In Memoriam Peter Bartl

(* 1938 † 29. März 2022)

Peter Bartl has shed his mortality. On the evening of March 29, the Albanian historian closed his eyes for the last time at the age of 84. The scientific and intellectual world of Albanology has lost one of its great scholars who dedicated his intellectual life and social commitment to the compact Albanian-speaking area and the Albanian historical diaspora.

Peter Bartl was born in Cottbus (Germany) in 1938, where he also attended elementary and high school. After moving to the Federal Republic of Germany, he continued his university studies in the fields of Eastern and Southeastern European history, Slavic studies and Turkic studies, first in Göttingen and later in Munich (LMU) under the famous historian Georg Stadtmüller, the Slavic studies specialist, Alois Schmaus and the Turkish studies scholar, Hans-Joachim Kißling. Working as Stadtmüller's assistant, scientific research and university activity determined, from the very beginning, his focus on the history and culture of the compact Albanian-speaking sphere and the Albanian world in general, always guided by the principle of his teacher’s thesis, according to which "Albania is the fulcrum of Archimedes’ lever, which helps us to penetrate the history and prehistory of the Balkan Peninsula ”(Stadtmüller).
Peter Bartl remained faithful and obedient to this thesis, extending it to the mosaic of the history of spiritual culture among Albanians, with whom he was spiritually connected until the end of his life. The interdisciplinary conception between history and ethnic culture together with the Albanian language, which he mastered amazingly thanks to the perseverance and cooperation of his colleague and friend Martin Camaj, is further evidenced by his first works, with which he fulfilled the obligations of his professional career, among them: „Die albanischen Muslime zur Zeit der nationalen Unabhängigkeits-bewegung“(1968= The Albanian Muslims at the Time of the National Independence Movement), „Der Westbalkan zwischen der Spanischen Monarchie und dem Osmanischen Reich“ (1974 = The Western Balkans between the Spanish Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire). The highlights of his intellectual activity are, besides the work „Albanien – vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart“ (1995, 1999, serb. 2001, etc. = Albania - from the Middle Ages to the Present), his five-volume masterpiece "Albania sacra", which contains documentary-archival material for the entire ecclesiastical administrative area, from the XVI-XVII centuries to the end of the XIX century, the archbishops and bishops of Durrës, Lezha, Sarda and Sapa, Pult and Shkodra, which are followed by two earlier editions with archival material of the Archbishopric of Bar under the apostolic leadership of Vincenz Zmajevich (1702-1723). His colleagues have recently compiled a special volume of scholarly articles published over thirty-five years of scholarly activity in professional journals, popular magazines, and volumes of various vintages: "Peter Bartl. Die Albaner in der europäischen Geschichte: Ausgewählte Aufsätze "(edd. - B. Demiraj & R. Elsie: Albanian Studies, vol. 28, 2016 = Albanians in European History. Selected articles).

Peter Bartl organized also the meticulous collection of the richest Albanological scientific library in the Western European Alps, which, after his retirement, was not adequately preserved due to complicated bureaucratic and administrative procedures and the structural changes made to the Institute of Eastern and Southeastern European Studies, and so, unfortunately, was left to rot in the cellars for several years, until it finally made its tragic exodus to Vienna, where it lost everything of its glory and magnificence.

Peter Bartl took over for decades the entire management of the Albanien-Institut of Munich, turning it into a genuine center of academic-scientific meetings which gained a considerable reputation and respect for its Albanian studies research in Munich and Western Europe. In the capacity of publisher and editor-in-chief, Bartl directed the Munich-based "Albanische Forschungen" series, motivating and supporting the publication of 47 (+ 4) monographs of an albanological nature covering the fields of Albanian history, linguistics and culture in general. Peter Bartl has been a tireless contributor to a large number of series, periodicals and magazines in Germany and Italy, where we can distinguish, among others the magazine „Shêjzat – le pleiadi“ (in the 60s-70s of the last century – E. Koliqi) and „Shêjzat – le pleiadi. Series Nova“ (A. Ndreca), as well as „HylliiDritës“ (A. Ndreca, later V. Demaj).

Peter Bartl was also an external member of the Albanian Academy of Sciences. He has been honored, among others, by the President of the Republic of Albania with the "Medal of Gratitude" and by the University Urbaniana (Rome) with the "Gold Medal". He was a friend of Albania and of the Albanians, who will always enjoy the respect and appreciation of all who are part of and in contact with the Albanian world.

Prof. Dr. Bardhyl Demiraj