Reference Type: Book Section
Author: Polyák, Mariann
Year: 2006
Title: Ávedik Lukács (1847-1909), Erzsébetváros történetírója
Translated Title: [Armenian assimilation in Transylvania and the Hungarian-Armenian histographer, Lukács Ávedik]
Editor: Őze, Sándor - Kovács, Bálint
Book Title: Örmény diaszpóra a Kárpát-medencében. I kötet
City: Piliscsaba
Publisher: Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar
Volume: Örmény diaszpóra a Kárpát-medencében. I kötet
Number of Volumes: I
Series Volume: 2
Pages: 83-125
Language: Hungarian
Keywords: Armenian minority, history, elites, education, assimilation, integration, settlement, Catholic Church, biographies, bibliography, modernization, self-perception, ethnic identity, dwelling, culture, politics, discrimination, interethnic relationships
Abstract: (En) Armenians were drawn on special enactments by the prince to Transylvania to repeople this sparcely populated area due to the Ottoman wars and to promote trade. First, about 300 families settled in the regions of the mountains from Moldova at the end of the 17th century and then they moved inside of the territory. Armenian society in Transylvania formed 4 towns as 4 centres, so that they lived in blocks with their own local government, they became free royal cities (libera regiae civitas) during the years of the 18th century. They renounced their privilege to be an independent nationality with their declaration to the Hapsburg monarch.
Soon after their religious union they belonged to the Roman Catholic Bishopric. They applied for their own bishop in vain to the sovereign for decades. The conditions in the 18th century after the expulsion of Ottoman army drove them into a difficult position: their market-stead narrowed and their positions in economics became insignificant. The number of the people reached some thousands persons, but this was followed by the signs of slow decline. An ideology came to alive against the sudden assimilation and to maintain the identity of Armenian people, this is called: Armenism, of which were some significant members Gyula Merza, Kristóf Szongott and also Lukács Ávedik. By the end of the second part of the 19th century, most of the Armenians lost their own language since they lived far away their original home and they did not lived on huge territories, so these all were the reasons of their fast assimilation.
Lukács Ávedik, son of Erzsébetváros (today it is Dumbrãveni in Transylvania, Romania) as a teacher and later the Armenian Catholic parson of the town tried to take initiatives which were aimed to help in maintaining the so-called Armenian self-respect. He helped Armenian education in the city, he tried to stimulate Armenian people by his articles and books in which he dealt with Armenian history, liturgy and traditions, he was concerned with the early period of Armenian history, the history of united Armenians, and with the Hungarian-Armenians' situation in his time. Although he declared himself the subject of the emperor he always tried to find the special characteristics of his people. Ávedik was admitted after his death that he could carry out his official commission precisely, but there were opinions which accused him of betraying his people supplying with this the spreading of another nationality, the Transylvanian Saxons. His personality proposes some questions, for example whether he could fulfil to be a Hungarian and an Armenian at the same time.
URL: http://ormkut.btk.ppke.hu/07Polyak.pdf