Kosovo: Facing the Court of History
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Using his thirty years' experience in regional and city planning and cultural heritage within the territories of the former Yugoslavia, Prof. Branislav Krstic-Brano clearly explains the history and the complex causes and consequences of the ethnic and territorial conflict that erupted in bloody confrontation throughout Kosovo in the late nineties. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the author examines demographic changes; ethnic development of settlements; land ownership; Serbian and Albanian historical monuments, whose listing and preservation are regulated by international conventions; changes in state constitutions; the role of international law in resolving national disputes; and the great powers' strategy for dealing with the Kosovo crisis.
The crux of the problem, as Krstic-Brano shows, is that two peoples claim legitimate rights to the same territory: the Serbs claim a historical right and the Albanians counter that they have an ethnic one. Without favoring either side, the author presents the facts regarding the unique Serbian cultural heritage in the province and the rapid growth of the local Albanian population in the last four decades. Krstic-Brano illustrates how the great powers waged war but failed to ensure peace. He constructs a viable solution to the cultural, ethnic, and political strife - one that he hopes will satisfy both sides of the conflict. The author concludes on a cautiously optimistic note, arguing that the international community has a new opportunity to reconcile the Serbs and Albanians on the basis of population size, land ownership, and origin of cultural monuments.
This important work by a recognized expert in regional culture, urban planning, and politics should be read by everyone interested in a peaceful future for this long-troubled region.
About the Author
Branislav Krstic-Brano is a professor in the postgraduate faculty of the Belgrade School of Architecture, vice president of the Coordinating Center of the Yugoslav federal government and the government of the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija, and the author of many books.
Kosovo: Facing the Court of History,Branislav Krstic-Brano,Ivanka Grkovic,Prometheus Books,159102207X,Albanians,Balkan Peninsula - History,Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics,Ethnic relations,History,History - General History,History: World,Kosovo (Serbia),Serbia and Montenegro,World - General
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