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AN ARCH FOR THE ARMENIANS FROM TRANSYLVANIA
Andrea GhiÅ£Ä~C
Noyan Tapan
09.08.2010
Translation by Hasmig Danielian
On July 15th 2010 the opening of the Armenian Museum of the Armenians
from Transylvania took place, in the Apafi Castle from DumbrÄ~Cveni,
county Sibiu. The project called ARCA (word which in Romanian means
"arch", translation: Action for Regeneration of the Armenian Community)
is a public-private partnership, where the involved societies
are: National Network of Museums from Romania, Local City Council
of DumbrÄ~Cveni, Armenian Foundation DumbrÄ~Cveni, Transylvania
Trust Foundation and Folkeuniversitetet Fjellregionen from Norway,
benefited from financial support from the Government of Norway, Island,
Lichtenstein, through Financial Mechanism of European Economic Area.
The city and the location itself have special meanings in the history
of the Armenians from Transylvania. The castle, which was built in
1552 by the nobiliary Apafi family, became in 1661 the residence of
the prince, as Mihály Apafi was installed prince of Transylvania. In
1671 he was the one who gave permission to the Armenians refugees
from Moldavia to establish in the princedom.
DumbrÄ~Cveni (ex Elisabetopole) and Gherla (Armenopolis) were the two
emblematic cities for the Armenians from Transylvania. Both prospered
thanks to the Armenian initiative spirit and in the present are the
places where grandiose Armenian-Catholic churches can be found. In
the 18th century, when the Princedom of Transylvania became part of
the Hapsburg Empire, the Apafi Castle, which was now property of the
imperial revenue authority, was bought by Armenians.
The sunset of the Armenian community in DumbrÄ~Cveni started after the
First World War and became more visible after the Second World War,
when the population emigrated or just left the city to establish in
the other greater cities of the country. Years later, it became more
obvious that the situation of the city, which before could rival with
other important cities like Sibiu and Cluj, is not the same without
Armenians. Nowadays, the city of DumbrÄ~Cveni, which is powerfully
affected by the years of transition, tries to rediscover its Armenian
roots, hoping to be back in the top of the cities.
Dioramas, another way to present the history of Armenians
First phase of the project which sights for utilizing the cultural
heritage "as a factor of durable development and social cohesion"
meant the partial rehabilitation of the Apafi Castle: renewing four
rooms and a hall of approximate 700 quadrate meters which meant
trimming and finishing the walls, reconditioning of the furniture,
reconditioning of the entry-doors and of the stairs. As Ioan Bakk
CÄ~Clinescu, president of the Armenian Foundation from DumbrÄ~Cveni
says, the second pahse meant organising these rooms as the Museum of
the Armenians from Transylvania, part of a vaste and ambitious project:
The European Center of Cultural Diversity.
The salons, each one having a theme: history, religion and every day
life of the Armenians from DumbrÄ~Cveni, present these themes through
furniture and art objects, photographs and documents, donated by the
descendents of the old Armenian families. All these are replenished
with dioramas and digital exponents: images and texts which present
aspects of the Transylvanian-Armenian heritage, viewed on the monitors
placed on the walls. The main theme of this museum represent the
travelling chests which accompanied the Armenians for centuries, during
their wanderings, exodus and exiles, interrupted by stops and leisure
which permitted, sometimes, a permanent establishment on the host land.
Those who actively participated in the development of this project
hope that the heritage of this museum will grow along with the help
of the Armenian Republic, whose ambassador, Mr. Hamlet Kasparian, was
present at the museum inauguration. Recently, Mr. Varujan Vosganian,
president of the Armenian Union from Romania, made a trip to Armenia
to make authorities there aware of this project and to obtain their
support. The ongoing rehabilitation of the Apafi Castle and the
expansion of the Centre of Cultural Diversity, which will be hosting
areas for other minorities from DumbrÄ~Cveni like Hungarians and
Gypsies, in a great proportion depends on maintaining the external
financial support. Mrs. Liv Maria Roste, general secretary of the
Embassy of Norway in Romania, who also attented this event, pointed
out that the state of Norway allocated 75.000 euros for this museum
to exist and that the financial support will continue if this action
will still be among the priorities of the Financial Mechanism of
European Economic Area.
Digital exponents in the Armenian museum from the Apafi Castle
The museum of the Armenians from Transylvania, which mainly has
digital exponents, happily completes the work of the Armenian Museum
Association from Gherla which aims to take back the rich and extremely
valuable heritage of the first Armenian museum from Transylvania,
which functioned from March 1904 until the end of the second world
war, and to re-establish this place which plays an important role in
building the "arch" which will help save the culture and tradition
of the Armenians from Transylvania.
From: A. Papazian
Andrea GhiÅ£Ä~C
Noyan Tapan
09.08.2010
Translation by Hasmig Danielian
On July 15th 2010 the opening of the Armenian Museum of the Armenians
from Transylvania took place, in the Apafi Castle from DumbrÄ~Cveni,
county Sibiu. The project called ARCA (word which in Romanian means
"arch", translation: Action for Regeneration of the Armenian Community)
is a public-private partnership, where the involved societies
are: National Network of Museums from Romania, Local City Council
of DumbrÄ~Cveni, Armenian Foundation DumbrÄ~Cveni, Transylvania
Trust Foundation and Folkeuniversitetet Fjellregionen from Norway,
benefited from financial support from the Government of Norway, Island,
Lichtenstein, through Financial Mechanism of European Economic Area.
The city and the location itself have special meanings in the history
of the Armenians from Transylvania. The castle, which was built in
1552 by the nobiliary Apafi family, became in 1661 the residence of
the prince, as Mihály Apafi was installed prince of Transylvania. In
1671 he was the one who gave permission to the Armenians refugees
from Moldavia to establish in the princedom.
DumbrÄ~Cveni (ex Elisabetopole) and Gherla (Armenopolis) were the two
emblematic cities for the Armenians from Transylvania. Both prospered
thanks to the Armenian initiative spirit and in the present are the
places where grandiose Armenian-Catholic churches can be found. In
the 18th century, when the Princedom of Transylvania became part of
the Hapsburg Empire, the Apafi Castle, which was now property of the
imperial revenue authority, was bought by Armenians.
The sunset of the Armenian community in DumbrÄ~Cveni started after the
First World War and became more visible after the Second World War,
when the population emigrated or just left the city to establish in
the other greater cities of the country. Years later, it became more
obvious that the situation of the city, which before could rival with
other important cities like Sibiu and Cluj, is not the same without
Armenians. Nowadays, the city of DumbrÄ~Cveni, which is powerfully
affected by the years of transition, tries to rediscover its Armenian
roots, hoping to be back in the top of the cities.
Dioramas, another way to present the history of Armenians
First phase of the project which sights for utilizing the cultural
heritage "as a factor of durable development and social cohesion"
meant the partial rehabilitation of the Apafi Castle: renewing four
rooms and a hall of approximate 700 quadrate meters which meant
trimming and finishing the walls, reconditioning of the furniture,
reconditioning of the entry-doors and of the stairs. As Ioan Bakk
CÄ~Clinescu, president of the Armenian Foundation from DumbrÄ~Cveni
says, the second pahse meant organising these rooms as the Museum of
the Armenians from Transylvania, part of a vaste and ambitious project:
The European Center of Cultural Diversity.
The salons, each one having a theme: history, religion and every day
life of the Armenians from DumbrÄ~Cveni, present these themes through
furniture and art objects, photographs and documents, donated by the
descendents of the old Armenian families. All these are replenished
with dioramas and digital exponents: images and texts which present
aspects of the Transylvanian-Armenian heritage, viewed on the monitors
placed on the walls. The main theme of this museum represent the
travelling chests which accompanied the Armenians for centuries, during
their wanderings, exodus and exiles, interrupted by stops and leisure
which permitted, sometimes, a permanent establishment on the host land.
Those who actively participated in the development of this project
hope that the heritage of this museum will grow along with the help
of the Armenian Republic, whose ambassador, Mr. Hamlet Kasparian, was
present at the museum inauguration. Recently, Mr. Varujan Vosganian,
president of the Armenian Union from Romania, made a trip to Armenia
to make authorities there aware of this project and to obtain their
support. The ongoing rehabilitation of the Apafi Castle and the
expansion of the Centre of Cultural Diversity, which will be hosting
areas for other minorities from DumbrÄ~Cveni like Hungarians and
Gypsies, in a great proportion depends on maintaining the external
financial support. Mrs. Liv Maria Roste, general secretary of the
Embassy of Norway in Romania, who also attented this event, pointed
out that the state of Norway allocated 75.000 euros for this museum
to exist and that the financial support will continue if this action
will still be among the priorities of the Financial Mechanism of
European Economic Area.
Digital exponents in the Armenian museum from the Apafi Castle
The museum of the Armenians from Transylvania, which mainly has
digital exponents, happily completes the work of the Armenian Museum
Association from Gherla which aims to take back the rich and extremely
valuable heritage of the first Armenian museum from Transylvania,
which functioned from March 1904 until the end of the second world
war, and to re-establish this place which plays an important role in
building the "arch" which will help save the culture and tradition
of the Armenians from Transylvania.
From: A. Papazian