On this day in 1913, the Montenegrin Kingdom sieged Shkodër, a city predominantly inhabited by Albanian Catholics and Muslims. The city was devastated, a few Catholic churches were damaged, its Cathedral was demolished. Hundreds of its citizens died during and after the siege. https://twitter.com/crnogorcicg/status/1385677205838123010

The siege was organized with the pretext of liberating the city from the Ottomans. But Albania was already independent; thus it wasn’t liberation but conquest.
Photo: Church of Friars, damaged by the Montenegrin army.

A few days after entering in the city, soldiers looted and robbed the wealthiest places of the city. Entire villages were devastated. Many Catholic, Muslim and even Orthodox Albanians were killed.

The conquest didn’t last for long. Austro-Hungary, the traditional protector of the Albanian Catholics, forced the Montenegrin army to leave the city on the 7 May 1913. (The 1913 Austrian-Hungarian humanitarian action in Shkodër)

Many of my fellow citizens from Montenegro are not aware of the dark history of the aforementioned siege. This because of the nationalistic historiography, which crimes are either minimized or not mentioned.

As a Malissor, i.e. indigenous Albanian from Montenegro, I hope that one day my fellow citizens will understand what happened back then. It’s not an event to be celebrated, rather to mourned and commemorated as one of the darkest part of Montenegro’s history.

As nations, we share partially common ancestry, traditions, culture, cult of honor, oath and bravery. Today our nations and countries have close and friendly relations. To advance it, we must learn the, and from the, past! Wrongdoings, regardless nation, should be condemned!

We must learn to forgive, but not forget, nor abuse politically with tragedies — as it has often happened in the Balkans. We need peace, harmony and coexistence - but none of these are possible without the truth. Thus, we need to seek and proclaim the truth with charity.

P.S. Pardon for the eventual grammar mistakes. I type too fast. Mea culpæ!