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The Photo Collection of Friedrich Wallisch
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Albania in 1931

The Austrian writer Friedrich Wallisch (1890-1969) was born in Mährisch-Weißkirchen (Hranice) in Moravia of an affluent family. He served in the Austro-Hungarian navy and was in Albania in 1914 to report on the ephemeral reign of Prince Wilhelm zu Wied (1876-1945), where he acted as head of the academic section of the Austrian Fleet Association. After the First World War he studied medicine and, although he finished a doctorate, he never seems to have exercised this profession. In the spring of 1923, Wallisch founded a publishing house called Europäischer Verlag Dr. Friedrich Wallisch (European Publisher Dr. Friedrich Wallisch) in Vienna and was particularly active in the following years with it and with his writings and numerous publications. He was the author of German-language poetry, essays, short stories, biographies, travel books and plays. In 1929 he also founded an Österreichisch-Albanische Gesellschaft (Austrian-Albanian Society).

Of Albanian interest among Friedrich Wallisch’s books are: Der Adler des Skanderbeg: Albanische Briefe aus dem Frühjahr 1914 (Scanderbeg’s Eagle: Albanian Letters from the Spring of 1914), Leipzig & Vienna 1914, with which he began his career as a writer; Der Atem des Balkans: Vom Leben und Sterben des Balkanmenschen (The Breath of the Balkans: On the Life and Death of Man in the Balkans), Leipzig 1928; Neuland Albanien (New Country: Albania), Stuttgart 1931; and Albanien und seine Postwertzeichen (Albania and Its Postage Stamps), Vienna 1937. It is from the volume Neuland Albanien, the account of an automobile trip that Friedrich Wallisch took through the country around 1930-1931, that the present collection of photos is taken.

FW016A: “The creator of the new Albania: King Zog at his desk” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW016B: “In the bay of Durrës” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW017A: “The capital, Tirana, lies between the large plain and the mountains” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW017B: “The king’s residence in Tirana” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW032A: “The palace of the Queen Mother in Tirana” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FH032B: “Entertainment in Tirana: a concert by the Royal Music Corps in the city park” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW033A: “A man aware of his importance: the coffee roaster” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW033B: Tobacco and fruit are usually sold together (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW033C: “Farmers at the weekly market in the bazaar quarter of Tirana” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW048A: “Delicious ice cream! The black sash is said to be a traditional sign of mourning for the death of Scanderbeg” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW048B: “Daughters of well-to-do families. They wear billowing pantaloons made of snow-white gauze and a display of large, heavy gold coins” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW049A: “How Albanians sit down!” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW049B: “School children marching in Pogradec” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW049C: “At the fairground in Tirana during the Bajram holiday” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW064A: “The old mosque in Tirana surrounded by high cypress trees” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW064B: “The home of the dervishes in Tirana” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW065A: “Kruja, seen from the road to Scanderbeg’s fortress, with the steep slope of Mount Kruja in the background” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW065B: “Characteristic northern Albanian costumes” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW080A: “The Zog Bridge over the Mat River” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW080B: The Drin River and its many branches, as seen from the fortress of Shkodra” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW081A: Nomads in Europe: a transhumant family of the Kelmendi tribe” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW081B: “Repairs on one of the oldest roads in the world: the Via Egnatia and the banks of the Shkumbin River” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW096A: “The clock tower on the city walls: a plaintive symbol of Elbasan” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW096B: “St George’s Street in Korça” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW097B: “Salt caravan of transhumant Aromanian shepherds on their way through the arid and stony Kolonja valley” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW112B: “In Albanian Epirus: the little trading town of Përmet at the foot of Mt Dhëmbel. In the front is the chain bridge over the Vjosa” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW113A: “Vlora, seen from Kuz Baba” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW113B: “Berat: the bridge over the Osum River” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW128A: “Albanian gypsy woman” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW128B: “Peasant wearing a fustanella” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW128C: “Veiled Muslim women” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW129A: “Crossing the Seman River: the car is put onto the ferry with great care” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). FW129B: “Millennia have passed without a change. Albanian farmer with a hook plough, like the one used by his ancestors at the time of Christ” (Photo: Friedrich Wallisch, 1931). simple jquery lightboxby VisualLightBox.com v5.9

 

Die Fotosammlung des Friedrich Wallisch
English | Shqip

Albanien im Jahre 1931

Der österreichische Schriftsteller Friedrich Wallisch (1890-1969) wurde von wohlhabenden Eltern in Mährisch-Weißkirchen (Hranice) geboren. Er diente in der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine und war 1914 in Albanien, wo er über die kurze Herrschaft des Fürsten Wilhelm zu Wied (1876-1945) berichtete und die akademische Abteilung des österreichischen Flottenverbandes leitete. Nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg schloss er sein Studium der Medizin mit einer Promotion ab, scheint aber diesen Beruf nie ausgeübt zu haben. Im Frühjahr 1923 gründete Wallisch in Wien den Europäischen Verlag Dr. Friedrich Wallisch. Hiermit und vor allem mit seiner literarischen Tätigkeit war er in den folgenden Jahren beschäftigt. Er verfasste Lyrik, Essays, Novellen, Biographien, Reisebücher und Theaterstücke. Im Jahre 1929 gründete er eine Österreichisch-Albanische Gesellschaft und im Jahre 1954 den Schutzverband der österreichischen Schriftsteller.

Unter den vielen Büchern des Friedrich Wallisch sind von albanischem Interesse: Der Adler des Skanderbeg: Albanische Briefe aus dem Frühjahr 1914, Leipzig & Wien 1914, mit dem er seine literarische Karriere begann; Der Atem des Balkans: Vom Leben und Sterben des Balkanmenschen, Leipzig 1928; Neuland Albanien, Stuttgart 1931; und Albanien und seine Postwertzeichen, Wien 1937. Aus dem Band Neuland Albanien stammt die hier vorgestellte Fotosammlung, die während einer Automobilreise durch Albanien um 1930-1931 entstand.

 

Koleksioni fotografik i Fridrih Valishit
(Friedrich Wallisch)

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Shqipëria në vitin 1931

Shkrimtari austriak Fridrih Valish (1890-1969) lindi në Merish-Vajskirhën (Hranice) në Moravi (tani në Republikën Çeke). Shërbeu në flotën ushtarake të Austro-Hungarisë dhe në vitin 1914 ndodhej në Shqipëri ku raportoi për sundimin e shkurtër të Princ Vidit (Wilhelm zu Wied, 1876-1945). Pas Luftës së Parë Botërore mbaroi studimet në Austri në degën e mjekësisë me një doktoraturë, por, siç duket, nuk e ushtroi kurrë këtë profesion. Në pranverë të vitit 1923 Valish themeloi në Vjenë Shtëpinë Botuese Evropiane e Dr. Fridih Valishit (Europäischen Verlag Dr. Friedrich Wallisch), të cilën e drejtoi për disa vjet. Ishte edhe autor poezish, esesh, tregimesh, biografish, udhëpërshkrimesh dhe dramash. Në vitin 1929 themeloi një Shoqatë Austriako-Shqiptare (Österreichisch-Albanische Gesellschaft).

Me interes albanologjik ndër librat e Valishit janë veprat: Der Adler des Skanderbeg: Albanische Briefe aus dem Frühjahr 1914 (Shqiponja e Skënderbeut: letra nga pranvera e vitit 1914), Lajpcig & Vjenë 1914; Der Atem des Balkans: Vom Leben und Sterben des Balkanmenschen (Fryma e Ballkanit: mbi jetën dhe vdekjen e njeriut të Ballkanit), Lajpcig 1928; Neuland Albanien (Shteti i ri, Shqipëria), Shtutgart 1931; dhe Albanien und seine Postwertzeichen (Shqipëria dhe pullat e saj postare), Vjenë 1937. Fotot e këtij koleksioni janë marrë nga vëllimi Neuland Albanien, rrëfimi i një udhëtimi automobilistik që Fridrih Valish ndërmori në Shqipëri rreth viteve 1930-1931.

 

 

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