Gollobordë

Gollobordë (; ; ) refers to a geographical area of traditionally 24 villages of which 18 are situated primarily in eastern Albania, with a small portion consisting of six villages lying within North Macedonia. This region is located within the Dibër and Elbasan counties which contain Bulgarian, Macedonian and Albanian villages.

This region, like neighboring regions, has historically been economically linked to the city of Debar, which was traditionally referred to by inhabitants as simply "the City" or "Shehr".

History

Ottoman period The Islamization process is held to have occurred in Golloborda relatively late in Ottoman times.Toncheva, Veselka (2013). "The Slavonic Community from the Golo Bardo Region, Republic of Albania: Traditions, Music, Identity". Our Europe. Ethnography – Ethnology – Anthropology of Culture. Volume 2. Pages 40–42 In 1519, the region was still entirely Christian.Limanoski Niyazi (1993), Islamizatsijata i etnichkite promeni vo Makedonija [Islamization and Ethnical Changes in Macedonia], Skopje: Makedonska kniga (in Macedonian). Page 258 Some authors have held that the Islamization process in Golloborda to have occurred in the late 18th century, whereas others asserted that the impetus to mass Islamization in the region was the bedel tax, imposed only on Christians because they were not drafted and initiated in the region in the year 1832. According to this second theory, this tax was particularly harsh and caused many families to turn to Islam as a means of avoiding it.Stamatov Stefan (1938), Grad Debar i negovoto osnovavane [City of Debar and its Founding], Parvo prilozhenie na periodichnoto spisanie "Debarski glas", Sofia: Debarsko blagotvoritelno bratstvo (in Bulgarian). Page 23 During the same period, a mass emigration process occurred, and many Muslim families settled elsewhere, including in Debar, in Struga's Drimkol region, and in Thessaloniki.Limanoski Niyazi (1993), Islamizatsijata i etnichkite promeni vo Makedonija [Islamization and Ethnical Changes in Macedonia], Skopje: Makedonska kniga (in Macedonian). Page 260 The families that settled in Debar are from the surrounding areas and retain their origins which are denoted by their last names, including Klenjë, Trebisht, Ostreni, Torbaç, and others.

Early 20th century In 1913, the majority of the region was awarded to Albania while six villages were assigned to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.Toncheva, Veselka (2013). "The Slavonic Community from the Golo Bardo Region, Republic of Albania: Traditions, Music, Identity". Our Europe. Ethnography – Ethnology – Anthropology of Culture. Volume 2. Pages 39–40. However, despite the border that divided the region in pieces, the region remained culturally and economically unified at this time, and Debar served as the unifying point for the entire region. There were plenty of migratory movements across the border during this period, and during King Zogu's reign, people on both sides of the Albanian-Yugoslav border running through the region would cross it to cultivate farmland on the other side. During this period, the official border changed a number of times—at one point, it ran between Klenja and Stebleva, but now these two towns are both in Albania.Risteski Lyupcho S. (2006), Zhivot na granitsa [Life on the Border] in: A. Svetieva (ed.) Golo Brdo. Zhivot na granitsa, Skopje: Institut za etnologija i antropologija, pp. 26–34 (in Macedonian). Pages 28–30

Under Communism The fates of the two sides of the region diverged much more sharply after the rise of communism in the aftermath of World War II. In 1948, the regime of Enver Hoxha in Albania closed down the border, and a barbed wire fence was erected on the border, accompanied by guard posts. The Albanian communist state was extremely suspicious of Gollobordian communities, a fact one Macedonian author attributed to their "weak Albanian patriotism". This new heavy enforcement of the border caused many people to lose contact with their relatives who lived on the other side.

Demographics Both Muslims and Christians today live in harmony and celebrate the holidays of both faiths together.Toncheva, Veselka (2013). "The Slavonic Community from the Golo Bardo Region, Republic of Albania: Traditions, Music, Identity". Our Europe. Ethnography – Ethnology – Anthropology of Culture. Volume 2. Pages 44 Bulgarian ethnologist Veselka Toncheva believes that this phenomenon, seen elsewhere in post-communist Albania, cannot be attributed solely to the anti-religious policies of communist leader Enver Hoxha, but also due to the perception of local communities as whole units of which local Christians and local Muslims both are part.

Albania In the region of Gollobordë, villages located on the Albanian side of the border have the following population demographics:

Trebisht administrative unit: Gjinovec and Klenjë are inhabited by a Slavic speaking population which contain Torbeš or Pomaks.Миланов, Емил. Регионални и етно-културни български общности зад граница, В: Да не угасват българските огнища извън България, Кишинев, 2016, с. 120–123. Vërnicë is inhabited by an Albanian population that dominates demographically in the village, and also contains a significant population of Torbeš and Orthodox Macedonians. Trebisht is traditionally inhabited by a mixed Orthodox Macedonian/Bulgarian and Torbeš/Pomak population.Миланов, Емил. Българите от Голо Бърдо и Гора, В: Българите в Албания и Косово, Алманах на "Огнище", Т. 1, София 2001, с. 17–18 "В Албания с чисто българско население са селата: Стеблево(100 къщи; 500 души), Гиноец (Гинеец) (50;250), Кльенье (80;400), Требище (400;2000), Големо Острени (Големи Острени) (250;1500), Малестрени (Мало Острени)(250;1500), Ворница(10;70), Тучепи (200;1000), Пасинки (50;300), Радоеща (50;300), Извири, Ладомерица (50;400), Голеища, Койовец (40;200), Лешничани (60;300), Оржаново (50;300), както и махалите Тръбчанище, Камен и Заборйе"

Ostren administrative unit: Lejçan, Lladomericë and Tuçep are inhabited by Torbeš/Pomaks; Radovesh, Kojavec, Orzhanovë are inhabited by a Slavic speaking population which contain Torbeš/Pomaks. Okshtun i Madh, Okshtun i Vogël and Tërbaç have some Torbeš/Pomaks residing there while Pasinkë, Ostren i Madh and Ostren i Vogël are inhabited by an Albanian population that dominates demographically in the villages that also contain significant populations of Torbeš/Pomaks and Orthodox Macedonians/Bulgarians.Миланов, Емил. Българите от Голо Бърдо и Гора, В: Българите в Албания и Косово, Алманах на "Огнище", Т. 1, София 2001, с. 17–18 "Доскоро в много от българските села в албанската част на Голо Бърдо освен мюсюлмани са живели и християни. В някои от тях християните живеят и днес - Кленье (30%), Гинеец (30%), Пасинки (30%), Стеблево (3–4 къщи), Ворница (10 къщи)"

The villages of Zabzun, Borovë, Llangë, Moglicë, Prodan are located in the Stëblevë administrative unit and two villages are inhabited by Slavic populations: Stëblevë, which is inhabited by a Slavic speaking population that contains Torbeš. Sebisht is inhabited by an Albanian population that dominates demographically in the village and contains three families from the Torbeš/Pomak and Orthodox Macedonian/Bulgarian population.Миланов, Емил. Българите от Голо Бърдо и Гора, В: Българите в Албания и Косово, Алманах на "Огнище", Т. 1, София 2001, с. 18 "... а със смесено българско и албаноезично население са селата Себища (20 къщи; 100 души - българи) и Смолник (30; 100)"

Gjoricë administrative unit: Lubalesh has some Torbeš living in the village.

The Torbeš/Pomak and Orthodox Bulgarian/Macedonian population of Gollobordë are speakers of a South Slavic language (Macedonian or BulgarianМиланов, Емил. Регионални и етно-културни български общности зад граница, В: Да не угасват българските огнища извън България, Кишинев, 2016, с. 121 "Езикът, който се говори, е от най-западномакедонските български говори. Те го наричат български. За преобладаващата част от жените и децата той е единственото средство за комуникация."). The Muslim Macedonian speaking community of the area is known as Gollobordas and in Albania people from the community are considered Albanians instead of Macedonians, even by the Albanian state, and they are known to intermarry with Muslim Albanians and not with Orthodox Macedonians. Until the 1990s the local Orthodox Macedonian minority, who have since migrated, used to live in some villages alongside the Gollobordas, who today number some roughly 3,000 people.

North Macedonia In the region of Gollobordë, villages located in North Macedonia have the following population demographics:

Debar Municipality: Otišani has traditionally been inhabited by a Torbeš population and Džepište has traditionally been inhabited by Orthodox Macedonians and a Torbeš population. p. 214. "Заедно со македонско христијанско население Торбеши живеат и во селата: Могорче, Требиште, Велебрдо, Ростуше, Јанче, Долно Косоврасти (во Река), Горенци, Житинени (во Жупа), Џепиште, Себишта, Пасинки, Големо и Мало Острени, Требишта, (во Голо Брдо),"; p. 309. "Во западна Македонија исламизирано македонско население живее во неколку географски региони на македонско-албанската пограничје:... Голо Брдо (Врмница, Владимирци, Гиновци, Клење, Лешничани, Љуболези, Големо и Мало Острени, Окштун, Отишани, Пасинки, Радовиште, Себишча, Српетово, Стеблево, Тучепи, Торбач, Џепишта)"; p. 339. "Во повеќето од спомнативе села живее население - со македонски и со албански мачин јазик. Албанското население доминира во северните голобрдски села (Себишта, Пасинки, Врмница, Големо и Мало Острени). Селата: Лешничани, Требиште, Српетово, Торбач, Љуболези, Владимирица и Тучепи се населени со Македонски муслимани (Торбеши), а во Себишта, Требиште, Г. и М. Острени живее мешано население - православни и Торбеши."

Struga Municipality: Manastirec, Drenok, Modrič and Lakaica "Heute umfaßt das Gebiet von Golloborda in Albanien 22 Dörfer, die verwaltungstechnisch auf drei verschiedene Gemeinden aufgeteilt sind: 1. Die Gemeinde Ostren besteht aus dreizehn Dörfern, und Südslavisch wird in den folgenden neun Dörfern gesprochen: Ostreni i Madh (Golemo Ostreni/Ostreni Golemo), Kojavec (Kojovci), Lejçan (Lešničani), Lladomerica (Ladomerica/Ladimerica/Vlademerica), Ostreni i Vogël (Malo Ostreni/Malastreni/Ostreni Malo), Orzhanova (Oržanova), Radovesh (Radoveš/Radoeš/Radoešt), Tuçep (Tučepi) und Pasinka (Pasinki). 2. Die Gemeinde von Trebisht umfaßt die vier Dörfer Trebisht (Trebišta), Gjinovec (G'inovec/G'inec), Klenja (Klen'e) und Vërnica (Vărnica), und in allen wird Südslavisch gesprochen. 3. Die übrigen Dörfer von Golloborda gehören zur Gemeinde Stebleva, und zwar Stebleva, Zabzun, Borova, Sebisht, Llanga. Südslavisch wird in Stebleva (Steblo) sowie von drei Familien in Sebisht (Sebišta) gesprochen. Wie aus den bisherigen Ausführungen und den Erhebungen vor Ort hervorgeht, gibt es nur noch in fünfzehn der insgesamt Dörfer, die heute zu Golloborda gehören, slavophone Einwohner. Die Zahl der Dörfer in Golloborda wird manchmal auch mit 24 angegeben. Dann zählt man die Viertel des Dorfes Trebisht, und zwar Trebisht-Bala, Trebisht-Çelebia und Trebisht-Muçina separat. Zu Golloborda rechnete man traditionell ferner die Dörfer Hotišan, Žepišt, Manastirec, Drenok, Modrič und Lakaica, die heute in Makedonien liegen." are inhabited by Orthodox Macedonians.Macedonian Census (2002), Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion, The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 134.

Identity of the local Slavic-speakers