Antony Krafft-Bonnard – 140
(1869-1945)
02.07.2009
Krafft-Bonar was born in a family of a pharmacist in city Aigle, canton Vaud, Switzerland, in June 15, 1869. He graduated from school in Laussane, in 1888, and then he studied theology in Lozano, Berlin, Paris till 1893. From 1893 to 1919 he was spiritual director (clergyman) in different settlements of Switzerland. Later he left the church and completely devoted himself to the Armenian question and the solution of number of problems of Armenian genocide survivors. He got married in 1894, had 4 children – 3 daughters and a son, who also joined to activities of Armenophiles, as their father.
Krafft-Bonnard started his Armenophile activities from 1896, when he had a speech on horrifying consequences of Hamidian massacres in village Begnin, Switzerland, where he was pastor. Impressed with the stunning appeal of Krafft-Bonnard several Swiss families expressed willingness to adopt Armenian children who became orphans after Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Empire. Soon with the efforts of Bonnard an institute was found in village Begnin called “Armenian hearth”, the aim of which was to shelter and take care of hundreds of Armenian refugees in Switzerland. Cooperating with George Cote, the founder of Armenophile activities in Switzerland, Krafft-Bonar was actively engaged in works of organization “Swiss society of migration and patronage of Armenian orphans” and became its president from 1896.
About 2000 Armenian orphans were sheltered in Swiss orphanages from 1898 to 1922.
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This article was published in Turkish “Alemdar” daily in 1919 by Hasan Amca – Turkish politician and eyewitness of the Armenian Genocide. The rhetoric and analysis of the text seems actually for our days and that is why it also could be regarded as an address to the current Turkish leadership. Hasan Amca wrote also memories on the Armenian deportations, which unfortunately is lost. After the end of the First World War Hasan Amca authored series of media publications in Turkish media on condemnation of perpetrators and denialists of the Armenian genocide during the court cases against the main organizers of the Armenian Genocide.
This short story was written based on an eyewitness account of Armenian massacre in Urfa in 1895. It was published in Cairo, in 1905 by A. Palyan.