Discover this story in Yugoslavia collapsed into a mine. Kosovo 1989: the Trepça strike and the struggle for autonomy. Although an exact date for the beginning of the collapse of Yugoslavia cannot be identified, due to the numerous wars that caused it to disintegrate piece by piece, this collection of testimonies tells the story that marked the beginning of the end.

In February 1989, 1300 Albanian miners in Trepça, Kosovo, protested against amendments to the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution, refusing to leave the galleries for eight days and eight nights. The Constitution had guaranteed Kosovo autonomy from Serbia, allowing the Albanian majority to choose a local leadership and the workers the right to self-government. The strike failed, but it catalyzed ethnic tensions that fed national conflicts and ultimately the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

Author: Anna Di Lellio

Researchers: Anita Susuri, Korab Krasniqi

Language: Italian