Theodor Anton Ippen

Ippen belonged to the group of Albanologists who published their works on Albania through the state-financed institutes of Austria-Hungary in order to create the Albanian national consciousness which he believed would be beneficial for Dual Monarchy.

[4][5] In 1912 Ippen prepared an ethnographic map of the Albanian-populated areas of Ottoman Empire, which was submitted by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador during the London Conference as a basis for the border negotiations.

[6] After the London treaty has been signed the ambassadors of six Great Powers decided, in July 1913, to constitute a new state, Albania, as a hereditary principality.

[13] Ippen and Nopcsa openly propagated their efforts in financing activities of Albanian nationalists, for example the translation and distribution of the works authored by Sami Frasheri.

[16] Ippen had extensively visited the Catholic clans on the Ottoman-Montenegrin border and reported their problems caused by the Ottoman and Montenegrin authorities.

To improve their conditions he asked for provisions of assistance, which were granted as from 1898 to 1903 corn was regularly distributed to the clans, which in turn became pro-Austrian.

Theodor Ippen in Shkodër wearing a northern Albanian costume