Remembering the Albanian Communism: The Creation of the Collective Memory Through the Lens of the Literature of Memory of the Albanian Catholic Clergy

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the contribution that the literature of memory is giving in the process of constructing the collective memory about the Albanian communism. The main work, which is the central part of our research, is about Father Zef Pllumi’s book “Live only to tell” which is considered as a monument of the collective memory regarding the Albanian experience during communism. Also, this paper aims to analyze the contribution of other Albanian Catholic clergy had in facing the communist regime in Albania and the legacy they left in creating the Albanian collective memory. The method of research used is a textual analysis of the narration and the relation between fiction and history, between the general historical myth and the personal truth, which is a very interesting type of literature that is written like history but, at the same time, it feels like fiction. After the fall of communism in Albania, the Albanians, especially those who were subjected to this extreme violence and oppression, felt the need to share their experience in various ways. One way was through the literature of memory, which is an important element in the process of the creation of collective memory for a very disturbing past for every post-communist country.

Received: 3 November 2020 / Accepted: 19 December 2020 / Published: 5 March 2021