Marzena Maciulewicz Divided Cities. a Case Study of Mitrovica
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University of Warsaw Faculty of “Artes Liberales” Marzena Maciulewicz Divided Cities. A Case Study of Mitrovica Doctoral thesis written under the supervision of prof. dr hab. Jolanta Sujecka Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, UW Warsaw 2019 Table of Contents 0. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 1. Chapter I: Methodology and Theoretical Framework ...................................................... 13 1.1. State of the art. Mitrovica – literature review ............................................................ 13 1.2. Theoretical basis and main research categories ......................................................... 21 1.3. Mixed methods research in practice .......................................................................... 37 1.3.1. Researcher’s positioning .................................................................................... 40 1.3.2. Research process ................................................................................................ 42 1.3.3. The idea of partnership in cultural research ....................................................... 44 1.3.4. Data collection – an overview ............................................................................ 48 1.3.5. Data analysis: transcription, coding patterns, field notes ................................... 52 2. Chapter II: Historical Overview of Mitrovica’s Development ......................................... 56 2.1. Diversity and richness of cities in the Balkans .......................................................... 57 2.2. Mitrovica – turning points in the city’s development ................................................ 61 2.2.1. Mitrovica as a communication junction ............................................................. 63 2.2.2. Mitrovica as a multicultural settlement .............................................................. 70 2.2.3. Mitrovica as a strategic garrison ........................................................................ 79 2.2.4. Mitrovica as an industrial centre ........................................................................ 82 2.3. Mitrovica – urban development ................................................................................. 86 3. Chapter III: Imagined Boundaries. Symbolic Dimensions of Disintegration in Urban Space ........................................................................................................................................ 93 3.1. Symbolic dimension of contemporary Mitrovica ...................................................... 94 3.1.1. The overview of contemporary urban landscape ............................................... 94 3.1.2. Symbols and places of importance in Mitrovica – residents’ perspective ....... 100 3.2. Layers of the symbolic landscape in Mitrovica ....................................................... 118 3.2.1. Ottoman legacy ................................................................................................ 119 3.2.2. Socialist period ................................................................................................. 126 3.2.3. Post-conflict and post-socialist period ............................................................. 138 4. Chapter IV: Social Practice – Divisions among Urban Community .............................. 159 4.1. Demographic characteristics of contemporary Mitrovica ....................................... 161 4.2. Intensity of mobility and restricted freedom of movement ..................................... 165 4.3. Issue of communication and importance of language ............................................. 178 4.4. Social distance ......................................................................................................... 184 2 4.5. Neighbour ................................................................................................................ 189 4.6. Citizen of Mitrovica ................................................................................................. 194 5. Chapter V: Actors of Disintegrated Urban Space. Parallel Institutions – Higher Education ......................................................................................................................................... 200 5.1. Actors of urban space .............................................................................................. 201 5.1.1. Parallel institutions ........................................................................................... 210 5.2. University in Mitrovica ........................................................................................... 217 5.2.1. Parallel institutions – higher education in Kosovo ........................................... 217 5.2.2. Higher education providers – description ........................................................ 220 5.2.3. University as an actor of urban space ............................................................... 228 5.2.4. University as a parallel institution .................................................................... 233 6. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 237 7. Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 245 8. Annex 1: List of Recorded Interviews ............................................................................ 262 9. Annex 2: Questionnaire .................................................................................................. 263 3 0. Introduction A city not only provides valuable insights into the connection between macro- processes and human experience on the micro-level, but also remains a place where the intensification of these processes occurs, therefore, urban space is not a reification but the focus of cultural and socio-political processes of urban lives and everyday practices (Low 1996). Since many contemporary phenomena intensify in urban space, they can be best understood in cities, making research on urban space indispensable for studying and explaining contemporary phenomena (Low 1996, Jałowiecki & Szczepański 2010). Moreover, such a situation leads to greater interest in research on cities and the emergence of many diverse research perspectives. One of the trends in research on contemporary cities is to analyse them through a series of images and metaphors, taking into consideration social relations (ethnic, divided, contested and gendered city), economics (deindustrialised, global, informational city), urban planning and architecture (modernist, postmodern, fortress city), religion and culture (sacred and traditional city) (Low 1996). Since 1999 Mitrovica has been consistently perceived and described as a divided city, with the Ibar river serving as an unofficial border between Albanian South and Serbian North, ruptured into two parts as a result of violent conflict. In consequence, Mitrovica and Kosovo are seen mostly through the turbulent times of conflict and confrontation. Therefore, the main research problem is to examine in which aspects and to what extent Mitrovica can be perceived as a divided city. Kosovska Mitrovica/Mitrovicë (hereinafter Mitrovica) is located in the northern part of Kosovo, and as a result of conflict in 1999 it has become an important border city between areas dominated by Serbs and Albanians. Over the centuries, until the 1990s, Mitrovica was a multicultural city, an important industrial centre, a significant communication junction, and the centre of cultural development. The process of polarisation of the urban community was observed from the late 1980s until the radical division in 1999 and is closely related to the process of political transformation, disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Albanian-Serbian conflict over Kosovo. Not since the period of socialist Yugoslavia, when extended monographs (usually ideologically tainted) on Mitrovica were published, has a single study describing the overall situation in the city (taking into consideration both the northern and southern part) been produced. Contemporary monographs on the city, which would take into account the city as a 4 whole and be based on mixed methods including long-lasting empirical research are still lacking. The value of the proposed thesis results from the multicultural and multilingual character of utilised written sources and texts of culture. The thesis is also based on data sourced during fieldwork in Mitrovica and in the region. Research conducted for the purposes of this thesis employed several methods that provided different kinds of materials: structured and semi-structured interviews (transcripts of interviews, questionnaires), unexpected conversations (field notes), observation with partial participation (field notes) and the analysis of written and visual materials (literature and documents, field notes). With this in mind, the aim of this thesis is to provide a multifaceted, comprehensive synthesis of Mitrovica, free from a single national perspective and reflecting the complexity of city structure. The category of divided city which remains the main reference point of this thesis is undoubtedly ambiguous. Therefore, in order to conceptualise it, many aspects must be taken into consideration. Should we pay more attention to the causes or consequences of dissolution? Is it necessary to describe the dynamics