Jews of Kosovo

History of the Jews of Kosovo

Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Kosovo was conquered by Serbia during the First Balkan War in 1912. This conquest was accompanied by significant Serbian national chauvinism against ethnic Albanians and Turks, many of whom were compelled to leave. It is not clear how the tiny Jewish population was impacted. Serbia and other regions became Yugoslavia after the First World War. Most of the Albanian-majority territory later split from Serbia in 2008.

Kosovo had a small Jewish population, apparently originally of Sephardic origin. It is reported that (presumably Sephardic) Jews settled in the Novobërda district of Pristina in 1498/1499, and were possibly involved in iron processing. Later the community was reported to be involved in tin smithing.

The British historian, Noel Malcolm, writes that at the end of the 19th Century, 305 Spanish-speaking Jews lived in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. In 1910 it was estimated that 3,000 lived in all of Kosovo. It is reported the Tophane or Velania districts were the centre of Jewish life in Pristina. It is also reported that many Jews lived on Divan Yoli Street, today UÇK Street. The population census in 1991 recorded 112 Jews in all of Kosovo.

Kosovo Jewry in the late 19th Century

In the late 19th Century the Jewish community was led by Rahamin Ruben with Rabbi Sabat Kahmi. One source claims there was once three synagogues in Pristina. A synagogue, the Havra Synagogue, was built in Pristina in the 19th Century on the site of today’s Government of Kosovo building. It was taken apart stone by stone and reconstructed at Zija Prishtina where today it functions as the Stacion Center for Contemporary Art. Today the community has no synagogue, and attend services in Skopje in North Macedonia.

It is reported that the building of the Action Boxing Club used to house Pristina’s Jewish school.

Kosovo Jews in the Inter-War Period

Between the wars, the Association of Jewish Religious Communities of this Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes had two member associations in what is now Kosovo, in Pristina and Mitrovica. There were both Sephardim and Ashkenazim. Mandil S. Avram, and his sons Nisim, Isak and Johan, were major exporters of grain from Kosovo to Thessaloniki but apparently they went bankrupt in 1932.

Kosovo Jews in the Second World War

Before the Second World War there was a Jewish community in the city of Pristina and a smaller one in Vushtrria. Names known in the Jewish community included Bahar, Navon, Ruben, Adizhes, Levi, Kohen, and Konforti.

It is reported that the 1985 PhD thesis of Čedomir Prilincevic entitled Jews in Kosovo until 1941 lists Jewish families in the region before 1941.

Jewish Cemeteries in Kosovo

There are Jewish cemeteries in the Arbëria and Velania districts of Kosovo. The Arbëria cemetery dates from the 19th Century. Restoration work was undertaken in 2019.

The Velania cemetery was restored in 2008 with financial support from the Czech Repubic. There are 117 graves, 44 of which have marble stones. They date from the 17th century, mostly Sephardic. It is also called the Taukbashqe cemetery. Gravestones were desecrated with swastikas in 2011.

Jewish Genealogy in Kosovo

I do not know what Jewish archives survive for Kosovo. Some records are believed to have been transferred to Belgrade, Serbia, in 1999. It is worth contacting the Jewish Community and the Archives of the Republic of Kosovo. There may also be material in the State Archives of Serbia which presumably holds the records of the former Yugoslavia. Check also in Israel and Albania.

Civil registration for births, marriages and deaths is reported to have been introduced in Kosovo by the Ottomans in the late 19th Century. Presumably this was managed by the Nüfus Nâzırlığı (Population Ministry) or the Nüfus Müdürlüğü (Population Directorate). When Serbia conquered the region in 1912 they continued the system with some modifications, including changing the language from Turkish to Serbian. It is assumed that the Uprava Državne Matične Knjige (State Registry Office) was responsible for Serbian civil registration.

Kosovo Records in the Ottoman State Archives

Reportedly, a lot of Ottoman records for Kosovo survive. In the Ottoman State Archives there are:

1. Defter-i Mufassal: These are comprehensive surveys of the population and land ownership in a particular region. Defter-i Mufassal records for Kosovo cover the period from the 16th to the 19th century and contain information about the population, land use, and taxation in the region.
2. Hâne Defterleri: These are household registration records that were compiled by Ottoman authorities for taxation and military recruitment purposes. Hâne Defterleri for Kosovo cover the period from the 16th to the 19th century and contain information about individual households, including the names of household members, their occupations, and the amount of taxes paid.
3. Sicil-i Ahval Defterleri: These are records of civil registration, including records of births, marriages, and deaths. Sicil-i Ahval Defterleri for Kosovo cover the period from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, during the final years of Ottoman rule in the region.
4. Legal and administrative records: The Ottoman Archives in Istanbul also contain a significant number of legal and administrative records related to Kosovo, including records of court proceedings, land disputes, and military conscription.

Kosovo Records in Belgrade Archives

It appears that some of many of the state archives from Kosovo were transferred to Belgrade, Serbia, during the Kosovo War. Here is a list of archives in Serbia.

The Historical Archives of Belgrade contains a significant collection of Ottoman-era documents related to the administration of Kosovo during Ottoman rule. Some of the key types of records related to Kosovo that are held in the Ottoman Archives in Belgrade include:

1. Registers of the defter-i mufassal: These are comprehensive surveys of the population and land ownership in a particular region. The Ottoman Archives in Belgrade contains registers of the defter-i mufassal for Kosovo covering the period from the 16th to the 19th century.
2. Hâne Defterleri: These are household registration records that were compiled by Ottoman authorities for taxation and military recruitment purposes. The Ottoman Archives in Belgrade contains hâne defterleri for Kosovo covering the period from the 16th to the 19th century.
3. Court records: The Ottoman Archives in Belgrade also contain a significant number of court records related to Kosovo, including records of court proceedings and land disputes.
4. Military records: The Ottoman Archives in Belgrade contain military records related to the Ottoman administration of Kosovo, including records of military conscription and troop movements.
5. Administrative records: The Ottoman Archives in Belgrade contain administrative records related to the Ottoman administration of Kosovo, including records of taxation, public works, and other government activities.

Yugoslav Census

There were Yugoslav census in 1921 and 1931. It is reported that the Statistical Office of Yugoslavia was destroyed during the Second World War, but that the State Archives of Serbia hold microfilm copies. Copies of the Statistical Yearbook of Yugoslavia can found on the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia website.

Jewish Newspapers in Yugoslavia

Several Jewish newspapers were published in Yugoslavia before 1941, and are likely to have included some coverage of people in Kosovo. Publications included:

• “Jevrejski Glas” (Jewish Voice), published in Serbian and Ladino in Belgrade from 1911 to 1941 with a circulation of around 3,000. Since 2007, a different news sheet of the same name has been published in Bosnia.
• “Jevrejski Pregled” (Jewish Review), which was published in Zagreb from 1920 to 1941. Reportedly it was published in Croatian and Ladino with a circulation of around 1,500. There were subsequent publications with the same name.
• “La Tribune Juive” (The Jewish Tribune), which was published in Sarajevo from 1928 to 1941. It is possible there are some copies in the collection of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, although their building was burnt in 1992. Also check the Jewish Historical Museum in Belgrade.

Jewish Organisations in Kosovo and Yugoslavia

Jewish organisations active in Yugoslavia before 1941, including probably in Kosovo, included:

• Federation of Jewish Communities in Yugoslavia: The Federation was established in 1928 and represented the Jewish communities in Yugoslavia. Its headquarters were in Belgrade, and it had branches in several cities across the country. The Federation organized cultural, educational, and social programs for the Jewish community and provided support and services for its members.
• Maccabi Sports Association: Maccabi was a Jewish sports organization that was founded in 1922 and had branches in several cities across Yugoslavia. The organization promoted physical fitness, health, and teamwork among Jewish youth and organized sports events and competitions.
• Zionist Federation of Yugoslavia: The Zionist Federation was founded in 1921 and promoted the idea of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The organization organized cultural and educational programs, as well as advocacy and fundraising campaigns for the Zionist cause.
• Women’s International Zionist Organization: The Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) was founded in 1920 and had branches in several cities across Yugoslavia. The organization focused on the welfare and education of Jewish women and children and supported the Zionist cause through advocacy and fundraising.
• B’nai B’rith: B’nai B’rith was a Jewish service organization that had a branch in Yugoslavia. The organization provided charitable services to the Jewish community, promoted education and social justice, and advocated for Jewish causes.

Other Resources for Researching Jews in Kosovo

• The Diplomatic Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia may have details of passports issued.
• Language Changes in the Jewish Community in Kosovo and Metohija after the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) and the First World War (1914–1918) by Miloš M. Damjanović.

Inevitably, most of what is written about the community relates to the Holocaust. In 2016 it was proposed to open a Jewish museum in Pristina, but there is no evidence that this project advanced.