This article is also available in: Shqip Macedonian Bos/Hrv/Srp

Serbian hero Milos Obilic’s monument within the Serbian Monastery Gracanica in Kosovo I Photo by Wikicommons

According to the research paper, “Ethnic stereotypes and national myths as an obstacle to reconciliation: Serbian-Albanian relations”, both Serbian and Albanian history textbooks are full of stereotypes, generalisations and black and white views of the past.

Serbian history text books curriculum have been designed by the Ministry of Education of Republic of Serbia, and they are used in all schools across Serbia.

“There is no direct violence and conflict between ethnic Serbs and Albanians [in Kosovo], but we are far from reconciliation. When you look at the history texts you see polar opposite views,” says Goran Tepsic, one of the researchers at the Centre for Peace Studies.

Tepsic noted that one of the biggest curiosities of the research was the way that Albanians and Serbs use the same words to describe each other – accusing each other of being violent, robbers, and discriminatory. The Albanians also tend to describe the Serbs as genocidal.

“However, Albanian textbooks have five times more stereotypes than the Serbian ones, and with this kind of history teaching both sides are just legitimising the violence and the conflict, ” he adds.

Albanian-language history textbooks in Kosovo say that Kosovo has been Albanian territory since the 4th century BC and that the Albanians are the direct descendants of the ancient Illyrian people, and as such, have always been dominant nation in the area of today’s Kosovo.

Serbian books describe Kosovo and Metohija as their holy land, where Serbs were the majority throughout history until they were expelled by the Ottomans and Albanians.

Serbian children are taught that their biggest historical enemies were the Turks and those who converted to Islam following the Ottoman invasion, such as Bosniaks and Albanians.

Monument to Albanian hero Scender Beg in town of Pristina in Kosovo I Photo by Wikicommons

Albanians textbooks say that their biggest enemies are Slavic people or as the textbooks describe it “their united chauvinistic neighbours”. Serbs are seen as the invaders, dictators and the nation that always terrorised the Albanians.

However, both ethnicities see themselves as the defenders of Europe from the Ottomans, while Serbs are also defenders of Christianity from Islam.

Albanians and Serbians also blame each other for “stealing a hero”- Albanians claim the Serbian hero from the Middle Ages, Milos Obilic, as their own, since he has an allegedly Albanian background and in their history is called Milos Kopiliq.

Serbs on the other side, claim that one of the biggest Albanian heroes Skender Beg is actually a Serb.