Topic
Digitization of Armenian manuscripts (British Library)
The previously unknown and unexplored manuscripts of the Armenian community of Gherla (Armenierstadt) are being preserved through digitisation and made accessible to an international audience. In this international project, the GWZO is collaborating with partner institutions from Romania, Hungary and the USA.
British Library Endangered Archives Programme: Digitisation and cataloguing of Armenian manuscripts and old prints in Transylvania
The interdisciplinary, twelve-month project aims to make the rich cultural heritage of the Transylvanian Armenian community of Gherla (known for over two centuries as Armenopolis or Armenierstadt) internationally accessible. The focus is on the digitisation of manuscripts as well as the creation of a catalogue and the scientific study of early Armenian-language prints. The collection represents a hitherto unexplored source that contributes to the reconstruction of various aspects of the political, religious and intellectual life of the Armenian community in Transylvania. The manuscripts open up a complementary perspective on the liturgical development of the Armenians by documenting changes and adaptations after the ecclesiastical union with the Roman Catholic Church. Extensive colophons with references to important personalities and institutions provide an insight into the historical development of the community. The project is a collaboration between researchers from the GWZO in Leipzig, UCLA (Los Angeles) and the Péter Pázmány Catholic University (Budapest). In Gherla, they are working closely with archivists from the Roman Catholic Diocese (Alba Iulia) and the Ordinariate of the Armenian Catholic Church in Romania.