First Café Owners of Vienna and the Proud Citizens of Austria: Past and Present of Armenian Community
The 6-7 thousand Armenian community of Austria is represented in the social, cultural and also economic life of a number of large cities. Evidences about Armenian presence in Austria date back to the 17th century. The first café of Vienna, a city with rich coffee traditions, belonged to an Armenian, who, getting permission from monarchs, was the first to import tea and coffee to Vienna. “Armenpress” took an interview from Archimandrite Fr. Tiran Petrosyan, Pontifical Legate for Central Europe and Scandinavia, about the activities and future plans of the community. In his words, there is one community in Austria, the community of the Church, where Armenians are consolidated, which is governed by Mother See of Holy&n bsp;Etchmiadzin and is called Pontifical Legate for Central Europe and Scandinavia. “Nearly 6-7 thousand Armenians live in Austria the majority of which, 3-4 thousand, reside in Vienna. We have communities also in Graz, Bregenz, Innsbruck cities, but Vienna is the centre. St. Hripsime Armenian Apostolic Church and Hovhannes Shiraz school adjunct to it with 140 pupils operate here. Pupils learn the Armenian language, literature, religion, history of the Armenian nation, geography, singing and dancing at the school”, Fr. Tiran Petrosyan informed.
To the question what is the role of Armenians in Austria and how they are represented, Fr. Tiran mentioned, “Armenians are present in almost all spheres, we have scientists, lawyers, teachers, professors, doctors, intellectuals and artists. Armenians presence in Austria is evidenced back at the end of the 17th century, 1683, when the Turks, conquering Europe, reached the vicinity of Vienna. At that time, Armenians subject to Turkey, came and found shelter here”, he said.
Fr. Tiran finds it surprising that the first café in Vienna belonged to an Armenian. “Vienna is rich in cafes and coffee traditions. Here you can taste 20-30 types of coffee, and it is an interesting fact that the first one to import coffee to Austria was an Armenian. There is a small café in the city centre. Entering there you will see a marble board reading “This is the oldest café of the city. Belonged to Hovhannes Diodato or Astvatsatur” – meaning Hovhannes Astvatsaturyan”, Fr. Tiran said, adding that he was a Turkish subject, but Armenian by nationality, and arriving in Vienna asked the monarchs for a permission to import tea and coffee. He got the permission by an imperial decree and imported coffee also to Prague, Bratislava and Budapest. The priest noted that in some sense he was a monopolist at that time.
According to Fr. Tiran Petrosyan, the Austrians have started to speak about Armenia and the Armenian Genocide, it is worth recalling that the first novel on this topic is Austrian Jewish writer Franz Werfel’s “40 Days of Musa Dagh”. He also informed that on the coming April 24 an Armenian made cross-stone is planned to be raised in the central square of Innsbruck City, dedicated to the memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide. He informed that the governor, city mayor, Armenia’s Ambassador to Austria, diplomats and Church representatives will attend the opening and consecration ceremony of the cross-stone.
Fr. Tiran Petrosyan also informed that next Sunday elections of the Parish Council of Armenian Apostolic Church of Austria will be held.
