Assyrians and Syriacs in Germany

The number of Assyrians and Syriacs in Germany is estimated to be about 90,000, with 70,000 being Western Syriacs or belonging to the Syriac Orthodox Church and 20,000 being "Eastern Assyrians" or belonging to the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church. They mostly live in the western and southern parts of Germany, in cities such as Wiesbaden and Augsburg.

Being oppressed and persecuted throughout the 20th century, some arrived from the Syriac homeland seeking for a better life. But most arrived from Tur Abdin in Turkey in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the German economic plan of "Gastarbeiter"; as Germany was seeking immigrant workers, many Assyrians and Syriacs saw the economic opportunity and applied for visas.

Assyrians and Syriacs started working in restaurants or as construction workers for companies and even began running their own shops. Today, many Assyrians and Syriacs own their own businesses and are considered to be one of the more successful foreign groups.

The first Assyrian and Syriac immigrants in Germany started organizing themselves by forming culture clubs and building churches. Today there are many Assyrian and Syriacs churches and clubs in Germany where young and older people come together, celebrating tradional events such as Easter, Christmas and other important days.

Recently , Assyrian and Syriac youth who were born in Germany have become more and more interested in their culture. Being supported by various Assyrian and Syriacs clubs and organisations, seminars and workshops are often organized in which the Assyrian and Syriacs youth gather together to discuss their culture, get in contact with each other and think about how to help the Assyrian/Syriacs in their traditional homeland.

ee also

*Names of Syriac Christians

External links

* [http://www.suryoyo.de/ Aramean-Syriacs of Germany]
* [http://www.suryoyosat.de/ Suryoyo Sat Germany]
* [http://www.oromoye.de/ Federation of the Arameans in Germany - FASD]
* [http://www.ajm-online.com Assyrian Youth Federation Middle Europe]
* [http://www.bethnahrin.de Mesopotamian Club Augsburg]
* [http://www.assyrergt.de/ Assyrian Mesopotamian Association Gutersloh]