A study in local history since 1800 : Birkirkara

Abstract

Birkirkara being geographically placed in the centre of the Malta, had always been a populous settlement. The introduction of efficient and affordable public transport increased its popularity since it became more accessible to the harbour and other job and business centres. Especially during the Second World War this geographical position gave it an important role as an emergency refugee locality. The people of the harbour areas who were more exposed than those in the country to epidemics, overcrowding (which resulted in low standards of living) and later on during the Second World War to bombing, used to shift to the countryside in order to flee from danger. Birkirkara being not so far from the harbour areas but yet situated safely enough was nicknamed as the Emergency Capital City during the Second World War. Besides giving refuge to the thousands that emigrated from the most strategic places on Malta it also gave shelter to various government departments as they were temporarily transferred to the band clubs' residences, private colleges and to district government offices situated in Birkirkara. The inhabitants themselves tailor the characteristics of a village. Therefore the question of what makes Birkirkara authentic· from the other localities has the same answer of the question of what makes a person be described as karkariz. Today people still argue over whether a· person described as karkariz means only a person living at Birkirkara or a person born but not necessarily living at Birkirkara. The village characteristics and traditions carry after them a long history of which many of the inhabitants are unaware. Certain characteristics like the use of a dialectical Maltese as the main verbal communication among the local inhabitants is now considered as a proof of low standard of living. Many of the Birkirkara born inhabitants are still using a Maltese dialect, which has various phonetical differences that distinguish it from other existent Maltese dialects, and there is no indication that it could die out easily. The idea of Birkirkara being described solely as a village produced different opinions from various people.· There are those who are proud about Birkirkara being considered as a village but still having such great heritages and there are those who feel that Birkirkara must be described as a city since it is the most populated locality and al5o possesses a long history. There are villages just like Birkirkara who did obtain the title of citta' like Qorini which became Citta' Pinto and Zebbug which became Citta' Rohan. In the 1950's there was a proposal that Birkirkara would change its nomenclature to George Town and be considered as a city. There were those who were for and against this proposal. Those against it seemed more influential since Birkirkara had remained with the same nomenclature and still lack the title of citta'. The title alone does not make a locality to suddenly develop from a rather rural to a more motivated settlement. The repercussions of the national economic, political and social changes over the localities are what really make a locality to be classified as a town, village or a city.