“The Albanian-Austrian relations have been excellent especially during the past two decades of transition. Austria is a big investor in Albania and supports Albania’s EU integration,” said Austrian ambassador Florian Raunig
TIRANA, Sept. 26 – “Albania-Austria: A Historiographical reflection,” a joint publication of the Centre for Albanological Studies, and the Albanian Institute for International Studies, was promoted on Thursday in a ceremony bringing together researchers and diplomats at the Academy of Science in Tirana. The trilingual Albanian-German-English publication was prepared in the frame of Albania’s 100th anniversary of independence following two scientific conferences held in Shkodra and Tirana in 2012 to explore Austrian-Albanian relations which date back to an early tradition with the support to Albania’s independence in 1912 and the strengthening of diplomatic and economic relations in the early 1990s after the collapse of the communist regime.
“The Albanian-Austrian relations have been excellent especially during the past two decades of transition. Austria is a big investor in Albania and supports Albania’s EU integration,” said Austrian ambassador Florian Raunig in his last public event representing Austria as ambassador because of taking over as OSCE Ambassador to Albania in the next few days.
“Beginning with the founders and the carriers of the scientific discipline of Albanian Studies, moving further on to several Austrian diplomats and research travelers, whose purpose was the full exploration and systematic registration of everyday life, traditions, history, customs and language of Albanians, further again to the meaningful role the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy played in the establishment of the Albanian state, up to the recent intensive and diverse relations, a complex and wide panorama of this common history comes into view,” says Ambassador Raunig in the preface to the book.
Speaking at the book promotion ceremony, Albert Rakipi, the executive director of the Albanian Institute for International Studies, said the book was a joint effort of several research institutes to examine the Albania-Austrian relations in a critical approach and beyond myths.
Ardian Marashi, the director of the Centre for Albanological Studies said the book brought Austria’s concrete role in the establishment of the independent Albanian state and its progress. The book is aimed at revisiting diplomatic relations between Austria and Albania as well as providing a comprehensive look at this relation throughout history.
The 100th anniversary of Albanian independence presented a great opportunity for the Albanian Institute for International Studies alongside the Center for Albanological Studies to revisit the different stages of the relations between Albania and Austria throughout the years, thus putting an emphasis on the need to value the two countries’ common history. A common history which has it beginnings in the early pioneers of Albanological studies, as well as in the accurate accounts provided from Austrian diplomats and travelers on Albania throughout history, which have recently been made available to the public. The book at also serves the purpose of commemorating the important role the Austro-Hungarian empire played in the establishment of an independent Albania, and the consequent valuable assistance provided by Austro-Hungarian authorities throughout the nation building period.
“Albania-Austria: A Historiographical reflection” provides the reader with the opportunity to access historical archives and documents on Albania from the Austrian perspective, as well as studies from the pioneers of the Albanological studies, throughout history. It provides for a very detailed and accurate account of life in Albania, in the eyes of Austrian travelers and diplomats, as well as its traditions, society, culture and language. The book is a collection of discussions from several conferences on Austrian-Albanian relations in history, such as the conference organized in the University of Shkoder, in May 2012, as well as the conference held in Tirana, on October 2012.
