Traces of Stefan Zweig Reception in Albanian

Abstract

The main purpose of this study article is to examine and to evaluate Stefan Zweig’s work in Albanian, as well as the perception of Albanian’s readers. This article attempt to explain the popularity of S. Zweig from 1939, when his first short story was translated in Albanian. While before the sixties the reception of Zweig’s works in Albanian language was modest, later, in the sixties of the last century, the reception of his works, especially short stories, was more intensive. Both Albanian critics and readers were more interested first for his short stories and then for his biographies, portraits, novels and dramas. The recent reception of Zweig’s works in Albanian has been preceded and prepared by many introductions, essays, and articles. His works began to influence even the Albanian writers, especially the works of Sterjo Spase. Hence, we can trace and find certain parallels, similarities, influences and impacts of Zweig’s works in Spase’s works. When Zweig was translated for the first time in Albanian the opinions of both readers, simple reader and of special reader, was qualitative and uncensored. The works of Zweig were read by the readers of such a social class, which were educated in the west. In this context, Zweig was considered as “a hunter of souls” and had many readers in Albania. During the period of 1937-1944, Zweig was not under the censorship. After 1962 the first collection of Zweig’s short stories translated by Mahmut Bobrati and Klio Evangjeli was published. After a couple of years, in 1988, second edition of collected short stories of Zweig, was published translated by Mahmut Bobrati, Robert Schwartz, Enver Fico and Klio Evangjeli. In this year, began the marathon of translations of Zweig’s works in Albania, whereas sometimes there were cases that one work was translated by two different translators.