Vigil Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 (edited) Was reading a interesting article a while back said that a majority of Armenian traders moved to Transylvania(Excuse my spelling... I do not use the word often) where they were given land grants and a border town. Anyways, do they exist today? I know there is a Armenian Church there, but is there Armenians? Edited May 31, 2004 by Vigil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
America-Hye Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Most have assimilated. In neighborhing Polan, there is a strong Armenian genetic strain in the Poles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasun Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 There used to be a well populated city called Armenopolis (around 100K if I am not mistaken). At some point Armenians were forced to convert into catholicism and after that given certain priviliges, hence the establishment of this striving city. At present the city is no longer Armenian and all Armenians seem to have assimilated or moved out (and assimilated somewhere else). The current name of the city is Samoshuyvar and nobody ever speaks Armenian there, there is no mention of any Armenianness - sad really There are some Armenians or half-Armenians scattered here and there in small numbers around Hungary (mind you, most of Transilvania belongs to Romania at present). An official government sponsored Armenian community exists centered in Budapest, there is Armenian radio (1 or 2 hours a week I think), there is also an acting Armenian church in Budapest. Noteworthy - some young folks learn to speak Armenian in the center. The Armenians and their friends occasionally get together and organize a concert or some other cultural event (there was even a Paradjanov film festival in the city and an exhibition of his collages in the center), occasionally there are barbeque events out of town . All in all, if you compare to other Armenian communities they are in excellent shape given their small number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigil Posted February 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 (edited) Is anything being done to reach out to these communities? I know there is Armenians in Turkminster and other Ex-Soviet Nations. We need to restructure a new network. Edited May 31, 2004 by Vigil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Anka_ Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Hey I've been to Hungary about 9 times when I was a kid. We used to spend our summer there. Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe even though I lived on the shores of lake Balaton, which was about 6 hours away from Budapest. I had the time of my life there.....I never saw any Armenians there. I remember my dad saying something about an Armenian church in Budapest, but I don't know much about it. Where I lived it was mostly Hungarians, Germans, and Austrians (tourists). One of the things that I remember the most is how much the Hungarians hated the Russians. I remember number of times when parents found out that I was from Soviet Union they would not allow their kids to play with me because I was considered "Russian" in their eyes even though I told them about million times that I'm Armenian not Russian but I guess if you were from SU back then then you were considered "Russian". Hungary Rocks! Can't wait to go back there one day... I was also fluent in Hungarian but not anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasun Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 One of the things that I remember the most is how much the Hungarians hated the Russians. That's true, I guess this happened because the Soviets invaded Hungary (by the way, Anastas Mikoyan was in charge of the invasion, so there is a reason to hate Armenians as well ). They also pretend not to understand Russian. Many older people know Russian but they won't reply to you in Russian even though they understand. Instead they will reply in Hungarian or at best German. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Anka_ Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Sasun, that's true that many older people spoke and understood Russian. For example, most of my father's co-workers spoke Russian. One of them was even German who studied in Moscow for couple of years. I also remember this one time when I was playing with my father's friend's son and some man approached us who knew his father so after a while he asked the boy what I was so he answerd by saying that "she's Russian" and after finding out that I'm russian the man looked at me in disgust (I was about 8 or 9 years old) and asked the boy to stay away from me hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe I absolutely agree. Budapest rocks!!!! Those curves at the Danube and the Hilton, and the night life.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 Here is what precious little was said about Armenians of Hungary. Anyway, it was Transsylvania which belonged to Hungary since the country was founded in the 10th century; that's where the best of Hungarian culture comes from, and it's something to us like Anatolian Armenia to you. There also were a lot of German and Armenian towns and communities there but it's now all gone, thanks to the joined efforts of Communism and Roumanian chauvinisme. http://armenians.com/forum/index.php?act=S...sult_type=posts I have also found quite an extensive info about Armenians in Hungary. See if I can translate and compact it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 This is from the SovArm Encycl. (needs an urgent updating where the likes of Haydar Aliev and his ilk are not presented as "national heroes" anhymore) hence it may be a little dated, however the part that we will stress is relatively ancient and historical with very little Soviet propaganda as can be. Hayer@ Hungariayum. Hungarakan skzbnaghbyurneri(Gyoza, Turoki)hamadzayn, hayer@ Hungariayum sksel en bnakutyun hastatel X-XI dd. Armenians of Hungary. According to Hungarian sources (chronographers Gyoz and Turoki)Armenians have begun to inhabit the lands of Hungary as early a the X-XI c. This is attested by many localities' names that include "hay" or "haykakan"(??) in their toponyms. It is interesting to note that in the XIII c. the then king of Kilikia, Levon II and king Andrash II had signed a treaty of friendship. During that period there was a sizable Armenian community and an Arenian quarter in the then capital city of Esztergom, the inhabitants of which had taken part in the struggle against Mongolian and Tatar invaders (1240-41). During the late XIII and early XIV c. the flow of Armenians had subsided at which time Armenians are only mentioned in reference to the city of Buda (half of Buda-Peshta) and Transylvania. Emigration, once a gain resumed during the XV-XVI c. when some 3000 Armenians, due to dire economic and political condtions relocated from Moldova, the majority of which found a new home in Dyerdyosesnmiklosh and Chiksepviz, and Pesterze (Bistriza now)became the Armenian spiritual center in Transylvania. Here Armenians towns of Gerla and Elizathoupolis (Dumberven now) were established with a (Armenian)semi-autonomy with a city council, judicial court, churches. schools, theater and libraries. These Armenians who were mainly in the trades and commerce were granted special dispensations and permits by the princes of Transylvania and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Leopold I decreed the Armenian towns as cities and fornbade any other ethnicities to inhabit them. During this time Armenian delegates from these towns were invited to national convocations and were declared them full fledged citizens. For centuries Armenians living in Hungary have taken active part in the country's cultural, economic and social life. The most memorable of this is their active participation in the struggle to rid the country of the Ottoman oppression, during 1848-49 the Hungarian Armenians contributed to the struggle by military volunteers, national guards as well as in the provision of arms and food. During this period some Armenians made names for themselves, the likes of Erne Kish, Vilmosh Lazar, Yanosh Tsets and others. Many Armenians also took part in the administration and government, be it domestic or foreign, the likes of ambassador Petros Apetik, Ishtvan Koroven, minister of communication and Ernest Daniel, who as minister of commerce undetook the organization of international trade exhibition of Budapesht. Many Armenians also contributed to the cultural and scientific areas, Gabriel Volf and the surgeon Anton Tsets in medicine, the rector of the Hungarian University Ateopat Braham, physicians Martinos Chavush, Grigor Badrubanyan, dramatist Gergel Chikin and poet Moritz Lugach and Ghukas Badrubanyan, painter Shimon Holoshin. During the 19th c. Armenians of Hungary felt the powerful forces of asimilation and to counter this a group of intellectuals like Khachik Songotian,Anton Molnarian, Hulios Mirzayan and Vardan Estgarian et al began a concerted effort to preserve and promote the Armenian language and culture and they founded the monthly magazine Armenia in 1887 that lasted until 1907. An Armenian museum was built in Gerla. This movement effectively stemmed the rate of assimilation until 1915 when in the wake of the Genocide new immigrants once again fortified the ranks and many new societies, jurists, artists and writers, and new publications were produced. In latter days academician Bela Ishekuts, bibliographer Alejsantr Gozochai, singer Shtefania Moldovan, composer Tibor Kozochai and painter Tibor Vakar were some of the luminaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jend Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 It is already 8 moths that I'm in Budapest. I know Armenian diaspora here, not very closely, but anyway... I like the khachkar for victims of Genocide on Danube bank. I discovered in the very beginning. We were walking on Vaci str and then decided to walk along the river bank. And that's was a big suprise! Later on, when I met them, they told it that it was two times as Turkish and Azerbadjanian representatives were asking the authorities of Budapest to take it out, but anyway it is still there. Sasun can you tell me where is the armenian church? As I was two times on patarag but it was not in armenian church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasun Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Jend, unfortunately I have forgotten the address of the Armenian church. All I can remember it was on a hill on the Pest side of the city, near Danube Here is some info on Budapest Armenians I found on the web. I am sure if you contact the office in Deak F. St they will tell you where it is. You can also visit them, they are very welcoming to Armenians. It is quite likely that the Armenian Catholic Priesthood listed below is the church I know. Back then (6 years ago) they were trying to join Ejmiatzin officially, if you could find out please let us know if they have managed to do that. Armenian National Self-Government 1052 Budapest, Deák F. u. 17. Phone: (36 1) 267-6203, fax: (36 1) 267-3181 President: Avanesian Alex Armenian Cultural and Information Centre 1052 Budapest, Deák F. u. 17. Phone: (36 1) 267-3181 Armenian Catholic Priesthood 1111 Budapest, Orlay u. 6. Phone: (36 1)385-1316 People of Armenia Cultural Association 1111 Budapest, Budafoki út 15. Phone/fax: (36 1) 209-5890 President: Avanesian Alex Editorial Office of Ararat 1052 Budapest, Deák F. u. 17 sz. Tel.: (1) 267-6203, fax: (1) 267-3181 Editor in chief: Karapetian Karine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 There was a Hungarian book, published last year, that connected in some way (I've not actually seen the book) the Armenian churches in Hungary with those of Ani in Armenia. Anyone know of an online Hungarian bookshop!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyRoss Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 (edited) Armenians in Hungary are about 30 000 Source http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/hongriegeneral.htm Edited February 24, 2004 by MartyRoss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanik Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 yep there are armenians in hungary, my cousin lives there with his wife and they also have a baby. and indeed, budapest is a very beautiful country. i didn't see the khachkar nor the armenian church there, too bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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