Serbian culturecide against Albanians: The case of Kosovo: 1998-1999
Culturecide - the systematic destruction of heritage and cultural values is a recurring phenomenon that regularly precedes, accompanies, or follows great human tragedies. In short, a deliberate culturecide against a nation or its people is one of the characteristics of genocide, as it seeks to obliterate an autochthonous heritage of a people with intention to eradication of their cultural and ethnic identity, and their collective memory. For more than a century, Serbia has consistently employed culturecide scenarios against its neighbors, including against Albanians and their heritage and civilizational values. This can be traced all the way back to the forceful expulsion of Albanians from Sanjak of Nish in 1877 and this has persisted onwards through various conflicts such as the Balkan wars, the First and Second World Wars, and the period in-between these wars. This cultural destruction has continued until the recent war in Kosovo from 1998-1999, which ultimately led to Kosovo gaining its freedom and independence. Our paper will discuss the destruction of Kosovo’s cultural heritage during the years 1998-1999.
The cultural heritage of Kosovo and the war of 1998-1999
There is no doubt that cultural heritage is an important part of our identity. As researchers, we have a duty to write about and discuss such issues through our work and research. In the interviews with citizens, they never hesitated to share with us their experiences with the events of the 1998-1999 war and the destruction of cultural heritage by the Serbian police and military forces. The allusion of the citizens in the constant conversations was: "We must not forget the past, because a people that forgets the past has no future." In this essay we have tried to show a part of Kosovo's cultural heritage and the compassion of its inhabitants for it. They still speak with an emotional language and demand justice from local and international institutions for the damage caused.