Paper presented at the IUAES Silver Jubilee Conference “Urban Identity, Power and Space – The Case of Trans- European Corridors” in Tirana, Albania 27.8.-31.8. 2007. Eckehard Pistrick Roads of Migration, Places and Sounds of Remembrance in the Greek-Albanian Borderland 1. Roads of Migration Roads have often been perceived in anthropological research as a sign for progressing modernity, as a channel of communication and as a tool for the economic, political and cultural unification of the nation-state. But roads have also played a crucial role in recessive movements, such as migration flows and in the construction of regional identities. A specific form of such roads are migration roads which served not only the exchange of agricultural products, goods or animals of the main urban market places Berat, Ioannina, Përmet and Këlcyrë but served the kurbetlli (migrants) of South Albania to reach their destinations in the Ottoman Empire, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, North and South America for the purpose of short-term labour migration or long-term migration. These multifunctional roads were based on pre-existing caravan roads (rrugë të karavaneve) and wagon roads (rrugë qerresh). Most of these roads as well as the infrastructural and symbolic constructions which are framing these roads are dated back in popular belief to the times of Ali Pasha Tepelena although the main trade road Berat-Kercyrë-Ioannina is acknowledged as having been built by the Bej of Berat and the valiu (head of the vilayet) of Ioannina. The reference to Ali Pasha is given in connection with the popular concept of this time as a time of well-being, progress and infrastructural development. One of these roads which is dated back into the 18th century is the caravan road “Pashallëku i Delvinës” with two possible routes from Berat to Delvina and Saranda, passing the Zagoria mountains. Another road led according to local informants from Leskovik to Delvina passing Manushtir and the bridge of Petran and was called “proj e hajduteve” (path of the thieves). Crucial obstacles were the rivers Drinos, Vjosa, Osum, Devoll, Zagori and Shkumbin, which were crossed by large scale bridges such as the one of Hoshteva with a width of 15 meters. Migration roads provided a means to connect the main river networks of South Albania such as those of the Osum and the Vjosa. Aim of both mentioned roads was to connect mountainous regions and potential sending regions of migrants with the coastline and eventually with the sea passage to America. In addition these roads provided a means of communication between the different ethnographic entities such as Zagoria, Lunxhëria, Dropull and Bregdeti. This over-regional aspect of migration roads is especially remarkable in respect of the division between the two main regions of South Albania, Labëria and Toskëria, divided through the massive mountain range of Mount Dhëmbel which hindered communication processes. Caravans and migrants had to pass these obstacles with the help of Qiraxhi (mule guides) finding easier passable paths such as the gorges of Dhëmbel on the north east flank of the massive and Selckë on its south west flank. Communication between villages but also between regions became facilitated by the existence of such roads. This over-regional potential of roads is obscured often by local historians who tend to interpret the existence of such roads and infrastructural constructions in their krahinë (landscape) as exclusive property and sign for progress and kulturë (culture) of their region and as a proof for a predilection of a certain krahinë as culturally and economically important under the reign of Ali Pasha. In my paper I will concentrate on the marking of such roads through place and sound which keep the routes of such ancient roads in the mind of people and allow mental reconstructions. 2. Roads, Memory and “Mythistory” Roads of migration are intrinsically connected with local “mythistory” and collective memory. And they are marked symbolically through places which may be natural phenomena or human creations serving as indicators for the historicity of such roads. Some regions in South Albania such as Zagoria are so densely covered with such markers that one may refer to this region also as a “landscape of memory” as a landscape which becomes charged with meanings transforming itself into a medium of “cultural memory” (Assmann 1992:60). Many of these markers are attached to the memory of Ali Pasha Tepelena. Natural Phenomena Connecting natural phenomena with the hardship of migration is not a particularity of South Albania but practiced at most places of intense migration in Albania and over Balkan countries such as Bulgaria. Preferred objects for such interpretations are rocks (guri i shkemileve, Sheper), hills (kodra e dhimbjes, Kukës), plains and meadows (sheshi i ndarjes, Përmet), trees (Klapsodendros, Polikastano, Greece) and passes. Most of these markers possess the characteristics of “lieux de memoire” in their defined identity summoned up by their name but also through their openness to numerous other meanings. Many of these places stand in direct connection to the topography of the villages and are positioned at the edge of the village where the final departure of the migrants from their families took place. I will refer here to some selected markers along the path connecting Leskovik with Saranda, commonly called in the region of Përmet “prroj e hajduteve” (path of the thieves). This term refers to the frequent attacks of robber gangs from Malshova, Hormova, Picari or Golëm on returning migrants. Its most characteristic feature is its pavement of kalldrëm (cobble stones) which can still be seen on some parts of the road. The first category of symbolic places refers to rocks. One example is the “guri e shkemileve” in Sheper a small porous limestone rock covered with small holes, which are interpreted as stemming from the tears shed by the mothers of the leaving migrants. Another departure place was the “Shpella/Shkëmbi e Kordhes” (The cave/rock of the sabre) near Politsani (Photo). This huge rock situated below an old walnut tree was used according to local “mythistory” by the local migrants to deposit their sabres during their absence from home. At their return they pulled their sabres of the rock leaving a mark. The density of marks covering the rock served as a sort of chronicle for the migration intensity of this village. Another important category contains trees. The rrapi (platane) of Sheper forms as in many Greek villages the centre of the village. The age of the tree which is said to be planted by Ali Pasha is used as an argument for the claim of the villages’ deep-rooted historicity. History becomes organic through this natural allusion. Beside its general meaning as meeting place for muabet and festivities the rrapi of Sheper situated in the churchyard is designated as point where the migrant groups met for their departure after having attended the mass. This historicity made the place suitable for the “Takimi i brezave” (The meeting of generations) in 2005, a gathering of migrants of the village, a reunion of the fragmented village community. While most “lieux de mémoire” commemorate the departure of the migrants and are associated with the world of pain and separation only a few stand as symbols for the return of the labour migrants. One such place is the “guri dyfekut” (rock of two shots), a pass in the height of 1600 m above Përmet. On the arrival of the returning migrants two shots were fired from this strategic place to announce joy and the forthcoming reunion of the families (according to informant Klafi Laska, 79, 23.9.2006). Human Creations Constructions marking the road as such are bridges, toll stations and the pavement. Bridges such as the ruined arched bridge crossing the Vjosa at Petran were interpreted as creations of Ali Pasha. They were preferred symbolic places where the departure of the migrants from their families took place. Here may be mentioned also the so-called karakoll – toll stations flanking the main trade routes. One remaining building of such a kind, consisting of cubic building covered by a spheric cupola can be found on the meadow of Çajupi and is called locally “Taborri i Çajupit” (Shabani 2006:30). 3. Roads in Song The repertoire of migration songs (këngë kurbeti) can be considered an important artistic response and digestion of the hardships of migration. As acoustical markers they maintain strong ties to the markers of place: many migration songs give reference to place names, marking the course of roads. Migration songs serve to attach meaning to the above mentioned places and roads and to negotiate these meanings in a circulating public discourse taking place during every performance. Migration songs are a specific form to remember and through the creation of new songs of revitalizing migration experience in contemporary contexts. Migration songs are in addition a specific stage where local histories and national history are negotiated. While the distance which separates migrant from family is a prominent image in such songs, the travelling circumstances, the roads and sea passages used, are rarely mentioned. In the following example from Mazhanj-Lushnjë, collected in 1967, the description of the changing life conditions and the changing condition of roads at the departure and return of the migrant become a way to express the contrast between a memorized past and reality resulting in disorientation. With “xhade” the singer refers to a new kind of asphalted road for cars, which did not exist at the time of departure of the migrant. Ç’ka, nëno, që rënkon deti? Moj nënë! Po vjen djali nga kurbeti, po vjen dhe rrugën s’e di. Do dal në xhade të rri, do ta bie në shtëpi, do t’i shtroj dyshekun e ri, do ta pres me mjeshtëri, do t’i shtroj verë e raki, do t’i pres dhe një shalqi, zemërkuq e farëzi. (Nushi 1982:109) What is it mother, about what is the sea weeping? My mother! There comes a boy from kurbet, He comes but doesn’t know the road. He has to walk on the new car road, Which will lead him to his home, one has to put a new mattress, one has to wait for him with mastery, one has to put wine and raki in front of him, one has to wait for him with a watermelon, a red heart and fruits. It might be said in conclusion that sound and place are equally important options to mark roads of migration and negotiate the histories connected with them. Basis is a (re)construction of migration memory based on “mythistory” which becomes visible and audible in meaningful places and sounds alongside the road. 4. Roads and Borders The Albania road system has changed significantly during the 20th century. Alone in the 1st World War the foreign occupation forces in Albania built an estimated 1500 km of asphalted and non-asphalted roads (Adhami 2002:452). Many of these strategic roads, built for military purpose have become significant North-South connections such as those of Vlora-Tepelena- Gjirokastra (recently under reconstruction supported by EU funds) and Vlora-Llogara- Himara-Saranda. Apart from this significant extension of the road network also the role of the roads has changed through the establishment of permanent state borders in that region since 1919. The contemporary role of the roads is marked by the omnipresence of these borders. Although local historians point on the loss of significance of the old system of migration roads and consider it as “një kujtim i bukur i mesjetës” (“a nice medieval remembrance”) (Shabani 2006:54) there are proofs for a revitalization of old roads in new contexts. This is especially true for paths which had connected villages on both sides of the current Greek- Albanian border before 1913 and which were reactivated in the 1990’s as illegal border crossing points such as those between Vërnik and Smërdesh/Kristallopighi through the abandoned village of Dhambel and the one between Bozhigrad/Miras and Revan/Dipotamia both in Devoll (de Rapper personal communication 10.7.2007). The migration paths regained their function after 80 years for Albanian labour migrants who worked in Greece under changed circumstances. The meaning of the road and of their markers of space and sound attain other meanings in these border contexts. Considering the Greek-Albanian border region as a place of geographic, ethnic and theoretical inclusion and exclusion and as a place of “othering”, roads seem to fulfil a crucial role as a way to cross these borders but also to reinforce them. Border crossing via illegal roads can become interpreted as a subversive act, menacing national and other regional and urban border identities. On the other hand border crossing-roads as part of the nation-states’ infrastructure can be interpreted as reinforcing the meaning of borders and the significance of divisions between nation-states’ “territoriality” through markers such as military and customs infrastructure. The ambivalence of the border becomes in this respect mirrored in the ambivalent meanings and histories of the roads crossing it. References Adhami, Stilian: Vështrim mbi kulturën popullore të trevës së Përmetit, Tirana 2002. Assmann, Jan: Das kulturelle Gedächtnis – Schrift, Erinnerung und politische Identität in frühen Hochkulturen, Munich: Beck 1992. Donnan, Hastings and Thomas M. Wilson: Territoriality, anthropology and the interstitial: subversion and support in European borderlands, In: Donnan, Hastings and Thomas M. Wilson (Eds.): European States and their borderlands: cultures of support and subversion in border regions, Focaal 41, 2003, (41), pp. 9-21. Nora, Pierre (transl. Arthur Goldhammer): Realms of Memory – Rethinking the French Past, Vol. 1, Conflicts and Divisions, New York: Columbia University Press 1996. Nushi, Jani: Mbledhës të Folklorit: Folklor nga Krahina e Myzeqesë, Tirana 1982. Schöpflin, George: “The functions of myth and a taxonomy of myths” In: Hosking, G. and G. Schöpflin (Eds.): Myths and Nationhood, London: Hurst 1997, pp.19-35. Shabani, Kristaq F.: Perla – Profil I biskuar (Zagoria), Tirana 2006. Tirta, Mark: Etnografia Shqiptare 18, Migrime të Shqiptarëve, Tirana 1999. Vila, Pablo (Ed.): Ethnography at the border, Minnesota 2003. Interviews Klafi Laska, Përmet 23.9.2006 Gilles de Rapper, 10.7.2007
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