publishers,
1965.
This look at Albania under Stalinist influence
after World War II has some modest references to the Roma.
Back
Next