Armenians in Poland

The Armenians in Poland are one of the oldest national minorities in Poland. They settled in the Middle Ages in the cities of Lviv and Chernivtsi in between, especially as merchants, intermediaries between Europe and the countries of the Middle East. Their descendants currently play an important role in Polish culture.

They brought with them their culture and religion. As Christians, they had little difficulty adapting in Polish society. They built their own houses of worship, talked contacts with their mother country and the religious center of all Armenians in Etchmiadzin. Already in 1356 had the Polish king Casimir the Great, the autonomy of Polish Armenians and recognized them in 1367 allowed an Armenian Cathedral in Lviv erect. It was the Armenian archeparchy Lviv.

Because of the knowledge of oriental languages ​​often Polish Armenians were sent as diplomats in the Middle East countries.

By 1630 recognized the bishop of Polish Armenians, Nicholas Torosowicz, to the ecclesiastical authorities of the Vatican over the Polish Armenians. The Polish Armenian Catholic believers kept the traditional rite.

The Armenians took surnames in Polish mold formed of Armenian and Polish given names ending in- wicz how Torosiewicz ( Toros ) or Sarkisiewicz ( Sarkis ).

The Armenian ethnic group came from eminent Polish artists and scholars, as the composer Krzysztof Penderecki and film director Jerzy Kawalerowicz.

After 1945, most Armenians left the occupied territories of the Soviet Union and settled in cities like Wroclaw, Opole and Gliwice.

After 1989, many political and economic emigrants from Armenia came to Poland and found support from the Society of Polish Armenians. As of the 2002 census, 1,100 Polish citizens named as Armenian nationality. For 2003, the number of Armenians was estimated to be 5000-8000. The Armenians speak in general no more Armenian, but belong to the Armenian Orthodox Church. The only parish located in Gliwice.