PAKICA MALAZEZE, ROMËT DHE HEBRENJTË GJATË VITEVE 1925-1939
THE MONTENEGRIN MINORITY, THE ROMA AND THE JEWS FROM 1925 TO 1939

Summary/Abstract: The Montenegrin minority in Albania present an interesting case study due to the fact that a small ethnic group of 1500 inhabitants has managed to survive as a national minority and is recognized as such, preserving and developing its national and religious identity, receiving education in the mother tongue, etc. This paper deals with the attempts of the Montenegrin minority to preserve its identity and with the policies followed by the Albanian state from 1925-1939 with regards to this minority. In this context, are examined several questions, such as: the Albanian government’s attitude concerning the activity of the Serbian Church seiving in this minority; the attempts of the Serbian Church to increase its influence in the regions of Shkodra and Dibra, utilizing the presence of this minority and the historical legacy from the Ottoman period; in addition, are examined the attempts of the Serbian Church and government to influence the process towards the Autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church, i.e. requests to establish a Serbian Archbishopric in Shkoder and representation with a bishop in the Synod (AAOCH) of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The debate and contradictions that rose between the two countries in relation to these issues cover an important part of the paper. Moreover, in the paper are examined the attempts of the Yugoslav government to retain a Serbian minority school in the town of Shkodra and the views of the Albanian government opposing such attempts. Besides the above questions, our study provides evidence from the Albanian archives on the presence of the Roma ethno-cultural minority in Albania and its social status and problems and the way they were handled by the Albanian central and local governments. In this article we will deal also with the attitude of the Albanian government and people towards Jews. There are given statistical data on the size of this community, which at the time amounted to 300 individuals, and the respective policies followed by the Albanian government.

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