Tracing Mortality in 19th-Century Albanian Provinces. Parish Registers and Death-Causes in Shkodra and Jubani
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Tracing vital events in the 19th century across Albanian provinces is a complex research endeavour related to the organisation of Albanian population into three different communities (Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox) under the Millet system applied in the Ottoman Empire, which grouped population by religion rather than ethnicity. The registration of births, deaths, and marriages was the responsibility of the respective religious communities, and as a result, the methods, regularity, language and quality of these records vary. This study draws on archival sources from the Central State Archives in Tirana, mainly from the Shkodra Archdiocese collection, to analyse how deaths among the Catholic population were reported and registered. We analyse the accuracy and reliability of the registers, and the main causes of death as recorded in the registers, combining the data with other official sources, especially sources regarding epidemics of the 19th century in Albanian territories. These documents provide evidence not only of how the state classified deaths and responded to mortality crises, but also of how shortages of medical personnel affected the implementation of legislation.
Source: Historical Life Course Studies
DOI: 10.52024/hlcs26145
Institutions: University of Tirana, University of Graz
Language: English
Topic: Ottoman and Turkish Studies
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7202076780