The Armenian community of the Netherlands

Historical Overview

The first indications of Armenian-Dutch relations date to the 4th century, when the Armenian clergyman Saint Servatius (according to some sources, his name is Srbatios-Serovbe, and in Dutch he is also called Sint Servaas) was established in the Netherlands. According to the Latin sources, he was the first bishop of the Netherlands and died in 384. His relics are buried in one of the main churches of Maastricht, in the Basilica of St. Servaaskerk, built in his honor.

The Dutch and the Armenians communicated also during the Crusades. It is also known that in the 13th century, on the way to the East, Dutch merchants visited Cilician Armenia, as a result of which business contacts were established between them and the local Armenian merchants. The first information about Armenian merchants visiting Amsterdam was registered in 1560-1565. In the capital of the Netherlands, they established trading houses, engaged in the sale of paints, spices, carpets, precious stones, silk (the trade monopoly of which belonged to the Armenians until 1765). In the first half of the 17th century, a small number of people from Jugha (Julfa) migrated to the Netherlands. In the 1660s, there was already an established Armenian community in Amsterdam. In the 1700s, more than 70 Armenian families lived here, including the Armenian representatives of international trading houses. The city of Amsterdam was the center of their activities. The local Armenians had a market (known as the "Eastern Market"), merchant ships sailing under the Dutch flag, the famous "Armenian Copper Man" and "Armenian Merchant" ships. By the end of the 18th century, the number of Armenians in the Netherlands reached 800.

Armenian typography

In the 17-18th centuries Amsterdam was one of the famous centers of Armenian typography. In 1660 a printing house was established in Amsterdam, the founder was Matteos Tsaretsi. This printing house was headed by Voskan Yerevantsi from 1664. The first Armenian publication of the Bible was carried out in that printing house. The publishing of Armenian books was carried out by the priests from Holy Etchmiadzin. In 1714, the Armenian Church of the Holy Spirit was built in Amsterdam. In the following years, after the Napoleonic invasions, the Armenian community began to decline. In the 18th century, when French troops occupied the Netherlands, trade routes were closed, and Amsterdam and other coastal cities lost their former commercial role. Most of the Armenians emigrated from the country, and some of them assimilated over time. The Netherlands was mainly inhabited by Indonesian-Armenian merchants, who had their second place of residence in the Netherlands.

World War I, the Armenian Genocide

In 1894-1896, due to the Hamidian massacres in Turkey and in 1915 followed by the Armenian genocide, some Armenians found refuge in the Netherlands, but many of them later settled in other countries. Immediately after the First World War, a Dutch Commission for the Relief of Armenian Refugees was established in the Netherlands, which included prominent Dutch state and public figures.

World War II

During World War II a group of Armenians, former soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army, took an active part in the Dutch Resistance movement. In 1942, on the initiative of the command of the armed forces of Nazi Germany, Soviet military prisoners were formed into national military units, legions. An Armenian legion was formed, which was stationed in Poland. In 1942, an underground anti-fascist organization was formed in one of the latter's battalions, after the discovery of which the fascists transferred the battalion to the Dutch island of Schouwen (Schouwen-Duiveland) in 1943. Here, the Armenian legionnaires managed to get in touch with the Dutch Resistance movement through the Dutch-Armenian businessman Alexander Hakobyan, to take part in the struggle of the Dutch patriots against the German invaders. Babken Sakanyan, Abraham Abrahamyan, Azat Khachatryan, Andranik Mirzoyan, Sargis Karapetyan and others fought on Dutch soil, whose achievements were highly praised by the leaders of the Resistance movement.

Armenians took part in the liberation of the Netherlands as part of the American and Canadian expeditionary forces.

Armenian soldiers are buried in the Soviet Army Pantheon in Leusden. Armenian soldiers are buried in the American military pantheon in the state of Limburg.

The formation of the current Armenian community

The current Armenian community in the Netherlands was formed after the Second World War. In 1948, about 50 Armenian families emigrated to the Netherlands from Indonesia, a former colony of the Netherlands.

In 1956, quite several Armenian families came from Greece, and in 1963 from Iran. In the 1960 - 1970s, about 400 Armenians from different cities of Turkey moved to the Netherlands to find a job. In the 1960-1970s, about 800 Armenians from Diyarbakir settled in the Netherlands, mainly from the village of Shirnak, Ghozghat, which borders Turkey to the south-east of Iraq.

In the 1970-80s, the Armenian community of the Netherlands was replenished with compatriots who emigrated from Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number of Armenians in the Netherlands increased sharply, mainly due to immigration from Armenia to several other Soviet republics. In recent years, several hundred families from Iraq and Syria have settled in the Netherlands.

Currently (2020) about 40,000 Armenians live in the Netherlands. They are concentrated in Amsterdam, Almelo, Amersfoort, The Hague, Leiden, Dordrecht, Rotterdam, Assen, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Maastricht and elsewhere.

The Armenians of the Netherlands belong to the middle and upper class: old and new businessmen and merchants, intellectuals, engineers, architects, doctors, lawyers, journalists, high school teachers, high-ranking officials, artists, and scientists.

A significant number is employed in the textile industry. The national life of the community is organized by the church and cultural associations. Educational and cultural organizations, youth scout detachments, sports groups and Armenian language courses are organized in almost all Armenian-populated cities.

Spitak earthquake

In 1988, after the Spitak earthquake, the Dutch-Armenians set up a committee to help the disaster zone, organized a fundraiser, sent food, medicine and money to Armenia.

Church - The first Armenian Apostolic Church in Western Europe

The Dutch Pastor of the Armenian Apostolic Church was formed in 1989. It is included in the patriarchal delegation of Western Europe.

The Church of the Holy Spirit in Amsterdam was built in 1714 with the help of Armenian merchants. The church became the center of social and cultural life of the Armenians of Amsterdam. Due to the decrease in the number of Armenians, the church was sold to the Catholic Congregation in 1828, which turned it into a school. Part of the property belonging to the church was moved to Etchmiadzin. In 1987, the Armenian community of Amsterdam bought the church building back with donations from the AGBU, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and from other benefactors. The consecration of the Church of the Holy Spirit took place in November 1989. The caring pastor of the church is Father Taron Baghdasaryan.

St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Almelo has been operating since 2003. In 1991, with the donations of the Armenian population and the Dutch church in Almelo, a school building was purchased, one of the halls of which was turned into a place of worship. In May 2003 it was consecrated as St. Gregory the Illuminator Church. The caretaker pastor of the Armenian community of Almelo is father Mashtots Baghdasaryan.

St. Karapet Church in Maastricht was opened on 26 January 2013. It is the third Armenian church in the Netherlands, after the Churches of Almelo and Amsterdam. The building of St. Garabed was formerly a Catholic monastery, which was handed over to the Armenian community by the Roermond Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. St. Garabed was solemnly consecrated by the Primate of the French Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Norvan Zakaryan.

There are Armenian educational and cultural organizations in different parts of the Netherlands. Several community organizations are also active in promoting a pro-Armenian stance in the Netherlands on issues of primary importance to the Armenian people, and countering Turkish-Azerbaijani propaganda.

In recent years, young Armenians living in the Netherlands have become involved in politics, joining political parties, and politicians of Armenian descent have been elected to various state and city councils.

The Armenian structures active in the Netherlands are the Federation of Armenian Organizations of the Netherlands and the ARF Armenian National Committee.

The Gladzor Armenian Student Union, which was founded in 2006, is active in the field of higher education in the Netherlands.

The Armenian-Dutch medical company has been operating in the Netherlands since 2012.

The "Niderlandakan Oragir" electronic newspaper which is being published since 2012 has its important and unique place, covering the important events of the Armenian community in the Netherlands.

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