Armenians in Hungary ( hu, magyarországi örmények) are ethnic

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...

living in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

History

The first Armenians to reach Hungary presumably arrived in the 10–11th century or even before. Armenians were present from early on in

as clearly attested in a document issued by Hungarian

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Ladislaus IV the Cuman (late 13th century). The inhabitants of the former capital of Armenia,

Ani Ani ( hy, Անի; grc-gre, Ἄνιον, ''Ánion''; la, Abnicum; tr, Ani) is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia. Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the ...

, moved to Moldavia, then, after some local conflicts, requested settlement in neighbouring Hungary. The local head of Transylvania (modern-day Romania), Prince Michael von Apaffy, gave approval for the resettlement of about 600 families; 55 families out of which received aristocracy and were even given higher titled later. They were allowed to found their own trading towns, the most notable one being Szamosújvár (today

Gherla Gherla (; hu, Szamosújvár; german: Neuschloss) is a municipiu, municipality in Cluj County, Romania (in the historical region of Transylvania). It is located from Cluj-Napoca on the river Someșul Mic, and has a population of 20,203. Three vil ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

) called ''Armenopolis''/''Armenierstadt'' or ''Hayakaghak'' (Հայաքաղաք). They founded schools, built hospitals, joined the Hungarian army and contributed to the culture of Hungary. They gained positions, became teachers, medical doctors, priests, generals, ministers, etc. They preserved their culture - see the architecture, the ceilings of the churches in

Gyergyószentmiklós Gheorgheni (; hu, Gyergyószentmiklós ) is a municipality in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. The city administers four villages: * Covacipeter / Kovácspéter * Lacu Roș ...

, the cuisine - though they respected the Hungarian traditions. Many families Magyarized their family names.

Present day

Most modern Armenians in Hungary immigrated to the country after the

dissolution of the USSR The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

. Estimates of Armenians in Hungary range from 3,500 to 30,000Généralités
living in the nation today, making up roughly 0.01% of the population. Approximately, two thirds of Hungary's Armenians population is found in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

and the surrounding Pest county. Armenians in Hungary have established 31 "self-governments" and roughly half of them speak

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

as their mother tongue.EUROPA - Education and Training - Regional and minority languages - Euromosaïc study
/ref> The

Armenian Catholic Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

Priesthood has existed in Hungary since 1924 and hosts a number of cultural programs, as does the Armenian Cultural and Information Centre in Budapest.

Notable Hungarians of Armenian heritage

Current ones: *

Tamás Aján Tamás Aján (born January 12, 1939) was the President of the International Weightlifting Federation from 2000 to 2020 and was a member of the International Olympic Committee until 2010. Early life and career Born in Gherla (Szamosújvár), Rom ...

, President of the International Weightlifting Federation and former member of the International Olympics Committee *

Tristan Azbej Tristan Azbej (born March 4, 1979) is a Hungarian politician, the State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program. He is also the Vice President of the KDNP - Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary). Li ...

, politician *

Tigran Vardanjan Tigran Vardanjan (born 26 March 1989) is a former competitive figure skater who represented Hungary. He is the 2007-2009 Hungarian national champion. Coached by his parents, Armenian-born Gurgen Vardanjan and Jeranjak Ipakjan, he trained in Budap ...

, figure skater, Hungarian national champion in 2007-2009 Prides from the past with international success: *

Ilona Dajbukát Ilona Dajbukát (1892–1976) was a Hungarian actress of Armenian ancestry. Selected filmography * '' Kiss Me, Darling'' (1932) * '' Spring Shower'' (1932) * '' Address Unknown'' (1935) * '' The Students of Igloi'' (1935) * '' Kind Stepmother'' ...

, opera singer *

Marcell Jankovics Marcell Jankovics (21 October 1941 – 29 May 2021) was a Hungarian graphic artist, film director, animator and author. He is best known for the animated films '' Johnny Corncob'' (1973; the first animated feature of his native country) and ' ...

, graphic, film maker, medalist in Cannes *

Líviusz Gyulai Líviusz Gyulai (December 2, 1937 – March 16, 2021) was a Hungarian graphic artist, printmaker, illustrator. Biography Born at BaraoltPongrác Kacsóh Pongrác Kacsóh (1873-1923) was a Hungarian composer. He is best known for his operetta based on Sándor Petőfi's János Vitéz János or Janos may refer to: * János, male Hungarian given name, a variant of John Places * Janos Municipality, ...

(1873-1923), composer *

Miklós Kocsár Miklós Kocsár (21 December 1933 – 29 August 2019) was a Hungarian composer. He was born in Debrecen, Hungary, (son of László Kocsár and Erzsébet Borsy) and studied composition at the Academy of Music in Budapest with Ferenc Farkas, gr ...

(Kotcharian) (1933-2019), composer *

Gerő Mály Gerő Mály (1884–1952) was a Hungarian film actor who appeared in over sixty films during his career, generally in supporting roles. Mály starred in the 1929 German film ''Melody of the Heart'', the first sound film released by the German stu ...

(1884-1952), actor *

Stefánia Moldován Stefánia Moldován (24 August 1929 in Sajóudvarhely – 12 April 2012 in Budapest) was a Hungarian opera singer of Armenian origin. A student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1948 to 1953, she debuted as a dramatic soprano in a product ...

, opera singer *

Edgar Chahine Edgar Chahine ( hy, Էդգար Պետրոսի Շահին: 31 October 1874, in Vienna – 18 March 1947, in Paris) was a French painter, engraver, and illustrator of Armenian descent. Biography Edgar Chahine was born in Vienna but moved to Cons ...

, painter, born in Hungary, schooled in Venice, made his career in Paris *

Oxendius Vărzărescu Oxendius Vărzărescu (Latin: Oxendius Verzellescus, Armenian: Օշենտիոս Վըրզարեան or Վրզարեան, Hungarian: Verzár Oxendius) (1655 - 1715) was the first bishop of the Armenian Catholic Church of Gherla. Biography Oxend ...

, mechitarist archbishop in Venice * Emil Telmányi (mother line: Akontz), violinist Local prides from the past: *

János Czetz János Czetz (June 8, 1822 – September 6, 1904) was a prominent Hungarian freedom fighter of Armenian and Hungarian- Székely origin, a military commander during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and the organizer of Argentina's first national m ...

(1822–1904), general, a prominent Hungarian freedom fighter, chief-of-staff of Hungarian army * Gergely Csiky (1842- 1891), drama writer of 33 plays and several books like Greek Mythology; theater is named after himwww.csiki.hu
/ref> *

István Gorove István Gorove de Gáttája (20 August 1819 in Pest – 31 May 1881 in Budapest) was a Hungarian politician with Armenian ancestry.Gudenus János József: Örmény eredetű magyar nemesi családok genealógiája Erdélyi Örmény Gyökerek, B ...

(family: Akontz) (1819-1881), politician, minister of agriculture, commerce *

Ernő Kiss Ernő Kiss (13 June 1799, in Temesvár – 6 October 1849, in Arad) was a honvéd (Hungarian Army) lieutenant-general. He was executed for his part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and is considered one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad. Ernő Kis ...

, general (1799–1849), one of the main figures of the

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 or fully Hungarian Civic Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. Although t ...

, and one of

the 13 Martyrs of Arad The Thirteen Martyrs of Arad ( hu, aradi vértanúk) were the thirteen Hungarian rebel generals who were executed by the Austrian Empire on 6 October 1849 in the city of Arad, then part of the Kingdom of Hungary (now in Romania), after the H ...

20th century: *

Gábor Agárdy Gábor Agárdy ( hy, Գաբրիել Արկալիյան, 2 August 1922 – 19 January 2006) was a Hungary, Hungarian actor, also known as Gábor Agárdi. He was born Gábor Arklian in Szeged of Armenian people, Armenian descent. He was award ...

(born Gábor Arklian), notable actor, "actor of the nation" (the highest civil rank and honor that an actor can have in Hungary) * László Endre (born Paskuian), writer *

Vilmos Lázár Vilmos Lázár de Szkáros (24 October 1817, Nagybecskerek (present-day Zrenjanin, Serbia) – 6 October 1849, Arad) was a honvéd colonel in the Hungarian Army. He was executed for his part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and is conside ...

, general (1817–1849), one of the main figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad * Zoltán Nuridsány (1925-1974), painter *

Gergely Pongrátz Gergely Pongrátz ( Gherla, 18 February 1932 – Kiskunmajsa, 18 May 2005) was a famous veteran of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He was the commander of arguably the largest and perhaps the best-known group of fighters , at the Uprising's str ...

(1932-2005), veteran of the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

, Commander of the Corvin Passage (''Corvin Köz'')

References

* in Hungarian: Gudenus János József: Örmény eredetű magyar nemesi családok genealógiája Erdélyi Örmény Gyökerek, Budapest, 2000 * in Hungarian: János József Gudenus: Genealogy of Hungaro-Armenian families, Budapest 2000. * in Hungarian: Miklós Gazdovits: Az erdélyi örmények története {{DEFAULTSORT:Armenians In Hungary

Ethnic groups in Hungary

History

Present day

Notable Hungarians of Armenian heritage

See also

References