EDITORIAL: Romania and the romanians in the eyes of Albania

Oltsen GRIPSHI

Sabin DRĂGULIN

Abstract: This editorial/research paper explores the historical, cultural, and politi­cal relations between Albania and Romania, with a particular focus on how Romania and the Romanian people have been perceived within Albanian historical and cultural memory. The ties between the two nations have been built upon a solid foundation of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect bonds that have withstood the test of time and various historical challenges. In this context, Romania has not merely been regarded as a neighboring country within a geopolitically and political­ly complex region, but as a significant actor in the internal developments of Albanian society, especially during crucial periods such as national formation, the support of Albanian Renaissance (Rilindja) activists in the quest for Albania’s independence, and cultural emancipation, including the establishment of the first Albanian-language newspapers in Bucharest.

The study examines the role played by Romanian institutions particularly those in the fields of education and culture in supporting Albanian intellectuals and students, and the impact this support had on the formation of the Albanian national elite in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Additionally, it addresses the political dimension of Albanian-Romanian relations in the broader context of efforts to preserve national identity and affirm Albanian statehood on the international stage.

Through an interdisciplinary analysis grounded in historical sources, archival doc­uments, and relevant literature, this paper aims to highlight the importance of these bilateral relations in Albania’s development, while also contributing to a broader understanding of inter-Balkan relations and cultural interconnectedness in South­eastern Europe.

Keywords: Albania, Romania, culture, Albanians, Aromanians, Vlachs, history, art, politics.

The relations between the Albanian and Romanian peoples have a long and often intertwined history over the centuries, built on feelings of friendship, cooperation and mutual respect. In the Albanian historical and cultural memory, Romania has not only been seen as a neighboring coun­try in a region with a complicated fate, but also as a cultural, educational and political partner that has had a consid­erable influence on shaping some as­pects of Albanian development, espe­cially in important periods of our na­tional history.

1. Romania in Albanian histo­riography

The bilateral relations between the two peoples, the Romanian and the Albanian, are very distant in the twi­light of time. Albanians are descend­ants of the Illyrians and Romanians are descendants of the Dacians, who according to the Romanian polymath Nicolae Iorga: “The earliest ancestors of the Romanians (Dacians) were the Illyrians themselves, aboriginal popu­lation of the Balkan Peninsula and the Carpathians, where only the Transyl­vanian Sarmatians, who contained Slavic elements, represented in small­er numbers a foreign race. The Illyri­ans lay on the Adriatic coast and Rome had to fight a difficult battle to overcome the fierce resistance of the Illyrian kings such as Teuta, Agron, etc.., from the Illyrians the Romanians inherited most of their culture and folk art, the importance of which has only just begun to be appreciated”¹.

The Gjika dynasty is a historicum momentum of Albanian princes at the head of two provinces of Romania; Wallachia and Moldavia.

One of the most prominent Albanian families that had an im­portant political role in the present-day territories of Romania was that of the Ghica dynasty. The founder of the political branch of the family was Gjergj Gjika (Gheorghe Ghica, 1600–1664), who settled in Moldavia and managed to become ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, to be later ap­pointed prince of Moldavia during the years 1658–1660². His son, Grigor Gjika I (Grigore Ghica I) would be the heir to the Moldavian throne, while his grandson, Matei Gjika (Matei Ghica) served as dragoman of the Sublime Porte, playing a key role in diplomatic relations with the Otto­mans. Mateu’s son, Grigor Gjika II (Grigore Ghica II), took over Moldavia again in 1726 and later be­came Prince of Wallachia in 1733³.

Other members of the Gjika dyn­asty, such as Skarlat Gjika (Scarlat Ghica), Aleksandër Gjika (Alexandru Ghica), Grigori III (Grigore III) and Grigori IV (Grigore IV), continued to rule the Romanian principalities until the Russian military intervention in 1828–1834. During this period, Aleksandër Gjika II held the title of Prince and then Regent of Wallachia until 1858, representing one of the last figures of this dynasty of Albanian origin in the local government of Romania before the unification of the principalities⁴ into a single Romanian constitutional monarchy on March 13, 1881.

Early modern documents attest to a significant Albanian presence in the territories of present-day Romania. According to a report by the Habsburg Empire, in 1595 about 15 000 Albani­ans were allowed to settle north of the Danube River, marking one of the earliest waves of Albanian migration to the northeastern Balkans⁵. By 1628, an organized Albanian community had been established in Bucharest, most notably Vasil Lupu (Vasile Lupu), an Albanian originally from the city of Kavaja⁶, who ascended to the throne of Moldavia in 1634 and ruled until 1653⁷.

During this period and beyond, Albanians in present-day Romania were known in local terminology as Arbănasi, a term that derives from the Albanian self-designation “arbër” and also as Arnăuți, a form borrowed from Ottoman Turkish (Arnavut) referring to Albanians⁸.

The Albanian community experi­enced further expansion during the Phanariot period (1711–1821), when many Albanians were integrated into the commercial and social life of Wallachia. They opened up economic activities, especially in the retail and confectionery sectors⁹. In Bucharest alone, in 1820, around 90 merchants from Arnavutköy^[tr] (an Albanian neighborhood in Istanbul) were regis­tered as owning confectionery shops. Albanians also enjoyed a special sta­tus as elite bodyguards of the Wallachian princes, serving as part of the personal security structures and the military guard¹⁰.

In this long historical, cultural, po­litical and bilateral journey between Albania and Romania, the most sig­nificant historical period to be high­lighted is the one that has marked the most, which is related to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. A historical period when Albanians fought for national aware­ness and independence from the Ottoman Empire, Romania served as an important refuge for Albanian pa­triots of that time. Bucharest, which in Albanian means “It is beautiful”, be­came a center where the most famous figures of the Albanian nation such as Sami Frashëri, Jani Vreto, Naum Veqilharxhi and Elena Gjika (Dora d’Istria) had contacts, published works, and acted politically on the Albanian issue, publishing in 1844 the first Albanian dictionary. In 1888, the Albanian intellectual and patriot Visar Dodani founded the first Albanian-language newspaper in Bucharest, entitled “Sqipetari” (Albanezul^[ro]), which continued to be published until 1903. 1884 was the year that the well-known Pogradec merchant Nikolla Naçi founded the first Albanian Cul­tural Society named “Drita”, located in Bucharest, which in its beginnings was composed of representatives of the Romanian community in order not to be noticed by the Ottoman ruling circles in Istanbul. Its leadership, ac­cording to contemporary records, in­cluded V. A. Ureke as chairman, D. Butkulescu as vice chairman, and Dr. Leonte and M. Deshliu as secretaries, all of Romanian origin. Most of the members of the representative com­mittee were Romanians as well^{11, 12, 13}.

However, in 1889, an important change occurred in the internal struc­ture of the Albanian Cultural Society “Drita”, as a result of the proposal of the Albanian founder Nikolla Naço. Sultan Abdyl Hamiti was declared the “High Protector” of the Society, an act that gave it a new form of legitimacy and political support in the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, the former president and former vice-president who were Romanians were appointed its honorary members, while the new leaders were elected from among the Albanians: V. Batan became president and Naço himself was appointed vice-president. Thus, the Albanian repre­sentation in the governing bodies of the Society became the majority¹⁴.

Moreover, since 1887, “Drita” managed to establish other branches in various cities of Romania such as Braila, Focşani, Calarasi and Marashest. Its main activity was focused on pub­lishing school literature and periodi­cals in the Albanian language, with the aim of spreading the culture and national language among Albanians outside the homeland. According to article 4 of the Society’s statute, the alphabet used in these publications was the Latin one, specifically the variant used by the temporary “Di­turia” of Istanbul, a magazine with wide influence in Albanian intellectu­al circles of the time^{15, 16}. During this period, the “Drita” society published the most famous works of the great Albanian national poet Naim Frashëri, such as: “Bagëti e Bujqësi^[al]” (Cattle and Agriculture), a poetic hymn dedi­cated to the Albanian people and na­ture (1886), “Histori e përgjith­shme^[al]” (General History, 1886), “Dituritë^[al]” (Knowledge, 1888), “Lulet e verësë^[al]” (Summer Flowers) ​​(1890), “Parajsa apo fjala^[al]” (Para­dise or Word, 1894), “Fjalë të urta” (Proverbs, 1894), “Qerbelaja^[al]” (Qerbelaja, 1898) and “Historia e Skënderbeut^[al]” (History of Skander­beg, 1898).

In 1891, also in Bucharest, the well-known “Apel à nos frères alba­nais^[fr]” was published, of particular importance for Albanian national con­sciousness, which aimed to awaken national consciousness and mobilize Albanians on the path of emancipation and national unification¹⁷. While in 1897 another newspaper called “Shqipëria^[al]” (Albania) was pub­lished for the first time, directed by Visar Dodani, while a year later in 1898 another newspaper “Ylli i Shqipërisë^[al]” (Star of Albania) was founded, which was distinguished by the fact that it was published in three languages: Albanian, Greek and French. This multilingual approach aimed not only at communicating with Albanian communities with different religious and cultural affiliations, but also at promoting the Albanian cause in the international arena, especially in French-speaking and Greek-speaking European circles^{18, 19}.

Another very important daily in the Albanian language was the publi­cation of the newspaper “Shqipëria e Re” (Albania Nouă^[ro]), which was founded in 1919 and continued to be published continuously until 1935, as part of the national popular organ with director Mihal Sotir Xoxe. This publi­cistic initiative aimed to affirm the common Illyrian origin of Albanians and Romanians, as well as to promote political cooperation between the two peoples in the context of their national aspirations for freedom and independ­ence²⁰. In this sense, Romania was seen as a friendly country, where the Albanian national movement could breathe freely and operate without censorship.

In 1893, the Albanian community in Romania numbered around 30 000 individuals, reflecting a strong pres­ence of Albanians during and after the Ottoman period²¹. In this context, the first movements for Albanian inde­pendence began precisely in Romania, led by Albert Gjika, who as heir to the Gjika dynasty claimed to ascend to the throne of the kingdom of Albania after independence, thus accelerating Alba­nian national aspirations. The move­ment had an important development in 1912, when a pan-Albanian congress was held in Bucharest, chaired by Ismail Qemali. That congress served to approve the first resolution that paved the way for the national con­sciousness of Albanians for Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire²².

A key figure during the year of in­dependence was Aleksandër Stavre Drenova (Asdreni), an emigrant from Korça to Bucharest, who was the lyri­cist of the Albanian national anthem, “Hymni i Flamurit^[al]” (Hymn of Flag). This anthem, which expresses the national aspirations of the Albani­ans, was first sung to the notes of the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu, who adapted the music to express the Albanian unity in a sin­gle and indivisible nation²³.

After Albania was annexed by the Ottoman Empire, among the first countries to recognize its independ­ence in 1913 was Romania. Mean­while, on December 16 of the same year, Romania established diplomatic relations with Albania. The recogni­tion of Albania’s independence by Romania marked an important histori­cal act in the bilateral political and cultural relations between Albanians and Romanians²⁴. The well-known Albanian poets Viktor Eftimiu and Lasgush Poradeci would be the two central figures in the spread and sup­port of Albanian culture and identity in Romania²⁵.

Other central periods in this frater­nal relationship between the two peo­ples are those of the reign of King Zog I and later that of the communist re­gime, where ties with Romania con­tinued to be present, especially in the fields of culture, education and diplo­matic exchanges. During the regime of Enver Hoxha, relations with Romania had their ups and downs, but there was no lack of cooperation in various fields, especially in socialist art and cinematography.

1. Cultural Perceptions of Ro­manians in Albania

In terms of culture, Romania is seen as a country with rich folkloric traditions, music similar to that of the Balkans, and a literature that has aroused interest over the years. Im­portant personalities of Romanian literature such as Mihai Eminescu, Lucian Blaga, or Mircea Eliade have been translated into Albanian and are read with respect in Albanian intellec­tual circles.

On the other hand, Albanian fig­ures such as Asdreni, Konstandin Kristoforidhi, or Thoma Avrami have had important contacts with Romani­an cultural circles, bringing mutual influences and building intercultural bridges. One of the most special po­ems of the Aromanians or Vlachs (Vllahët^[al]) in the Korça area is the following in the language of the Ro­manians of Albania, naturally com­posed of Albanian, Greek and Italian words²⁶, where the Pharsaliot shep­herds sang these verses in chorus with the usual music of their songs:

Ciudie laie ciudie,/Çi s’façe tu Rrmănie,/Doi ficiori di-arbinişie,/ Pitricuţi-li di Vlăhie/Ianina, tu puliţie,. S’ revizuiască laia şculie;Li băgară tu filăchie/Li pitricum ti lucre bune,/ Osman paşa li feaçe surghi­une/ Surghiune tu Italie,/Tu Italie por­tul Brindiz,/Păn s’ li ghină văr av­iz;/Un Andrei al Balamaci,/Exilaţi doili cu Taci;/Pădianu agudi hiru/Ta s’ lia hăbare Viziru,/Ştepsu çi feaçe Valiu;/ Agudì telu Sultanu,Valilu s’ lia lirtare la Pădianu;/Al Pădeanu di Vlăhie li scriară,/S’ clidă poarta din afară;/ Pădianu a Valilu li zaci;/Ma s’ vrei s’ nà lirtăm doili,/Pitriaçi s’ aduci ficiorili;/ Valilu aştipta cu ban­da/ Când işiră revizorli Saran­da,/Ordin dà Valilu pi la tabori,/Si s’ veagliă doili ficiori/S’ nu pată civa pi cale,/Că di Pădianu nu vra scăpare;/Andrea cu Tacit doili ca fraţi,/Ninti ş’ napoi cu sufarazi;/Când viniră tu puliţie,/ Grecili s’ făcea mare ciudie,/Că s’ turară dit exurie;/ Osman paşa mulţi avea exilată,/Ma di văr nu’ ş-u avea affată,/Di aeşti el ş-u păţà,/Ca lirtări el căftà²⁷.

III. Aromanians/Vlachs in Albania: history, culture and status of a community

Aromanians, an ethnic group closely related to the Albanians. They have long had a stable presence in the territories of Albania and consequent­ly have interacted and interacted with each other. The Aromanians or Vlachs are a people as ancient as the Albani­ans themselves as direct descendants of the Illyrians in the Illyrian Peninsu­la, which after the Ottoman conquest was called the “Balkans”. Although the Aromanians are scattered in sever­al Balkan countries, including Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia, Albania has a special role in the development and preservation of their culture over the centuries, making them an integral part of its own national culture. The Aromanians speak the Aromanian language, a Latin dialect that is a form of Latin and that carries numerous influences from the Ottoman period and Balkan culture as a whole²⁸.

3.1. Origin and History of the Aromanians in Albania

The Aromanians are also known as “Vlachs” (Vllahë^[al]) in Albania and are considered a people full of rich traditions and diverse folk costumes, maintaining a strong ethnic and cul­tural identity over the centuries. Dur­ing the Ottoman period, the Aromani­ans were often engaged in economic activities, especially trade and live­stock, and therefore settled in various areas of Albania, mainly in the south, in regions such as Dropull, Çamëri, and Pogradec²⁹. During the period of the Ottoman Empire, many Aromani­ans served as traders and representa­tives of the Ottoman administration, a key factor that helped strengthen their ties with the state structures of the time³⁰.

3.2. Aromanian Language and Cultural Identity

One of the most distinctive charac­teristics of the Aromanians is their language, which represents a media­tion of Roman and Balkan culture. The Aromanian language is a Latin dialect, similar to Romanian, but with pronounced influences from Albanian, Greek and Turkish³¹. During the 20th century, the Aromanian language has been subject to strong pressure for assimilation from other languages of the region, including Albanian and Greek, affecting the decline of its use in everyday life. However, a part of the Aromanian community has strong­ly preserved its language and cultural traditions, inheriting it through their families and rites.

3.3. The Status of Aromanians in Albania and Their Role in Society

In Albania, the Aromanians are recognized as one of the minority communities, and, although they have a long history of integration into Al­banian society, they have experienced various periods of exclusion from Al­bania’s political and development de­cision-making. After World War II, many Aromanians were involved in the fight against the communist re­gime, and after the fall of com­munism, the Aromanian community resumed preserving more of its ethnic and cultural identity³².

In recent years, the Aromanian community has sought formal recog­nition of its status as a national mi­nority. Although the Aromanians con­stitute a small proportion of Albania’s population, they have a significant impact on cultural and social life, par­ticularly through their music, folklore and traditions, which are often shared with those of the Albanians³³.

Since the 1990s, Albania has seen Romania as a close European model for reform and development, particu­larly in the fields of education and technology. A significant number of Albanian students have studied at Romanian universities, where they have been welcomed with friendship and integrated into local society.

In popular culture, the Romanians are perhaps not mentioned as often as the Germans or Italians, but in aca­demic, diplomatic and historical cir­cles, they are valued as a close people, with whom we share not only a geo­graphical region, but also a common memory of Balkan solidarity at im­portant historical and developmental moments of the Albanian state.

The Aromanians in Albania repre­sent an important part of the cultural heritage of the Balkans, with a rich history and an identity that continues to be preserved and developed, despite the challenges of assimilation and so­cial change. Their culture remains an important element in understanding the ethnic and cultural pluralism of Albania. Despite the challenges they face, the Aromanians continue to con­tribute to Albanian society and main­tain a strong connection to their histor­ical and linguistic identity, which has led to Romania and Romanians being seen as a brotherly people in the eyes of Albanians and the Albanian nation.

1. Cultural diplomacy and po­litical science magazine Polis, from Iași

In order to continue and develop bilateral relations, the editorial staff of Polis magazine decided to produce a thematic edition dedicated to the his­tory of Albania. Its production was entrusted to Oltsen Gripshi and Sabin Dragulin.

The corpus dedicated to the history and culture of Albania comprises twelve contributions. The approaches are diverse and come from historiog­raphy, event history, art history, sacred and profane art, theater, film, architec­ture, poetry and cultural interferences, the published texts being signed by specialists in the field from Albania.

The ordering of articles and studies was carried out according to chrono­logical and thematic criteria.

Looking at the history of the last half millennium, it is easy to see that the expansion of the Ottomans in the Balkans and Central Europe, which led to the conquest of Constantinople (1456), Belgrade (1521) and Buda (1541), also consecrated the entry of the territories inhabited by Albanians into the empire. Of course, changes in state, economic, social, religious reali­ties, etc., will be achieved over time, but will have major implications up to the present day. The Albanian case is suggestive, given that a Christian so­ciety and culture, anchored in the eco­nomic and geopolitical realities of the area for millennia, will gradually transform, as a result of the influences and pressures of the Ottomans.

The coordinators’ intention was to identify specialists in different fields, who would cover through their contri­butions both the period of the last five centuries of local history, placing less emphasis on the eventual element and, especially, on that of culture, which will have and will reflect the influ­ences of the different political regimes that succeeded each other during this period, as well as the historical, lin­guistic and cultural links between the inhabited territories and Albanians and Romanians.

The contribution entitled “Where’s the sword, there’s religion: Local Elites, Ottomans, and Islamization Among Albanians during the 15th Century”, signed by Caka Eduart, pre­sents the consequences that followed the conquest of Albania in terms of the Islamization of the population. To ex­plain how the conqueror applied a policy of Islamization, the author used both Ottoman cadastral registers and Western archival documentation. Throughout the text, the stages through which the Ottoman conquest took place in the 15th century and its direct consequence, as I stated previ­ously, the triggering of the Islamiza­tion process, are presented.

The study concludes that the Ot­tomans used the same method applied in Constantinople and other Byzantine cities. The process of Islamization began with the local elites and later spread throughout the territory to the population.

The second article, proposed by Adriana Qafa and Andrea Llukani, is entitled “The iconographic school of Berat”. The text brings to the attention of specialists the internal cultural reac­tion of the Christian cultural space, in the face of the process of Islamization, with the development of Albanian iconographic art in the 16th-17th cen­turies. The great master of this art is Onufri from Neokastra (Elbasan). A school developed around him, from which the authors of the approach emphasized the activity of Onufri’s son, Nikolla, along with his collabora­tor Joani, Onufër the Cypriot, as well as many other icon painters who pre­ferred to remain anonymous.

The study “Travellers in Albania during the first half of the XIX Centu­ry”, signed by Lida Miraj, presents us with a very important period in the process of reconnecting the Albanian territories with the Western space. The period identified by the author is 1796-1815, which overlaps with the Napoleonic Wars. Practically, after three centuries, from the moment when the Albanian territories became part of the Ottoman Empire (1478), after a heroic resistance led by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, we begin to have information that comes from the accounts of foreign travelers. The ap­proach is important because it allows those interested to look into the past through the “eyes” of foreigners. The information provided is very im­portant because it allows us to under­stand the internal organizational sys­tem of these territories, the dynasties that ruled them, the cultural centers, the cities, the way in which power passed through generations, the main occupations of the population, etc.

Oltsen Gripshi, through his study “Albania and Albanians in foreign graphic novels”, comes to complete the previous study. Various foreign authors published works of this type in the 19th and 20th centuries, in which they highlighted the rich Illyri­an, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman cultural heritage of the terri­tories inhabited by Albanians. Oltsen combines historical chronological aspects with comparative analysis, exploring the creativity of the authors of these graphic novels that allowed young readers around the world to know the temperament of Albanians and the history of Albania through visual description.

With Rovena Vata Mikeli and her contribution “The poetry of dritero agolli has left deep traces in Albanian tradition”, a series of themes are opened regarding the way in which Albanians identify themselves through their own culture. Mikeli emphasizes the poetic creativity of Dritëro Agolli, who in a difficult period for the histo­ry of Albania tries to escape from the present by creating a work that has as reference elements the ideals, qualities and roots of the ancestors. Returning to the past is a mission and is achieved through the emotional feelings trans­mitted in and through his verses. The nation, the country, the tradition, the language, the territory, the homeland are identified by appealing to docu­ments, rites, cults, myths, rituals, bal­lads and legends from the corpus of Albanian folklore.

Milkani Eno, through his contribu­tion “The influence of cinema in Al­banian-speaking territories: from its beginnings to her children, the un­recognized first Albanian film”, pre­sents the role of cinema in the process of transforming a society with a deep­ly oriental mentality, towards Western visions and practices. This change was a natural movement for Albanians, from the declaration of independence to the first stages of industrial capital­ism in the late 1930s. The effect of visual propaganda on Albanian socie­ty, through cinema, demonstrated the fundamental role that was exercised in different historical periods. The com­munist period represented the major moment of expression of censorship in cinema, marking the moment of the end of artistic freedom and the im­plementation, through propaganda, of the vision of the single party, on socie­ty.

Anxhela Çikopano Hoxha and Albert Çeloaliaj, through their contribution “Can the last grip of frost be chipped away? Albanian theater in the com­munist aftermath”, come to complete the way in which the communist re­gime developed its censorship within the theaters of Albania. The regime’s action was facilitated by the fact that before the communist period there were no professional actors, screen­writers, directors, etc. In order to cre­ate a new social category, future spe­cialists were sent to the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, even to the USSR, who had the opportunity to come into contact with different expe­riences, which exceeded the limited space of socialist realism. Returning to the country, they were confronted with an increasingly rigid attitude from the agents of the communist sys­tem, which caused a major crisis in the 1980s. The fall of communism allowed a return of freedom in all fields and as a result in creation, with directors having the opportunity to explore any type of genre. The new formulas identified and applied by the directors brought the theater-loving public back to the theaters.

The study signed by Anxhela Çikopano Hoxha and Albert Çeloaliaj makes the transition from the com­munist period to the democratic one, while the theoretical contribution made by Joniada Musaraj, Edvana Tiri and Blerina Muskaj entitled “The right to information in Albania” de­votes topics specific to the democratic peri­od. The Constitution of the Re­public of Albania is a fundamental docu­ment, a pillar of the indigenous demo­cratic regime. The usefulness of the study lies in the fact that this con­tribu­tion is a natural consequence of the others shown previously in which human rights violations by the com­munist regime were presented that were found at all levels. In this con­text, a study of the Constitution of the democratic period of Albania is very important because it demonstrates the change in mentality, in the way in which the citizen relates to power and the state. Statements such as: “The right of access to information is a fun­damental human right. Therefore, re­specting this right is synonymous with that of human dignity” and reflect the existence of an attitude of moral verti­cality in relation to the state and other forms of power.

Stefano Romano, through his study “Public interventions and urban evolution in Tirana (2005–2025): the case of the 1.60insurgent space pro­ject”, shows us how innovations in the urban art space have begun to find their place in the capital of Albania, Tirana. The concept proposed by Ro­mano is that within urban art there should be a new type of interaction between traditional and unconven­tional art spaces. The idea of ​​the pro­ject was that in Tirana, a city where the communist influence on urban architecture was decisive, exhibition spaces should be set up that would last only one day. One of the messages that the curator of this project wanted to convey was to offer those interested the perception that art can serve as a catalyst for change in shaping our per­ception of urban spaces. Obviously, time, this fundamental element of the evaluation of artistic creations, plays an important role in assessing the im­pact that Romano’s proposed project has had on the life of the city.

Manjola Zaçellari, through her contribution entitled “Studies on the relations between Albanian and Ro­manian as an indicator of the connec­tions between the two peoples and the advancement of knowledge of the common language and history”, offers us an analysis that reveals the linguis­tic similarities between Albanian and Romanian. According to the author, these are found at three levels: lexical, grammatical and phonetic, and are deep and complex. The explanation for the depth and complexity lies in the common historical periods and mutual influences, due to the Thraci­an-Illyrian period. Etymological and comparative studies show that histori­cal and cultural connections played an important role in the formation of these similarities. The relations be­tween the two languages ​​represent a rich and important field of study for understanding their historical and lin­guistic development and the ethno­genesis of each people.

Drita Isufaj and Viola Isufaj con­tinue with their contribution “Echoes of the past: folklore connections be­tween Albania and Romania”, the analysis of the historical and cultural ties between Romanians and Albani­ans. The study aims to explore the complex relationship between Albani­an and Romanian folklore, examining common motifs, characters and narra­tives that illuminate their intertwined cultural heritage. Based on the com­parative analysis of folk tales, legends and traditional customs, this research investigates the similarities and diver­gences between the folkloric traditions of both nations. Furthermore, the re­search deepens the linguistic connec­tions between the Albanian and Ro­manian languages, searching for common vocabulary, linguistic structures, sym­bolism and mythology within their respective folklore. Ultimately, this exploration contributes to a deeper understanding of the cultural dynam­ics in the Balkans and highlights the enduring legacy of shared folkloric traditions between Albanians and Romanians.

Suzana Varvarika Kuka concludes this cultural and political journey with the study “The history of two Roma­nian artworks”. The research aimed to highlight the special significance of two Romanian artworks, owned by the National Gallery of Art in Tirana, their artistic qualities, aesthetic and technical attributes, as well as the con­servation and restoration approaches applied to them. The artworks in ques­tion are: “Landscape”, signed by Nicolae Grigorescu and “Portrait”, which was created by Magdalena Rădulescu, a Romanian modern art painter. Through these works of art, the author of the study aims to devel­op certain aesthetic reflections, with a focus on the life, creative work and importance of the two renowned Ro­manian artists. At the same time, the study will examine their recognition within the Albanian artistic system and the position their work occupies in the international visual arts scene.

Conclusions

In general, the perception of Ro­mania and Romanians in Albania has long been very positive and support­ive, considering the Romanians as “brothers” while never forgetting what they did on the eve of the establish­ment of the new Albanian state before and after 1912.

Nikola Naço (1843–1913), one of the most prominent figures of the Al­banian diaspora in Romania and later advisor to the President of the Albanian Republic, Ahmet Zogu, clearly articu­lated the feelings of gratitude and brotherhood towards the support that Albanians received from the Romani­an intellectual and political elite dur­ing the late 19th century. In an editori­al published in the newspaper “Shqip­tari”, no. 16, year 1888, Naço wrote:

“At a time when the sons of Albania are removing their olive branches, noble men, great people of Romania, with true brotherly love, embrace us warmly, give us shelter for salvation, encourage us in our enterprise, donating to us, at the same time, money, so that we can continue the work we have begun”.

This fragment, preserved in the Albanian language of the time and with a visible influence of the diaspo­ra dialect, represents not only an ex­pression of gratitude, but also an im­portant historical document that testi­fies to the solidarity of Romanian in­tellectuals with the Albanian national cause³⁴. In a period when Albanians faced political repression, cultural assimilation and lack of representa­tion, Romania’s moral and material assistance played an essential role in the preservation and development of Albanian national identity outside ethnic borders³⁵.

Naço was among the first to un­derstand the importance of coopera­tion with foreign elites, especially the Romanian one, to internationalize the Albanian issue, making it part of the broader European discourse on the rights of stateless nations.

For Albania and Albanians, Romania stood out as one of the most welcom­ing countries to the patriotic activity of the Albanian diaspora, demonstrat­ing a favorable political and cultural stance, despite constant pressure from the Ottoman Sublime Porte. The Ro­manian authorities, instead of ful­filling the demands of the Ottoman Empire to ban Albanian national ac­tivity, chose to tolerate and support the activity of Albanian societies and intellectuals established in their terri­tory.

The understanding and protection that the Albanian community enjoyed from the Romanian authorities was also highlighted in the diplomatic re­ports of the time. In an official com­munication dated July 4, 1903, the Austrian diplomat in Istanbul, Margrave Leopold von Pallavicini, reported to the Austro-Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a con­versation between King Carol I of Romania and the representative of the Austro-Hungarian legate in Bucharest, Baron von Flotow. In this conversa­tion, King Carol I described the Alba­nian patriot Nikola Naçon as “an honest and cool-headed man”, whom he had known for more than 27 years, and at the same time expressed his deep admiration for the Albanians of Bucharest, emphasizing their moral virtues, loyalty and honesty. Accord­ing to the king, the Albanians “have never made a mistake, nor have they crossed the permissible limits”, which testifies to the respect that this com­munity had earned in the Romanian society of the time³⁶. King Carol I also emphasized that, although the Otto­man government had on several occa­sions requested the expulsion of Naço from Romania and the closure of all Albanian newspapers and cultural societies, such a thing could not hap­pen “according to the will of the Sul­tan”, implying the autonomy of Ro­manian domestic politics from exter­nal pressures³⁷.

In this historical context, this coun­try has offered assistance, hospitality and cooperation. Romanian culture has been viewed with interest and has been integrated into the Albanian cul­tural landscape through translations, long-term political-diplomatic cooper­ation and cultural exchanges, the most recent of which was Romania’s partic­ipation in 2024, with artist Maria Bordeanu, in the First Edition of the International Biennale of Contempo­rary Art of Durrës. At a time when the region is striving to build more bridg­es and fewer walls, Albania’s histori­cal relationship with Romania serves as an extraordinary example of good neighborliness and cultural coexist­ence.

Therefore, in this special issue of the International Scientific Journal “Polis”, a publication of the “Petre Andrei” University of Iasi, the reader, Romanian intellectuals and research­ers will get to know Albania and Al­banians better and more deeply in var­ious scientific fields throughout the centuries.

Notes

• Iorga, Breve storia dei rumeni, Lega di Cultura Rumena, Bucarest, 1911, p. 5.
• Boia, Romania: Borderland of Europe, Reaktion Books, London, 2001.
• Hitchins, The Romanians: 1774–1866, Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Stelian Tănase, Elitele și conștiința națională, Editura Humanitas, București, 2011.
• Guran, The Albanian presence in the Romanian Principalities during the 16th–19th centuries, 2007.
• Hitchins, The Romanians: 1774–1866, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996.
• Nistor, Istoria Basarabiei, Cartea Românească, București, 1939.
• Măran, Albanezii din Țările Române. Istorie și identitate culturală, Editura Institutului Cultural Român, București, 2010.
• Lucian Boia, Romania: Borderland of Europe, Reaktion Books, London, 2001.
• Ș. Papacostea, „Between the Crusade and the Ottoman Threat: The Albanians in the Romanian Principalities”, Balkan Studies, 34 (2), 1993, pp. 251-267.
• Frashëri, History of the Albanian National Movement, Toena, Tirana, 2005.
• Skendi, The Albanian National Awakening: 1878–1912, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1967.
• Kycyku, Albanians of Romania, Albanian Diaspora, Switzerland, 2020.
• Elsie, Historical Dictionary of Albania, Scarecrow Pressm, Lanham, 2010.
• Clayer, Aux origines du nationa­lisme albanais: la naissance d’une nation majoritairement musulmane en Europe, Karthala Editons, Paris, 2007.
• Schmidt-Neke, Entstehung und Ausbau der Königsdiktatur in Albanien 1912–1939, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München, 1987.
• Call to our Albanian brothers, drafted by G. Meksi, „Dervish Hima and other patriots”, Unity of Nation, no. 20, 25 January 1944, Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania (AMAE), Fund of Albania, vol. 26, p. 454.
• Schmidt-Neke, op.cit..
• Pollo, A. Puto, History of Albania, Academy of Sciences of the Albanian Academy of Sciences, Tirana, 1981.
• Elsie, Historical Dictionary of Albania (2nd ed.), Scarecrow Press, Lanham, 2010.
• Măran, Albanezii din Țările Române. Istorie și identitate culturală, Editura Institutului Cultural Român, București, 2010.
• Hitchins, The Romanians: 1774–1866, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996.
• Elsie, Albanian Literature: A Short History, I.B. Tauris, 2005.
• Lucian Boia, Romania: Borderland of Europe, Reaktion Books, London, 2001.
• Xhaferi, „Albanian Culture and Romania: From Aid to Creation. Albanians”, in Diaspora Magazine, 2 (4), 2010, pp. 45-59.
• N. Burileanu, I romeni di Albania, R. TIP. CAV. UFF. L., Andreoli Editore, Bologna, 1912, p. 381.
• Ibidem, f. 27-28.
• Roudometof, „The Aromanians and Their Identity in the Balkans”, Nationalities Papers, 29 (3), 2001, pp. 443-464.
• Hitchins, op.cit..
• Vermeulen, The Vlach Minority in the Balkans: Its Role and Cultural Identity. Anthropological Journal of European Cultures, 6 (1), 1997, pp.18-34.
• Friedrich, The Aromanians of the Balkans: Identity and Assimilation. Slavic Review, 44 (4), 1985, pp. 561–577.
• Kostandini, „The Vlachs and the Political Landscape of Albania”, Journal of Balkan Studies, 5 (2), 2002, pp. 124-139.
• Kokos, „The Aromanians of Albania: Language, Culture, and Identity”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 13 (1), 2013, pp. 55-71.
• Clayer, op.cit.
• Skendi, The Albanian National Awakening: 1878–1912, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1967.
• Clayer, op.cit.
• L. Pallavicini, Diplomatic report, July 4, 1903.
   

Bibliography

Archives

Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania (AMAE), Fund of Albania, vol. 26, p. 454.

Books

BOIA, L., Romania: Borderland of Europe, Reaktion Books, London, 2001.

BURILEANU, C. N., I romeni di Albania, R. TIP. CAV. UFF. L., Andreoli Editoref, Bologna, 1912.

CLAYER, N., Aux origines du nationa-lisme albanais: la naissance d’une nation majoritairement musulmane en Europe, Karthala Editons, Paris, 2007.

ELSIE, R., Albanian Literature: A Short History, I.B. Tauris, 2005.

IDEM, Historical Dictionary of Albania (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press, Lanham, 2010.

FRASHËRI, K., History of the Albanian National Movement, Toena, Tirana, 2005.

GURAN, P., The Albanian presence in the Romanian Principalities during the 16th–19th centuries, 2007.

HITCHINS, K., The Romanians: 1774–1866, Oxford University Press, 1996.

IORGA, N., Breve storia dei rumeni, Lega di Cultura Rumena, Bucarest, 1911.

MĂRAN, R., Albanezii din Țările Române. Istorie și identitate culturală, Editura Institutului Cultural Român, București, 2020.

NISTOR, I., Istoria Basarabiei, Cartea Românească, București, 1939.

POLLO, S., Puto, A., History of Albania, Academy of Sciences of the Albanian Academy of Sciences, Tirana, 1981.

SCHMIDT-NEKE, M., Entstehung und Ausbau der Königsdiktatur in Albanien 1912–1939, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München, 1987.

SKENDI, S., The Albanian National Awakening: 1878–1912, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1967.

TĂNASE, S., Elitele și conștiința națională, Editura Humanitas, București, 2011.

Studies and articles

FRIEDRICH, P., „The Aromanians of the Balkans: Identity and Assimilation”, Slavic Review, 44 (4), 1985, pp. 561-577.

KOKOS, E., „The Aromanians of Albania: Language, Culture, and Identity”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 13 (1), 2013, pp. 55-71.

KOSTANDINI, G., „The Vlachs and the Political Landscape of Albania, Journal of Balkan Studies, 5 (2), 2002, pp. 124-139.

KYCYKU, K., Albanians of Romania, Albanian Diaspora, Switzerland, 2020.

MEKSI, G., „Dervish Hima and other patriots”, Unity of Nation, no. 20, 25 January 1944.

PAPACOSTEA, Ș., „Between the Crusade and the Ottoman Threat: The Albanians in the Romanian Principa­lities”, Balkan Studies, 34 (2), 1993, pp. 251–267.

ROUDOMETOF, V., „The Aromanians and Their Identity in the Balkans”, Nationalities Papers, 29 (3), 2001, pp. 443-464.

VERMEULEN, H., „The Vlach Minority in the Balkans: Its Role and Cultural Identity”, Anthropological Journal of European Cultures, 6 (1), 1997, pp. 18-34.

XHAFERI, A., „Albanian Culture and Romania: From Aid to Creation. Albanians”, Diaspora Magazine, 2 (4), 2010, pp. 45-59.