Why was “Kafana Albanija” named that way in Beograd, Serbia? Why name the first coffee shop after a people they’ve had wars with for a long time?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “albanian coffee shop near me“
Why was “Kafana Albanija” named that way in Beograd, Serbia? Why name the first coffee shop after a people they’ve had wars with for a long time?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “albanian coffee shop near me“
There are various versions but the closest is to remember the terrifying retirement of Serbian troops through the Albanian mountains. It still affects the Serbian national conscious and remains as an isolated gesture the most incompressible military move never carried out by an army in the warfare history .An Army that left its country was never seen before. Even Hitlerian army during the Allies offensive retired in its own country.
However, Kafana Albanija by no means it’s a unique case. The old Belgrade is linked with Albanian names or that remind Albania.
Kastriotova Ulica(referred to George Kastriot’s father)
Skanderbegova Ulica.
Ljeska Ulica.
Skadarska Ulica.
Dracka Ulica.
Ulica Majke Angeline(Daughter of Albanian despot Arianiti George and wife of Serbian despot Stefan Brankovic.Proclaimed a Saint by Russian and Serbian Church.
Kondina Ulica. Probably are more.
The last has the most striking thing ever conceived. Jani Konda, an Albanian from the south who was the first to open a breach against the Ottomans in Belgrade in 1806, the Serbian history retains him a just a’ Christian Cincar’ when Stefan Vuk Karadzic dedicated a poem calling him Jani Konda Albanian (Arbanas) Dragon.Dragisa Lapcevic (1867–1939) was a Serbian politician and historian . In the national assembly in 1914 he held a critical speech on Serbian politics in Albania.Among all he states:
Let’s not forget that the first charge against Ottomans at the walls of Belgrade was made in Albanian language.
In the WWI, the Serbian army withdrew from Serbia under the pressure of Austria-Hungary, and, after a difficult and heroic crossing of the Albanian mountains in the middle of a cold winter (many historians questioned the wisdm of that decision, but this is a much broader topic), managed to reach the allies on the Ionian coast, and later was the key player in the breakthrough at the Salonica frant in Greece, which was one of the crucial factors contributing to the ultimate defeat of Austria-Hungary and Germany in WWI. The relations between the Serbs and Albanians were relatively good at the time, and Essad Pasha Toptani, who was previously helped in his power bid in Albania by the Serbian government, allowed the crossing and, despite centuries of intermittent tensions and conflicts with Albanians in the wider area, the locals were relatively friendly and mostly aided the Serbs. The pub’s name simply commemorated this epic crossing.
We never waged wars against Albania. Even in 1999. when Albania supported KLA terrorists it wasn’t a war against Albania. There’s still Palata Albania (Albania Pallace) and name is only a reminder of Serbian withdrawall trough Albania. Reminds us about that suffering they endured.
Also, we have no issues with those names. Serbs may look a bit weird because of this, maybe we don’t generaly like Albanians but we may be the only one who can keep those names no matter which ones.
We generaly dislike USA also but we still have Washington street, because history cannot be erased just because of one bad episode. Simple as that.