Discovery by Vullnet Lulo.

Summary

This 1985 poster promotes the First Panhellenic Conference on the Arvanitic Language, held in Athens with support from the Greek Ministry of Culture. It presents Arvanitic as one of the oldest Indo-European languages and an inseparable part of Greek historical identity. By invoking revolutionary heroes such as Markos Botsaris and Miaoulis, the event emphasizes Arvanitic speakers’ contribution to the Greek nation. The conference reflects a cultural movement aimed at preserving linguistic heritage and asserting the historical legitimacy of Arvanitic within Greece.

Analysis

This poster announces a landmark cultural and academic event: the first nationwide Greek conference dedicated specifically to the Arvanitic language. It frames Arvanitic as both ancient and integral to Greek history, explicitly connecting it to celebrated figures of the Greek War of Independence. The involvement of the Ministry of Culture signals official recognition and legitimacy. The visual language-family tree reinforces the claim of Arvanitic’s deep Indo-European roots, countering narratives that marginalize it as a mere dialect or foreign remnant. Overall, the poster reflects a broader late-20th-century effort to reclaim Arvanitic Albanian identity within Greek national history.

Transcribed:

“1st Panhellenic Conference
On the Topic:
THE ARVANITIC LANGUAGE
(One of the oldest Indo-European languages)

Athens, T.E.E. Hall, Karageorgi Servias Street 4, Syntagma
13–14 December 1985

With the support of the Ministry of Culture
Admission is free

(Central illustration: a “family tree” diagram of Indo-European languages, placing Arvanitic within the broader linguistic family.)

“Do not forget who you are and where you come from.”
— Rigas Feraios

“This language, Arvanitic, is our language.
It is the language of Markos Botsaris,
Miaoulis, and all of Souli.”

Organizer:
Arvanitic Association of Greece
Zaimi 23, 106 82 Athens
Tel. 883 4958″