Discover Armenia: Lecture on culture and history in Herne!

Discover Armenia: Lecture on culture and history in Herne!

On Thursday, June 5, 2025, a lecture and travel report about Armenia will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Herne Cultural Center. The event, organized by the Herne Adult Education Center, has a participation fee of 7 euros. The speaker will be Clemens Schmale, who will take the audience on an exciting journey through the history and culture of Armenia. The focus is particularly on the famous Mount Ararat and Armenia's geopolitical location between the former Ottoman Empire, Azerbaijan, Persia and Russia.

The topics of the lecture range from cultural identity and national sovereignty to the important role of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which represents a central pillar of Christianity in the country. Schmale will also discuss Armenia's history, including the Soviet era, and shed light on the country's importance in today's world. Online registration for the event is possible.

Cultural and religious roots

The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest churches in the world with around nine million members. It has two Catholics, one in Etchmiadzin and one in Sis, as well as two patriarchates in Jerusalem and Constantinople. Etchmiadzin Cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and is home to the roots of Armenian Christianity.

The church claims to have an apostolic foundation, with the apostles Judas Thaddeus and Bartholomew considered the founding fathers. The first mention of Armenian Christians can be found in the polemic “Adversus Judaeos” by Tertullian around 197. A significant turning point in the history of Armenian Christianity was the conversion of King Trdat III. by Gregory the Illuminator, which led to the adoption of Christianity as the state religion around 301.

The development of the church

The Armenian Apostolic Church rejects the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon of 451 and is therefore one of the pre-Chalcedonian churches. In the 5th century, monastic life was established in the Judean Desert. The Kingdom of Lesser Armenia in Cilicia also flourished under Armenian kings in the Middle Ages.

After the October Revolution in 1917, Armenia became a Soviet socialist republic, which led to the nationalization of church institutions. The support of the Soviet Army during World War II led to an improvement in the church's situation, and the election of George VI. to Catholicos in 1945 marked an important phase in the re-establishment of the Armenian Church.

In the order of worship of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Holy Liturgy is celebrated, which consists of several parts and also includes nine daily prayers. The church music is based on its own tetrachord system, which underlines the peculiarity and cultural identity of the church.