Kosova marks 58 years since mass demonstrations began in Prizren on October 6, 1968. They became the largest demonstrations in Kosova after World War II and openly demanded that Kosova become a republic with the right to self-determination.

The demonstrations began near the League of Prizren building. They later spread to Suhareka on October 8 and Peja on October 19. The protests came amid a period of Albanian cultural and national awakening. The Prishtina Linguistic Consultation on April 22-23, 1968, addressed the unification of the Albanian standard language. Meanwhile, commemorations marking the 500th anniversary of the passing of George Kastrioti-Skanderbeg and the student movements across Europe also shaped the atmosphere.

The demonstrations expressed the political and national demands of Kosova Albanians. Yugoslav authorities responded with repression. The subsequent developments contributed to advances in Kosova’s political status and the establishment of the University of Prishtina in 1969.

Although the demand for a Republic of Kosova remained unmet, the 1968 demonstrations marked a turning point in the political, national and educational history of Kosova Albanians.

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