A Translator in Power: Ernest Koliqi and his Role during the Fascist Occupation of Albania

This essay discusses the political events that took place in Albania in 1939 and the linguistic policies that were implemented in the newly reformed state as part of a well-organized plan that would lead to the ‘Italianization’ and ‘Fascist-ization’ of Albania. Following the unification of Albania with the Italian state the 7th of April 1939, the need for an efficient communication between the two countries was one of the most important matters in terms of the functioning of political and bureaucratic matters. Certainly, a communicative exchange between two countries that were relatively different from the linguistic and cultural point of view was of crucial importance both from the historical and the linguistic point of view (e.g. interpreting and translation). The moment of collision between the two countries (with two different – if not completely radically opposite – language and cultural identities) generated the need for cultural mediators (such as interpreters and translators) to act as ambassadors and messengers in the new, critical political-military situation. The following political context – the annexation of the Albanian state by Fascist Italy – is a context where patriotism, loyalty and admiration for one's own country but also corruption, collaborationism and many more were key elements strictly correlated to the needs and interests of the Fascist Regime for the occupation of Albania and its political, social and cultural submission. The translation act represented a crucial, indispensable means of communication when performing institutional and bureaucratic acts.