Symbolism in Kosovo

By Julia Keizer 

Today (June 21^st) marked the end of the Peace Lab trip in 2018, and it was time to fly back home to Amsterdam. Waking up on this morning was bittersweet, as it meant leaving behind the beauty of Pristina (and Kosovo as a whole), but it also meant being able to go home to rest and further reflect on the trip and our experiences. After saying our goodbyes to our host families, the group met at the Newborn monument (a typographic sculpture that signifies Kosovo declaring its independence from Serbia in 2008) in the centre of Pristina for the last time. Then, the group got on the bus to the airport in Pristina, officially known as Pristina International Airport “Adem Jashari”.

Tying these two landmarks together, something I found interesting during the trip is the amount of symbolism that is present almost everywhere in Kosovo (which is relatively easy to find, even on a short trip like today to the airport). The Newborn monument signifies the “newborn” state of Kosovo, and arguably represents hope for the future and the pride felt by many Kosovars after independence. On the other hand, Adem Jashari, after whom the Pristina airport was named, was one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought for the secession of Kosovo during the 1990s. Adem Jashari is now regarded as an Albanian national hero and a symbol for Kosovo’s independence.

These two symbols are a few of many examples that could be encountered on the trip. My personal favourite is perhaps a burger restaurant close to the city of Prizren that was named after Rita Ora, who is an internationally famous Kosovar Albanian singer, and possibly symbolizes a sense of pride for people in Kosovo and puts Kosovo on the map internationally.

The omnipresence of these symbols in Kosovo does not necessarily mean that the conflict will spark again, but it does arguably show the importance of the history of Kosovo to its present existence or meaning. Being a post-conflict area, Kosovo has come a long way, but still faces its difficulties. The symbols that are present in Kosovo might serve as a reminder about what has happened in the past, but this does not necessarily have to be negative. The symbols also arguably represent a sense of pride, identity or even hope. Although, being an outside observer, I wonder whether my interpretation of these landmarks and their significance is somewhat correct, or whether the symbolism has increased or decreased over the years since independence in 2008.

To shortly return to discussing the day, the group boarded a 1.5-hour flight to Vienna at around 1PM. As the plane popped out above the clouds, many people dropped off to sleep, being noticeably tired after more than a week of new impressions, exciting activities and good food. The first flight went pretty smoothly, and the flight to Amsterdam was boarded after about an hour-long layover in Vienna. When I sat in the plane to Amsterdam, I started to realize that we have really left Kosovo, and how fast the trip has flown by. Looking out the window of the plane, I started to miss the delicious Pristina coffee that we would have every other morning, as well as the many inspiring people that we had met. Now, while sitting in my dorm room, I feel like I am in a haze, as I cannot quite believe that we have left Kosovo, hoping that I will get the chance to come back one day.