/library/oar/handle/123456789/2698 2025-11-15T00:24:26Z 2025-11-15T00:24:26Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/140505 2025-10-23T09:27:16Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The forgotten lot : ‘internati Anglo-Maltesi sgombrati dalla Libia’ : internment of ‘enemy aliens’ from an Italian colony during the Second World War Abstract: This dissertation explores the circumstances that led to the deportation and internment of the Maltese Tripolini during the Second World War, between 1940 and 1943. The Maltese Tripolini historically identified as British subjects and sought British protection. Although contemporaries held the 1911 Italian takeover of Tripoli as a watershed moment, the rise of fascism in the 1920s ensured their progressive marginalisation. As Italy sought to Italianise Libya, the Maltese Tripolini maintained their strong ties to Britain, resisted attempts at assimilation and protested at the introduction of new legislation regulating employment and civil marriage. This led to their gradual alienation from the economic and social life of Italian Libya. During the Second World War, as British subjects, the Maltese Tripolini were branded as enemy aliens. They became the only community to be deported in its entirety on the pretext of military necessity and concerns over espionage. All Maltese Tripolini known to have been deported and interned have been identified and indexed accordingly. This dissertation traces the broader context of these events, examining the social, political, and economic challenges faced by the community over two decades. This is done against the backdrop of deteriorating Anglo-Italian relations and political squabbling in British Malta. It investigates whether the Maltese Tripolini's internment in Italy was a strategic act of discrimination by the Italians due to their refusal to renounce British subject status. It will analyse their treatment in fascist concentration camps and detention points. It will also examine whether the Maltese Tripolini have been intentionally neglected by successive British and Maltese governments since the war, due to political, economic, or post-colonial factors. Although primary sources in Maltese, British, and Italian archives have preserved records of these events, they have largely been overlooked in Maltese historiography. Survivors were often reluctant to publicly share their memories, with only one notable account by Romeo Cini. This study fills this gap in the historical narrative of the Maltese diaspora, particularly focusing on how the Maltese Tripolini were relegated from ‘a long-contented community’ to ‘an alien minority’. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/136065 2025-06-04T06:00:31Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Towards the making of a new working class : MCAST and the development of a modern apprenticeship scheme Abstract: The closing of the Malta Shipyards in 2010 meant the loss of many trades. These trades entailed study programmes which have formed a good number of trade workers. During Colonial Malta the Malta Drydocks was a niche of the Admiralty and produced top notch skilled workers who made their living from there. This meant the need for a particular education leading to the opening of the Dockyard Apprenticeship Scheme where sixteen- year-olds who were not inclined for white collar jobs could pursue their studies and find a job. Though the Malta Shipyards has closed its doors, the apprenticeship training remained as one of the main practices in the vocational schooling at MCAST. The study shows how the apprenticeship training evolved along the years. The interviews give a clear picture of how the apprenticeship training worked and how useful it was for them. A comparison with the apprenticeship training running at MCAST today shows the differences between past and present schemes and reveals students’ perspectives on the apprenticeship training programmes. Description: M. Malt. St.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/135864 2025-05-28T13:02:06Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Malta’s prisoner of war camps during the first world war Abstract: During the First World War, Malta served as an excellent naval base and hospital for the Allies. However apart from these two vital roles, Malta also functioned as a Prisoner of War (POW) Camp. This role is relatively underexplored in the literature. Nonetheless, it was an essential component of the war effort. Therefore, Malta’s POW Camps merited a study and a consideration of their own. Malta was the main POW Camp in the Mediterranean hub of the British Empire, with Gibraltar used as a transit camp and Ras-el-tin and Sidi Bishr camps in Egypt not of the required standard to host Officer POWs. The British Authorities adapted ready-built fortifications such as Fort Verdala, Fort San Salvatore, St. Clement’s Retrenchment and Polverista Barracks to serve as POW Camps. These were run by Camp Commandants and their staff. By December 1914 Malta’s POW Camps swelled with mainly interned civilians rounded up from Malta and Egypt. As the war progressed ex-combatants were captured from various theatres of war and transferred to Malta as POWs. Thanks to the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), POW camps were regulated by the Geneva Convention of 1906 and the Hague Convention of 1907. These set clear legal obligations which every belligerent had to adhere to in their treatment of POWs. The overall aim of this research is to investigate in depth what happened in Malta’s POW Camps in the First World War. This will be achieved through a number of research objectives. The study will examine the administrative side of the camps in terms of the Choice of Area, Camp Staff, and Record Keeping and Repatriation of POWs. By using mainly primary sources supported with secondary sources, the main events in Malta’s camps during the First World War will be analysed. The study will then seek to evaluate critically the extent to which Malta’s POW Camps adhered to the legal obligations of the Geneva Convention of 1906 and The Hague Convention of 1907. Description: M. Malt. St.(Melit.)

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/119418 2024-03-18T07:14:18Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Ta’ Qali Crafts Village : a catalyst for the consolidation of traditional crafts Abstract: In an era that is dominated by mass production and rapid technological advancement, it is imperative that we reflect on and appreciate the traditional crafts that have been passed down through generations. The approach to the creation of these crafts is slower, and the artisan’s craftsmanship and attention to detail results in a unique creation that is impossible to replicate with machines. The preservation of traditional crafts is not merely an act of nostalgia: traditional crafts form part of our cultural identity and are a bridge between the past and the future. Traditional crafts are the result of age-old techniques that have been perfected over several years and represent a profound understanding of the materials and processes used. The preservation of traditional crafts is an acknowledgement of the value of these unique handmade crafts. For this reason, passing down the knowledge and skills of the master artisans to the younger generations is important to safeguard the cultural legacy that we have inherited. This research aims to identify those factors through which the Crafts Village and all the relevant stakeholders together can preserve and promote Malta’s cultural heritage for generations to come. The research design involved interviews with several stakeholders including established artisans, heritage specialists, as well as documentary research from museums, policy documents, and numerous published sources. Working in the area also allowed for a considerable immersion in the research area. The analysis below highlights the importance of education and vocational training, the value of experience of the skilled artisans, while critically exploring the role of a business environment such as the crafts village which brings together potentially conflicting needs. Description: M. Malt. St.(Melit.)

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z