albania
in czech visual memory
Mapping the forgotten footprints of Czech authors in the Land of the Eagles.
We are preparing a unique monograph that will, for the first time, present a comprehensive overview of the Czech artistic, ethnographic, and documentary reflection of Albania in the 20th century.
Through previously unpublished archival photographs, paintings, and drawings, we uncover a fascinating dialogue between Czech creative work and Albanian reality, from the early travel expeditions to icons such as Jiří Šlitr or Hanzelka and Zikmund.
We reveal the images that shaped the relationship between two nations.
About the project
Albania in Czech Visual Memory will be a visual publication that will, for the first time ever and across over 200 pages, comprehensively reveal a fascinating and hitherto neglected chapter of Czech culture – the reflection of Albania through the eyes of our prominent 20th-century artists and travelers.
This will not be a mere catalog—it is the result of an intensive field research in archives across both the Czech Republic and Albania. Through close collaboration with the authors’ families and the custodians of their estates, we are bringing back to life materials hidden for decades and complementing them with insightful commentary. These commentaries place the unique visual findings into the context of their time, shedding light on the destinies of the Czechs who, with camera, pencil, or paintbrush in hand, set out to map one of the most exotic corners of Europe at the time.
You will witness the discovery of a forgotten Czech footprint in the Balkans—one that has never been documented until now.
Four eras, a plethora of stories
1914–1918
Czech soldiers in the Austro-Hungarian army
The first wider contact between Czechs and Albanians – Karel Sellner in Mirdita and S. K. Neumann in Elbasan
1918–1939
First contact between Czechoslovakia and Albania
Czechoslovakia and Albania in touch: the work of Otakar Číla, his commissions for the state, and the first tourists
1945–1961
Travelling, art, tourism, propaganda
Photographs by Václav Jírů, drawings by Jiří Šlitr, the journey of Hanzelka and Zikmund, propaganda
1990–1999
The Albanian crises of the 1990s
Czech photographers (Petr Josek, Josef Koudelka) capture the harsh Albanian reality of the 90s
About us
We are a team of two albanologists and our goal is to showcase a rich and unexplored side of Czech-Albanian relations.
Robert Dobra
An Albanologist and translator specializing in the transformations of 20th-century Albanian society. He introduced Edith Durham’s seminal work, High Albania (V albánských výšinách), to the Czech context. For many years, he has bridged the academic sphere with field research and public outreach, actively working to reshape the Czech discourse on this Balkan region.
He is also a co-creator of the podcast Malá velká Albánie (Little Big Albania), the founder of the 'Všechny tváře Albánie' (All Faces of Albania) initiative, which marks hiking trails in Albania, and an external contributor to Deník N, a leading independent Czech daily newspaper.
Matěj Křepinský
An Albanologist currently pursuing a Ph.D. in History at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. His research focuses on post-WWII Czechoslovak-Albanian cultural relations. He maps mutual contacts, the transfer of information, and cultural exchange within the context of the Eastern Bloc, covering topics such as the studies of Albanian university students in Czechoslovakia and the work of Czechoslovak physicians in Albania. He regularly travels to conduct research in Albanian archives. Unlike his colleague, he has so far only dabbled in translation, specifically with a short story and an excerpt from the work of Luan Starova.
Colaborations
Custodian of the estate of Hanzelka and Zikmund
Contact us
Would you like to ask us a question, support our project, or receive updates on the book’s progress? Please use our contact form: