The nature of tangible heritage of dictatorship has been assessed starting from the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis (counting almost 400 participants overall) extrapolating from data, bottom-up answers to the question posed. The main categories of objects that can be put under this label have been identified and such an assessment is part of the final monograph of the project which is currently under production. Interviews and visitor observations have also helped to assess and refine our understanding of the significance of all these objects/monuments structures. The second main objective of the project, that is the assessment of the immaterial legacy of dictatorship has instead been obtained through the use of ethnographic methodologies. These have been taken the form mostly of interviews conducted in a variety of settings ranging from informal meetings to schools/university classes, commemorations as well as during events organised by various institutional and non-institutional actors. This work has also helped to enlighten the latter group of objectives listed, e.g. those concerned with the assessment of the political use of the communist past. This has been analysed through a variety of means, ranging from interviews, to group activities, to participant observation and the close monitoring of debate on newspapers and media through time.
The results achieved indicate that heritage of communism is several different things for Albanians. Also, the perception of the significance of these various things is rather complex. While certain aspects are certainly unwanted (either because of the association with persecution and suppression of human rights during the regime, or simply because they conflict with what are perceived as the values of western modernity), other are sometimes openly longed. Aspects such as age or social background do play a considerable role in the way the communist past and its heritage is perceived by Albanians as do regional differences within Albania. In terms of general logic, this material and immaterial legacy of the regime is employed in the political arena by various (particularly institutional) actors, in ways that sometimes, somewhat surprisingly, are not too distant from those used during communism.
The results of the project are being disseminated through traditional scientific means (peer-reviewed articles in journals, books as well as conferences appositely organised on this theme and their proceedings) as well as through the web (through a website), speeches/workshops for non-academic audiences (broader public and heritage/museum professionals alike) and other side projects commenced by the fellow in collaboration with local heritage professionals.
