“GERMANY AND ARMENIA: 1914-1918” COLLECTION OF DIPLOMATIC DOCUMENTS BY JOHANNES LEPSIUS PUBLISHED IN ARMENIAN FOR FIRST TIME

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 28 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the occasion of
the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the History Institute of
RA National Academy of Sciences continues to publish works dedicated
to the Armenian Genocide. The “Germany and Armenia: 1914-1918”
collection of diplomatic documents by Johannes Lepsius has been
published in Armenian and Wolfgang Gust’s “Armenian Genocide” has
been published in Russian this year. The collection of documentary
materials by J.Lepsius that was published in Armenian for the first
time is one of the most important evidences of the genocide committed
by the Turkish government towards the Armenian people. The collection
contains secret reports of German ambassadors, consuls, diplomatic,
military representatives, which openly present the whole essence of
the Turkish government’s anti-Armenian policy. The documents were
translated from German by Valentina Minalian. She wrote in the book’s
preface that “numerous reports make certain the Turkish methods and
purpose – to exterminate the 2-million Armenian population of the
Ottoman Empire. Already in 1915 July 7 German Ambassador Wagenhaim
confessed on the basis of the reports presented to him that the
Turkish government indeed pursues the goal to exterminate the whole
Armenian nation in the Turkish Empire”. The second volume of “Germany
and Armenia: 1914-1918” collection of diplomatic documents by Johannes
Lepsius will be published in 2007. The work by W.Gust, editor of the
“Schpigel” well-known German magazine, also presents official documents
and materials kept in German archives. W.Gust continued J.Lepsius’
work and found out that the number of documents on Armenian Genocide
kept in German archives is more than 3000. To recap, W.Gust carries
out huge work in the direction of the international recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. For this purpose he created
the web site containing documents on Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1918, kept in German archives.