The Armenian Library and Archive in Germany: Meeting the challenges of the 21st century

This year UNESCO declared Yerevan as the World Book Capital, based on 500- year anniversary of Armenian printing (1512-2012). Meanwhile, the German-Armenians´ Central Council announced 2012 as the Armenian library and archive establishment year in Germany. Therefore, the Armenian communities and organizations will organize various events in honor of the jubilee year, and in sake of the establishment of the Armenian library and archive. 

Of this series the first program realized the Hamburg-based "Kilikia" Youth Union presenting a literature evening dedicated to the well- known Armenian poet Paruyr Sevak in Leipzig on March 10.

  "KiliKia" Youth Union initiated the literature evening dedicated to P. Sevak in 2010 and first presented this two-hour literature evening in the Hamburg-based Armenian Union.

 In March 2011 due to the 3-day invitation by the Union of the Armenian Academics-1860 (AAV-1860)   "Kilikia“ presented the program in Bochum, Ruhr .

A member of the "Kilikia" Youth Union and  the initiator of the project dedicated to P. Sevak,  Ani Margkaryan says, "Our primary goal is to introduce the Armenian poet and his activities to the young  living in Germany  as well as  evoke love and interest towards the Armenian culture, which at some level we managed to do’’. One of the leaders of the Leipzig-based Armenian community, Anahid Babayan mentioned, "It is symbolic that the Leipzig-based Armenian community was the first to realize a cultural event from the series of programs in honor of the Armenian Library and Archive year in Germany as it was here that the first Armenian scientific-cultural center, the Union of the Armenian Academics was founded in 1860. So, let it also in the case of the library the sun of the Armenian community rise in the most eastern Armenian community of Germany.

The President of the German-Armenians´ Central Council Azat Ordukhanyan made the following comment regarding the event:  "Such programs contribute to the strengthening of the inter-community communication and create a mutual understanding between the Armenians living in different cities, provide opportunity to exchange experience, which is strictly necessary in the Diaspora". 

Through the decision of the ``Kilikia`` Youth Union and the Leipzig-based Armenian community all the proceeds from the evening will be   presented to the fund for the creation of the Armenian library and archive in Germany. The idea of establishing an Armenian library and archive in Germany is a program developed by the Union of the Armenian Academics-1860 for years. It was offered to the German-Armenians´ Central Council so as to be realized by all the Armenian communities and unions in Germany. Since 2011 the German-Armenians´ Central Council has started a large-scale action towards this direction by sending the program to about 6000 Armenian addresses, organizing telethons in September- October, which will still have continuation this year. In addition to the cultural programs within the framework of the jubilee year, the organization of telethons, the German-Armenians´ Central Council is also looking for donors for this important and significant project.

The fund for the establishment of the library will be the 300 books collected by the Union of the Armenian Academics-1860. There are also a lot of promises to make book donations. Azat Ordukhanyan notes: "For the Armenian community of about 65 000 in Germany it is of great importance to have a library as apart from the daily use, the establishment of the library and archive is also in line with the German-Armenians´ Central Council´s strategy which is to restore the image of the Armenians as the nation of science and culture``.

It remains to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Jubilee year and establish in Germany a new institution meeting   the requirements of the 21st   century, the Armenian Library and Archive.

Ofelya Sargsyan

Flensburg, Germany

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