In 1879, the Montags-Revue aus Böhmen reported that Serbian and Bulgarian forces plundered Albanian properties in the districts of Nish, Leskovac, Kurshumlija, and Prokuplje (and surrounding areas) to the value of roughly 2 million Ottoman piastres. Adjusted for today’s gold equivalent, this amounts to approximately 15 million USD.

Cited an translated:

“In addition, there is a strong sense of independence and, more recently, probably also the cruel treatment that the Serbs inflicted on the population of the conquered districts, from which the Albanians emigrated to Turkish Albania. A brief history: The Serbian government is known to have repeatedly lodged complaints with the Porte concerning the incursions into Serbian territory.

The Porte has so far proven quite resistant to these ideas, and as things stand, it had its good reasons for this attitude. Pester Lloyd is today receiving a detailed explanation of this topic from an informed source in Belgrade, from which it emerges how the complaints of the Serbian Minister Ristics are essentially unfounded and how, in fact, the Serbs themselves are the moral instigators of those incursions about which they are currently complaining so much.

One must go back to the day of Niš’s annexation by the Serbs. At that time, in Nish, 300 houses were united in a special part of the city, inhabited by 1500 Albanians. Before the Serbian army advanced, 20 Albanian families were careful enough to sell their belongings and resettle in Turkish territory.

The remaining Albanian families fled to the fortress and only returned after the Serbian commander had promised them that their lives and property would not be harmed. This promise, however, was poorly kept. A short time after the Albanians returned, Serbs and Bulgarians rushed into their houses, plundered what they found, and stole especially weapons.

The Albanians complained to the Serbian commanders about this breach of trust. The Serbian officers did indeed promise everything possible; they made every effort to collect the stolen goods, but they were not returned to them. The property was returned to its owners but sent to Belgrade. Not a single one of the obvious perpetrators was punished.

In light of this perfidious treatment, the Albanians decided to complain once more to the Serbian commandant. Instead of the desired satisfaction, however, they received the answer that they would all be shot if they did not leave the country within ten days. The Albanians had no choice but to abandon their possessions and emigrate. The property they left behind is valued at 2 million piastres.

Of their houses, only 20 remain; the rest were razed to the ground. Even worse than in Niš, the Albanians in Loskovtscha, Urkinve, and Kurschumli fared. Villages had also been abandoned by the Albanians before the Serbs advanced. On the Serbs’ promise that they would live and respect their rights, the Albanians allowed themselves to be persuaded to return.

The Serbs summoned the residents to a meeting, and when everyone was assembled, they were all shot. Then the Serbs turned their attention to the houses and they killed every Albanian they encountered. This cruel and treacherous treatment they received from Serbs and Bulgarians caused all Albanians to emigrate.

Leskovcha comprised 88 villages with 3,320 and 20,677 inhabitants, of which houses were destroyed, 92 people shot, 5,900 murdered in other ways, and 2,149 abandoned their homes. Urkinpe comprised 73 villages with 1,771 houses, which were almost completely or completely demolished, and 13,320 inhabitants, of whom 255 were shot, 190 died in prisons, and 12,875 abandoned their homes and farms. Kurschumli comprised 67 villages with 1,531 Albanian houses.

From this district, 12,480 Albanians emigrated. In total, the Albanians lost 228 villages with 6,522 houses were abandoned, and the number of emigrants is estimated at 46,000. The exiled Albanians have sworn to use the same methods of murder, robbery, and plunder that were used against them against the Serbs, until their houses and apartments are returned to them in the condition in which they were forced to leave them.”

Source

Montags-Revue aus Bauhmen Wochenschrift furr Politik, Volkswirthschaft, Kunst und Literatur. Volume 1. Carl Tobisch. 1879