Border and Memory in the village of Koshovice

Stefania Vasilaki,Nicos Koutsourakis,Maritina Vlachaki

doi:10.14434/aeer.v37i1.31951

Stefania Vasilaki, Nicos Koutsourakis + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14434/aeer.v37i1.31951

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Abstract

This article focuses on the village of Koshovice, Albania, where its residents are part of the officially recognized Greek minority. The local perceptions of the community are discussed as linked to the Albanian-Greek border and its presence in the collective memory. After the borderline creation in 1913, local residents were divided between the two neighboring countries. The ethnographic data collected underline the experiences and the everyday practices of the villagers of Koshovice, especially during the period of the Albanian socialist state between 1945 and 1991, when the border became almost impenetrable. The article then discusses the changes after the fall of socialism and the opening of the border in the early 1990s, especially showing how the local borderland communities are still connected nowadays to each other despite the inter-state division.

Highlights

This article focuses on the village of Koshovice, Albania, where its residents are part of the officially recognized Greek minority
The village of Koshovice is located on the Albanian side of the borderline between Albania and Greece
This village belongs to the area of Dropull (Deropolis), which is a municipality and a predominantly Greek-inhabited region of the Gjirokastër County, located in southern Albania

Summary

Introduction

This article focuses on the village of Koshovice, Albania, where its residents are part of the officially recognized Greek minority. There are two independent settlements: Koshovice on the Albanian side, and Aghia Marina on the Greek side. This research aims to explore two points: first, how the locals have challenged the strictness of the border through everyday practices, and second, how the border presence has affected the divided communities throughout the years. These two aspects will be evaluated within the analytical frame of the collective memory of the community. Villagers from Koshovice settled permanently in Aghia Marina and built their homes where their fields used to be For this reason, the houses are far from each other.’

Objectives

Conclusion