ALBANIAN MIGRATION INTO SLOVAKIA - HISTORY, SPECIFICITY AND RELATIONS

• Authors: Sipos M.
• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

The objective of this study is to present the information about history and process of Albanian migration into the area of Slovak Republic. Albanians are migrants, who are less known in Slovakia. In majority society they are known especially through their profession - as an ice-cream sellers, pizza restaurants holders, gold-smitheries holders, and, in negative sense, mainly through illegal criminal activities. In nowadays Slovakia there are approximately 3.000-4.000 Albanian immigrants (unofficial entry). In the past, there were three main periods, when the greatest number of Albanian migrants had come to Slovakia: a) in the times of the 1.Czechoslovak republic (between 1918-39), b) between the years 1968-70 (unstable situation after the intervention of Warsaw-pact soldieries to CSSR) and c) after 1989 (the end of communist regime). The homeland of Albanian migrants living in Slovakia are F.Y.R.O Macedonia and Kosovo. In the process of Albanian migration two moments are significant: a) Albanian migration has strong economic background, b) kinship relations with persons already living in Slovakia determine the direction of the Albanian migration. Inside the Albanian community, strong tendencies towards the preservation of their own cultural identity can be found . Adaptive tendencies towards the new social and cultural environment are connected mostly with economic cooperation with the members of majority society. Good skills of Slovakian language and formal acceptation of majority customs are characteristic examples. On the other hand, protective tendencies are strong in the sphere of family and social relations within the Albanian community. Patriarchal family model (extend family as a common economic unit with one regency and representative person - the head of the family) and Albanian traditional law system are the representatives of cultural difference. Specific social relations are relevant also in the process of Albanian migration. Strong orientation towards the family causes that many new migrants are in kinship relation with the persons who had come to this area 70 years ago. Members of Albanian community living in Slovakia are not concentrated upon one place, in one or few towns. They are living in dispersion at all area of Slovakia, in many towns and villages. This is the consequence of informal agreement, in the frame of which new member of community does not want to become the rival of another Albanian businessman.

Keywords

EN

ALBANIANS; IMMIGRANTS; MIGRATION; SLOVAKIA

Discipline

• ETHNOLOGY: ETHNOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Ethnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Slovenský národopis (Slovak Ethnology)
• Year: 2004
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 404-420
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Sipos M.

• M. Sipos, Katedra etnológie a kultúrnej antropológie FF UK, Gondova 2, 818 01 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06SKAAAA01102528