Mitrovica of the last century: Eid al-Fitr, angry and admired Albanians

Although life in Mitrovica between the two world wars continued to be bleak, the people of Mitrovica continued to be open to foreigners, whose work or whatever need had brought them to their city. It is understandable that the attitude of the people of Mitrovica changed when the unfortunate wanted to have the main say, since in most cases such people were part of the occupation apparatus or a colony brought to Mitrovica by state laws. The descriptions of the Serb Nikola Trajkovic belong to the thirties of the twentieth century. He also wrote about the anger in the eyes of the Albanians and that it was the first day of Eid “longer Albanians, fatter, with a long hair veil, which hung under their qylah”. The Scotsman Mack wrote something different a few years before the Second World War. “Everyone likes Albanians”, he wrote

In order to showcase the successes, but also to extend the “cultural” influence in Kosovo between the two wars, the then Yugoslav state organized various visits of musical groups from Serbia. Nikola Trajković was part of such a group. His impressions of Mitrovica date back to the thirties of the 20th century.

“Before Mitrovica, far away in the field, on the side of the road we see a child wearing a Lika (a province in southwestern Croatia) hat on his head. Behind him, under the hill, there are several new houses covered with tiles. So, it is a colony recently established by colonists from Lika. Such colonies are everywhere, while the locals have accepted the establishment and settlement of colonists with great difficulty. Finally, we entered the sandy gorge, where the last station of the Skopje - Mitrovica railway is located. There are warehouses, buildings for storing grain and livestock. The Sitnica River flows very close to the station. Several large buffaloes lie in the water,” he wrote. Trajković’s story continues.

“Two walls of large rocks, between which the road passes, give originality to the entrance to Mitrovica. And as soon as you pass this natural gate, the entire city appears before you, situated on a gentle bank, under which the swift Ibri flows, building many sandbanks in front of you. Then you pass by high walls with gates in the 'kalkan', which surround gardens, vineyards and some beautiful houses, with large chimneys on the roofs. On the right side of the road is a low wall and beyond is a field with Muslim monuments – white stones carved in the shape of a round column, with turbans placed on top. These are the Mitrovica Cemetery. The next day after the Eid holiday, I saw many Albanians in these cemeteries (there are very few Turks here) looking towards these stones and their looks gave the impression that they were looking for something. A little further, on the right, are some large and beautiful buildings. They are the barracks. They are Turkish buildings. It is characteristic that everywhere in the southern regions, since Turkish times they are large buildings with extremely beautiful and strong walls. Passing by the small park, in the shadow of which a small pavilion in the eastern style stands out, and continuing down the steep alley, one descends to the bazaar. And there one immediately sees warehouses, grain warehouses, barber shops, cafes with tables placed in the shade of trees, blacksmiths, and there are so many people that every day Mitrovica takes on the appearance of a market day”, he writes. His description continues by touching on the Austrian influence. He writes that Mitrovica is “the only city where the direct influence of Austria has penetrated”.

"The only city where direct Austrian influence has penetrated"

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An Albanian had brought some wood and a sack of grain and stopped there, in the middle of the road, bargaining with the shopkeeper across the street. Around this mountaineer, the city Albanians walk in their colorful undergarments, usually thataniks and with rosaries in their hands. You see such crowds of people everywhere. The streets are full of people all day long. Everything is alive. Screams, the clanking of scales in the shops and the clatter of horses' horseshoes on the cobblestones. Further along the road, there are many two-story buildings. On some of them you can read the inscriptions 'Hotel'. Here and there you can see some wide squares. The Mitrovica people say that when the season is on, all those spaces like squares are filled with horses and carts with food. We entered a warehouse. It is the same as in Belgrade, on Sava on Karagjorge Street. But now the warehouses are empty, because this year's harvest is expected. Slowly we reached the Ibri. A wide, waterfall-like river: there is not much water now, but there are many sandbanks everywhere. Across the Ibri is a strong, wooden bridge built on the pillars of the previous iron bridge, which the Germans blew up during their retreat.

While right next to the shore are the mills, and a little further down from the bridge is the park. Across the river is the city… Above Mitrovica there are no more plains. First the shores, then the hills, and further on the mountains of Sandzak. In the middle, in the gorge, like a beautiful and regular dome rises Zvecan with the ruins of the old city. Meanwhile, Mitrovica is interesting because it is the only city where the direct influence of Austria has penetrated. That is why a certain freedom in everything and a certain more open attitude of the people are noticeable, then the views of the streets and houses are different. The streets here are much wider than in any other city. The furniture in the Mitrovica houses is of the European style, most of the goods are Austrian from before the war. The lively traffic and trade have contributed to the fact that not only the city, but also the entire surroundings are so attractive that security here is at a good level. "Mutual interests have bound Albanians and Serbs together, but even among them there is bitterness and impatience, as is found in other areas of Kosovo, such as Pristina," he wrote.

Anger in the eyes of Albanians

"The next day, the very first day of Eid, we returned to the Mitrovica Railway Station and in the still humid morning we set off for Vushtrri. The first thing that caught our eye at this station was a large crowd of Albanians, but not the usual ones, the working people, like we saw on the streets of Mitrovica, but these Albanians were taller, leaner, with a long hair veil that hung under their hats and these Albanians had hawkish eyes.

"On the way we walked to Vushtrri, since the station is about four kilometers from the city, we constantly met crowds of Albanians... These Albanians - out of fear or hatred, I don't know myself - as soon as they noticed us, they would cross to the other side of the road and one by one, lowering their gaze to the ground, would pass by us without saying a word. There were children among them. At one point I tried to approach a boy with the desire to pet him, but he jumped off the road into the cornfield in fright! Groups of Albanians continued to pass by us. In their looks, which were difficult to catch, I noticed a strange fire, which left the impression that these Albanians had gathered a great deal of anger," concluded Nikola Trajkovic.

"Albanians are more determined than anyone else and I admire them"

Although life in Mitrovica between the two world wars continued to be bleak, the people of Mitrovica nevertheless continued to be open to foreigners, whose work or whatever need had brought them to their city. It is understandable that the attitude of the people of Mitrovica changed at the moment when the unwelcome wanted to have the main word, since in most cases such people were part of the occupying apparatus or settlers brought to Mitrovica by state laws.

A few years before the start of World War II, in addition to the Russians, experts from foreign countries had also found work in the Trepca Mine. Among them, the work had brought a family from Scotland to Mitrovica at that time. The head of the family, Mack, was a tough and delicate Scotsman with sharp features, while his wife was an example of another, prosperous Scotland, a Scotland where people's behavior was hated for its appearance, where delicious cakes were cooked...

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"Everyone likes Albanians," Scotsman Mack publicly expressed himself, describing the people of Mitrovica as he had known them directly. Our gardener was Albanian and we loved him very much. I have a soft spot for Albanians. We all love them. And not only because Albanians are devoted to us. But Albanians have a lot of spirit. They are good trade unionists. A long time ago, when we had a dispute about wages, Albanians stood firmer than anyone else and I admired them for that. Later, the (Yugoslav – SL) government sent a commission to investigate the causes of the strike, and they told me that it was a pity that we had employed so many Albanians, but I rejected their objection. I told them to their face, "we have employed Albanians because they are humane and good workers and we will continue to employ them in the future."

In Mitrovica of past centuries, but also of a city of the future, of a city open to all those whom fate may bring to this corner of Kosovo, the best examples of the behavior of Mitrovica residents can be found in the young man who refused the caresses of the "cultured" Nikola Trajković and the Mitrovica residents as collaborators and collaborators of the Scotsman Mr. Mack.