Armenians in Austria

Armenians in Austria refers to ethnic Armenians living in Austria. They number around 3,000. The Armenians live mainly in Vienna. There is also the very important presence of the Mekhitarist Order in Vienna that plays a majour role in the country and worldwide.

History

The history of Armenians in Austria dates back to the time of Vienna's liberation from the Turkish siege at the end of the 17th century, when several Armenian merchants found a new market in the Habsburg empire.

In 1775 Maria Theresia gave the official permission to the Mechitarists congregation of the Armenian Catholic Church to settle in the Habsburg empire. The Mekhitarian congregation in Vienna contributed to the spread of Armenian culture in central Europe through its printing, its library and its college for Armenian boys.

The very active, well organized Armenians of the Osman province of Suczawa (Bukowina, today a part of the Ukraine) were annexed by the Austrian empire and Armenians automatically became citizens of the empire.

In the beginning 19th century the Austrian Armenians enjoyed officially recognized status as autonomous religious community. The Armenian community in Vienna grew constantly, so that already in 1896 the first efforts were made to found an Armenian-Apostolic community. In 1912 a small chapel was established in Vienna. The First World War and its aftermath transformed the Austrian Armenian community: the area of the Bukowina Armenians was lost during the war, but a wave of immigrants came to Austria as a result of the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

After the appointment of the first Armenian pastor in Vienna in the 1920s, the number of Armenians in Austria continued to grow, also boosted by refugees from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, as well as migrant Armenian workers from Turkey and more recently from the Republic of Armenia.

Mechitarist Order in Vienna

Mechitaristenkirche: Mechitarist Armenian Catholic Church in Vienna, Austria.

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Although the monastic headquarters of the Mechitarist Order founded by Mekhitar da Pietro(1676-1749), an Armenian Catholic monk is on the island of St. Lazarus in Venice (San Lazzaro Monastero Armeno in Italian), the Mechitarists have kept an important presence in Vienna since 1810. In 1775 Maria Theresia had already given the official permission to the Mechitarists congregation of the Armenian Catholic Church to settle in the Habsburg empire.

The Vienna order flourished religiously and culturally so much that an association was formed for the propagation of good books worldwide to all Armenian communities, and a high-quality printing press that published average of six new works each year.

Contemporary History

In 1968, the Surp Hripsime Armenian Apostolic Church of Vienna was consecrated, giving a new impetus to the ever growing Armenian community in Austria. There is also a Saturday Armenian School named Hovhannes Shiraz.

Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1996. Armenia has an embassy in Vienna and Austria is represetned in Armenia through its embassy in Moscow (Russia).