Tracing the development of Kosovar and Albanian identities using urban toponyms

This article deals with the research of identity using toponyms in Albanian and Kosovar city centres, bringing a different perspective to the question via comparatively examining the urban toponyms. The research was undertaken in the centres of five Albanian and five Kosovar cities, and the names of streets, squares, and parks have been placed into categories: people, geography, events, organizations, and other. Urban toponyms have been categorized according to importance on the local, national, pan-Albanian, and international levels. We analyse the geopolitical background and current status of the problem of identity, which is reflected in urban toponyms, and conclude that there is significant evidence to point out that the two identities have diverged. Kosovo’s national identity, as reflected in its urban toponyms, is formed by its struggle for independence and not an unequivocal adoption of a pan-Albanian identity.