On October 5, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received Head of the Chair of Armenian Studies of the Center for the Research of Christian East at the University of Salzburg Jasmine Dum-Tragut.

During the meeting, the sides discussed issues related to Armenian studies. The Austrian Armenologist introduced the Minister of Diaspora to her several social and academic projects, as well as the activities of the Chair of Armenian Studies and the Center.

Jasmine Dum-Tragut and Hranush Hakobyan discussed Dum-Tragut’s latest project called “The Armenians of Pöch” through which the Armenologist has examined the studies on Armenian prisoners of war of WWI kept in the national archives of Austria. During the years of WWI, by a state order, anthropologist Rudolf Pöch was assigned to conduct racial studies among 5,000 prisoners of war of the Russian Empire located in the military camps of Austria, and out of those 5,000, 191 were of Armenian descent. According to the Armenologist, the archival documents contain the Armenians’ personal data, and the physical data of the Armenians were measured and compiled.

Jasmine Dum-Tragut has also conducted research on the future destinies of Armenian prisoners of war, found their inheritors and materials for study (photos, documents) and has returned them to the families of the prisoners of war.

During the meeting, the Austrian Armenologist also informed that she was planning on examining other unrevealed episodes of Armenian history.