Reference Type: Book Section
Author: Pál, Judit
Year: 2006
Title: Örmények Erdélyben a 18-19. században
Translated Title: [Armenians in Transylvania in the 18-19th centuries]
Editor: Őze, Sándor - Kovács, Bálint
Book Title: Örmény diaszpóra a Kárpát-medencében. I kötet
City: Piliscsaba
Publisher: Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar
Volume: I
Number of Volumes: 2
Pages: 27-39
Language: Hungarian
Keywords: Armenian minority, demography, migration, traditions, culture, modernization, integration, politics, economy, employment, urbanization, social groups,settlement, interethnic relationships
Abstract: (En) According to historical tradition, Armenians were settled in Transylvania in the year 1672, but the immigration cannot only be connected to a single year; it has started much earlier than 1672 and it happened as a slow infiltration. Thogh they enjoyed some kinds of privileges from their arrival, they could not obtain a general privilege. They tried to induce the court to acknowledge them as an own nation in the begining of the 18th century, but they failed. Traditions speak about the immigration of 3000 Armenian families. We find this, or the variety of this huge number even in the latest works moderated by the rational mind. Without reducing the role of Armenians in the economic life of Transylvania, w have to lacken the 3000 number thoroughly: the number of the immigrant families could be under 300, because in 1715 there were 200-240 Armenian families in Transylvania and presumably the number of the families had never reached 3000. Moving of population could be very strong in the turn of the 17th-18th centuries and it stayed significant till the middle of the 18th century. There were more who moved back to Moldavia in the turn of the century, but the opposite direction became more important after the calming down of battles. This opposite direction, the immigrant into Transylvania took place steadily in the first third of the 18th century and it lowered till the middle of that century, moreover it continued after it occasionally during the emigration could be very insignificant after 1710. Most of the immigrants came from Moldavia probably with the help of theri family connections some of them from Poland. Armenian people were engaged in trade and handcraft explicity in leather processing in Transylvania as well as in other parts of Eastern-Europe. There was a very narrow, rich and successful trading circle within the community of Transylvanian Armenians; the major of the community was mainly tanners and merhants, they were the middle layer. The last part of the householders were engaged in trade under very modest circumstances. Double or triple occupation was also frequent because the tanner and butcher profession are related very close to animal. ande leather-trade. They were mainly specialized in cattletrade: they bought up the cattle from Transylvania and in significant numbers from Moldavia and Wallachia and then they reselled the feeded up animals in the markets of Pest and mainly in Wien. This way they played an important role in the meat supply of Wien. Their role in retailment was also very important at least in the life of the countryside. Poor Armenians went about the country as itinerant vendors with there mechandise, purchased in Pest or other towns. Consequential upon their economical functions, Armenian people was one of the introducers of modern money circulation in Transylvania where mainly natural agriculture was kep on; exactly in szekler territories. Armenian traders leased lowland plains on the Great Hungarian Plain suitable for fattening of animals already from the 18th century and they often could also buy these lands. These traders could obtain nobility for themselves as well. More and more Armenian traders settle down on these plains, so this way Armenians lost their richest and most mobile layer in Transylvania.
URL: http://ormkut.btk.ppke.hu/02Pal.pdf