Albanians in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In the Middle Ages, Albanians lived in the Dalmatian-Herzegovinian hinterland, along with Vlachs. The Albanians lived as semi-nomadic pastoralists (sheperds) and often lived in non-permanent settlements (katund). As time went on, the early Albanian inhabitants were more and more absorbed into the neighboring Slavic population.[3][4][5][6]

Albanian presence is attested in the region of Srebrenica in the medieval period. This conclusion can be drawn from the presence of Albanian terms along the Drina River all the way to Srebrenica, which have persisted to the current day in the so-called 'banalacki' hidden dialect. Albanians arrived in this region as mercenaries and graziers, herding their cattle to winter grazing grounds.[7]

There are more sources available about Albanians settling in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of Ottoman rule then there are about previous historical epochs. Main causes suggested for their settlement in Bosnia include economic, political and social. Most of them came from Kosovo. In Bosnia and Herzegovina they lived as shepherds, farmers, border guards, skillful craftsmen (especially goldsmiths/jewelers), bakers, but they also rose to highest possible post in the Ottoman Empire, including the posts of Grand Viziers.[8] Many Albanian men never returned to their homeland once they left. When they came to Bosnia and Herzegovina they married local girls, quickly integrated into local society, and built a new life. The story of Albanian emigration is also embodied in the way that emigrant families named Mount Koritnik. They named it 'Tragedy'. The people of the Kukes region followed the emigrants up to Koritnik, where the latter separated from their grieving relatives and continued on to Prizren.[9]

With the arrival of the Austro-Hungarians the number of Albanians decreased, due to further exile in Europe, whose doors became more open. Thus, in the 1910 census, only 273 Albanian-speaking residents in Bosnia and Herzegovina were registered.[10]

During the first and especially the second Yugoslavia, again a large number of Albanians, due to the difficult living conditions in the countries in which they lived (Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia), settled in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly in the cities: Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica, Banja Luka, Doboj, Brcko, Bijelina, Mostar and Trebinje. By 1930 the number of Albanians in Bosnia and Herzegovina had almost quadrupled, and according to the 1991 census, there were about 5,000 Albanians in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[11] The then Albanian exiles in Bosnia and Herzegovina were mainly engaged in bakery, confectionery, jewelry and other crafts.[12]

Most Albanians traditionally lived in Sarajevo. On April 11, an Albanian Association (Klub Albanaca/Klubi Shqiptar) was officially opened, with Mr. Sejfudin Axhanela as its first founding president. The opening ceremony was attended by famous actors Bekim Fehmiu, Ljuba Tadić and the 'Uka i bjeshkeve te nemura' (Vuk sa Prokletija) movie crew.

In 1970–1981, in Sarajevo, there was a primary school in Albanian, the "Bane Šurbat" school in Grbavica.