A village in Kosovo and Metohija in the period between the two World Wars

Abstract In Kosovo and Metohija, in the period between the two world wars, about 80% of the population lived in the countryside. Based on archival sources, press and professional literature, I try to present life in the village, which was an economic, legal and cultural-religious entity that had its own chiefs and officials, as well as obligations that all members had to perform. There were two types of villages (depending on the natural location), non-compact, in the mountainous areas, and compact, in the plains. Despite its importance in defending the interests of the community, the village had its shortcomings. The village was burdened by traditions, closedness, various customs and superstitions. However, before the beginning of the Second World War, modernization began to spread from the nearby towns to the countryside.