A.G.B.U. Hadjin Orphanage, The

Description

The Haigazian University Press issued the register of the AGBU Hadjin Orphanage, with an introductory by Dr. Antranik Dakessian. The orphanage was founded in Damascus, during the last days of WWI. During the Armistice, with its 66 orphans the orphanage was relocated to Hadjin where other orphans were sheltered bringing the total number to 212. After a peaceful year of reconstruction, Hadjin was besieged and after a heroic defense of 8 months the city was overrun by the Turks who massacred the some 7000 Hadjintsis alongside the orphans. Not more than 400 Hadjintsis, 8 orphans and a few staff of the orphanage survived the carnage. This bilingual volume reproduces the profile of the orphans based on the original register which was recovered from the AGBU Cairo archives. Alongside a passport size photo of the orphans, it details their age, birthplace, exile location, their parents’ and relatives destiny, and the name of their financial caretaker. In his introduction, Dr. Dakessian highlights the exodus of the returning Hadjintsis, the efforts made for the reconstruction of their lives and birthplace. An extensive profile of the orphanage and its relocation is narrated too, and how the orphanage contributed to the revitalization of the beleaguered town. The volume includes a map that shows the birthplaces and exile locations of the orphans, a diagram of the defense positions, a few pictures, and an appendix of the names of the orphans.