DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Austrian historian: Albanians can only be compared to the Basques, they preserved their identity through language

2025-04-20 20:27:51Histori SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Austrian historian: Albanians can only be compared to the Basques, they
Austrian historian Oliver Schmitt

Austrian historian Oliver Schmitt has said that Albanians can only be compared to the Basques of Spain for preserving their identity through language.

In a discussion with publicist Veton Surroi on the PIKË podcast, the professor of Southeast European history at the University of Vienna emphasized that Albanians are among the rare peoples in Europe who have preserved their identity through language.

"Even in imperial circumstances – in Rome, in Byzantium and especially during the Ottoman period – Albanians, or proto-Albanians, have maintained continuity through language," said Schmitt.

He underlined that the lack of written sources in antiquity does not exclude the fact that the Albanian language has played a key role in the ethnic and cultural identity of Albanians over the centuries.

On the other hand, Surroi raised the question of whether this cultural continuity has later been transformed into a political narrative, where ethnic identity is used to support territorial claims. He mentioned the idea of ​​“ethnic contraction” as an element that often appears in the Albanian national discourse, emphasizing that in many cases, historical analyses still do not speak of the formation of a nation in the modern sense of the word.

Schmitt added that the very change of the name “Albanian”, which comes from the meaning “one who speaks clearly, understandably”, is evidence of the importance that language has had in preserving identity awareness. He also emphasized the importance of studying language not only as a means of communication, but also as a historical source for understanding the way a people has perceived itself in different political and cultural contexts.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×