Associations, Agency and Transnational Networks


 

This research project analyzes the modalities of official organization of the various immigrant communities (ethnic, religious, local, sport, cultural) coming from North Macedonia to Vienna in the last two decades. Combining field research with statistical analysis, it seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of the functioning of such organizations in their country of residence but also in relation to their place of origin, as well as their interaction with the municipal institutions and their networking with similar organizations in Vienna.

Migration from Yugoslav Macedonia (since 1991 Republic of Macedonia, since 2019 Rep. of North Macedonia) to Vienna has been a constant process at least from the late 1960’s, i.e. in both Yugoslav and post-Yugoslav times. The population with North Macedonian citizenship in Vienna increased from 6,687 to 10,614 between 2002 and 2020. Whereas Muslim Albanians are a minority in North Macedonia, they constitute a majority among the North Macedonian immigrants to Vienna.

Decades of migration to Vienna have created many possibilities for organized activities and networking along several lines. What might tentatively be called a “(North) Macedonian community” in Vienna, is in fact a mosaic of smaller socio-cultural groups of interest, organized in their own way. Many of them have an ethnic, religious, regional or professional attribute (Macedonian/Albanian, Orthodox/Muslim, Tetovo/Bitola, sport/language). Some of these associations are not exclusive to people from North Macedonia, but bring together ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and Albania as well.
With strong family networks in place, and with the intensification of the Euro-Atlantic integration process, one might expect an enlargement of the North Macedonian communities in Vienna. This research is intended as a pilot project for a larger study; its general aims are twofold:

a) to provide detailed knowledge about the functioning and networking of the immigrant organizations from North Macedonia, and
b) to collect and evaluate information about the actual number of organizations, membership, and other relevant statistical data from the last two decades.

Project collaborator

Dr. Darko Leitner-Stojanov
 


Duration of the project

1.9.2020-31.8.2021


Funding institution

MA7 Stadt Wien