Cultural relations between Hungary and Albania during the period of Humanism and Renaissance

• Author: Muhamet Mala
• Position: University of Pristina - Kosovo
• Pages: 139-142

Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania

Vol. 2 No. 2

July 2016

ISSN 2410-3918

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

139

Cultural relations between Hungary and Albania during the period of Hu-

manism and Renaissance

Prof. asoc. Dr. Muhamet Mala

University of Pristina – Kosovo

Abstract

Cultural Hungarian-Albanian relations during the Middle Ages are characterized by a rela-

tively poor intensity. Actually, relations between these two countries are more intense in the

politicaleldandespeciallythroughthepartnershipbetweenGjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg

and John Hunyadi. Regarding the origin, the Hungarian culture identity is rather distinct

from the Albanian one. Lack of cultural contacts, among others, was conditioned also by the

fact that these relations were held under war circumstances and their primary aim was the

commondefensefromOomanaacksActuallytheAlbanianmedievalcultureremained a

MediterraneanculturewithelementsofByzantineinuenceinthecontinentalandsouthern

areas. Meanwhile, Hungary belonged to Central Europe, which, even though far away from

Mediterraneancultural mainstreamsoughtto beinuenced by thisculture namelybythe

RenaissancethatemanatedexactlyintheMediterraneanregionItwasMahiasCorvinusef-

fortregardingthe culturalinuenceoftheMediterraneanandRenaissance inHungarybut

also the fact that Hungary possessed some of the most important towns of the Adriatic coast

and particularly Ragusa. This city was the center where cultural relations between Albanian

andHungarystartedandbecameintensiedinthereligiousintellectualandhumaneld

Keywords: Albania ,Hungary, Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu, John Huniadi.

Introduction

It wasMahias Corvinus greatest merit inrespect of the culturalinuence of the

Mediterranean and the Renaissance in Hungary. He lacked the ingenuity and political

senseofhisfatherJohnHunyadias regardscooperationincombativeeldagainst

theOomanEmpirebutCorvinusembracedaprowesternpolicytostrengthenhis

dominant position and was not actively involved in the Balkans. Since his political

commitmentintermsofdefensefromtheOomanEmpirewashighlypoorcultural

engagement to carry the values of the Mediterranean culture in the court of Budim

appearsverylargeDuringthereignofMahiasCorvinusitwasrealizedtheItalian

and European cultural Renaissance in the Middle Danube (Dragan, 1995, 96). A

large part of Albanians exiled to Ragusa, Venice, Rome, Padua, Naples and other

MediterraneantownsHoweverontheotherhandwendalsoagroupofAlbanian

culturalrepresentativeswhowereincorporatedintheOomanEmpirethatembraced

the easternvalues andmade their wayinto the military hierarchy of theOoman

Empire, and some of them even participated as military commanders in the service of

theOomanEmpireorwereconnectedinotherformswitheventsthatweretaking

place in Central Europe.

The Hungarian-Croatian Kingdom was still a backward country as opposed to