Karen Jeppe
Encyclopedia
Karen Jeppe was a Danish missionary
and social worker, known for her work aid worker
with Ottoman Armenian refugees and survivals of the Armenian Genocide
, mainly widows and orphans, from 1903 until
her death in Syria in 1935. She was a member of Johannes Lepsius
's Deutsch Orient-Mission (German Orient Mission) and assumed responsibility (in 1903) for the Armeinian children in the Millet Khan German Refugee Orphanage after the 1895 Urfa massacres.
, from her school headmaster H. C. Fredericksen (called also Friser) who represented an article written by Aage Meyer Benedictsen (1866–1927), a Danish-Jewish-Icelandic linguist, writer, philologist and a secular antiimperialist intellectual. Shortly after, she attended Benedictsen's lecture in Copenhagen
, where he ended his talk by a cry for help to the Armenian people, passed on from an old Armenian. Benedictsen himself, was one of the first Danish cosmopolitans who was interseted in the persecution of the Ottoman Armenians, and during one of his travels to Persia he visited the German Orient Mission in Urfa, which had started a school-orphanage, under the direct supervision of the German clergyman Johannes Lepsius
. When Benedictsen returned to Denmark
in 1902, he took the initiative to found the secular organization of the Danish Friends of Armenians ("Danske Armeniervenner" DA).
Deeply moved by Benedictsen's lecture, Jeppe was informed by him that Dr. Lepsius was just looking for a woman teacher for the school in Urfa. On 1 October 1903, she left home for a long journey across Europe
and Asia Minor
to arrive in Urfa (nowadays Şanlıurfa
in Turkey
), where she was welcomed by hundreds of Armenians, gathered to meet the newly-arrived European lady. Within a year, she learnt Armenian
, Arabic
and Turkish
, after which she started working at the school introducing new methods of teaching.
In 1909, after the Adana massacre
s, Jeppe continued her work in providing the daily bread for the Armenians, buying a piece of land in the mountains, where she planted vineyards, building up good relations with Kurds and Arabs. She was assisted by Misak Melkonian, a young Armenian orphan whom she had adopted. During that period, Jeppe had also adopted Lucia, an orphan survival of the Genocide.
, massacres and mass killings of Armenians were conducted by the Young Turks
. Jeppe tried to organize rescue efforts. and help the Armenian refugees driven through Urfa, on their way to the camps of death
in the Syrian desert of Deir ez-Zor, with providing food and water and hiding many of them under the floor of her house. She never left Urfa during the war and helped many Armenians to escape by disguising them as Kurds and Arabs. After World War I
she was forced, due to ill-health, to return to Denmark in 1918, where she campaigned on behalf of Armenians.
. Upon her arrival at Aleppo
in 1921, she found employment for Armenian widows by establishing orphanages, schools, medical clinics and workrooms, then worked to rescue two thousand Armenian women and children scattered in the area, as Aleppo director of the Commission for the Protection of Women and Children in the Near East, under the auspices of the League of Nations
. However, the situation was deeply worsened in 1922, as new waves of Armenian refugees arrived in Aleppo escaping from the massacres in Cilicia
, as the French troops -despite promises to the contrary- had evacuated Cilicia in 1921, leaving thousands of Armenians to be killed or expelled by Turkish nationalists.
In 1924, after negotiations with a rich Bedouin
sheik; Hadjim Pasha, Jeppe rented parts of his lands to the west of Aleppo in the valley of Euphrates
, at a fair price. In 1925, she was joined by two new assistants from Denmark; Jenny Jensen and Karen Bjerre who helped her to concentrate her efforts on this project. On the other hand, the French rulers in Syria
had offered to create an agricultural colony for the Armenian refugees, but nobody joined in. However, the Armenians had lost confidence in the French rulers, after their withdrawal from Cilicia, which brought a fatal consequence to many of their compatriots.
Hadjim Pasha became a good friend of Karen Jeppe, helping her with practical things and maintaining the security of the new Armenian settlers through his status and the effect that he had in the region.
Jeppe visited Denmark for the last time in autumn 1933. Upon her return to Syria, she had been affected by malaria
. Having partly recovered, she continued to direct her efforts towards the development of the newly-created Armenian communities. In the summer of 1935, she suffered a more serious attack of malaria during her stay at her white house in the agricultural colony. She was taken to the hospital in Aleppo, where she died on 7 July 1935, at the age of 59.
Karen Jeppe was described as the "Danish Mother of Armenians" by the Golden Apricot International Film Festival. She was buried in the Armenian cemetery of Aleppo.
The first-established Armenian higher educational college in Aleppo (opened in 1946) is named after Karen Jeppe.
The Danish government honoured Karen Jeppe by making her a Knight of the Legion of Honour of Denmark.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and social worker, known for her work aid worker
with Ottoman Armenian refugees and survivals of the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, mainly widows and orphans, from 1903 until
her death in Syria in 1935. She was a member of Johannes Lepsius
Johannes Lepsius
Johannes Lepsius was a German Protestant missionary, Orientalist, and humanist with a special interest in trying to prevent the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. He initially studied mathematics and philosophy in Munich and a PhD in 1180 with an already award-winning work...
's Deutsch Orient-Mission (German Orient Mission) and assumed responsibility (in 1903) for the Armeinian children in the Millet Khan German Refugee Orphanage after the 1895 Urfa massacres.
Before World War I
In 1902, Jeppe first heard about the persecutions of the Armenians in the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, from her school headmaster H. C. Fredericksen (called also Friser) who represented an article written by Aage Meyer Benedictsen (1866–1927), a Danish-Jewish-Icelandic linguist, writer, philologist and a secular antiimperialist intellectual. Shortly after, she attended Benedictsen's lecture in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, where he ended his talk by a cry for help to the Armenian people, passed on from an old Armenian. Benedictsen himself, was one of the first Danish cosmopolitans who was interseted in the persecution of the Ottoman Armenians, and during one of his travels to Persia he visited the German Orient Mission in Urfa, which had started a school-orphanage, under the direct supervision of the German clergyman Johannes Lepsius
Johannes Lepsius
Johannes Lepsius was a German Protestant missionary, Orientalist, and humanist with a special interest in trying to prevent the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. He initially studied mathematics and philosophy in Munich and a PhD in 1180 with an already award-winning work...
. When Benedictsen returned to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1902, he took the initiative to found the secular organization of the Danish Friends of Armenians ("Danske Armeniervenner" DA).
Deeply moved by Benedictsen's lecture, Jeppe was informed by him that Dr. Lepsius was just looking for a woman teacher for the school in Urfa. On 1 October 1903, she left home for a long journey across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
to arrive in Urfa (nowadays Şanlıurfa
Sanliurfa
Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language , in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323 inhabitants Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language (Syriac ܐܘܪܗܝ Urhoy,Armenian Ուռհա Owr'ha, Arabic الرها ar-Ruhā), in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), where she was welcomed by hundreds of Armenians, gathered to meet the newly-arrived European lady. Within a year, she learnt Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, after which she started working at the school introducing new methods of teaching.
In 1909, after the Adana massacre
Adana massacre
The Adana massacre occurred in Adana Province, in the Ottoman Empire, in April 1909. An massacre of Armenian Christians in the city of Adana amidst governmental upheaval resulted in a series of anti-Armenian pogroms throughout the district...
s, Jeppe continued her work in providing the daily bread for the Armenians, buying a piece of land in the mountains, where she planted vineyards, building up good relations with Kurds and Arabs. She was assisted by Misak Melkonian, a young Armenian orphan whom she had adopted. During that period, Jeppe had also adopted Lucia, an orphan survival of the Genocide.
During World War I
After the break out of the World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, massacres and mass killings of Armenians were conducted by the Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
. Jeppe tried to organize rescue efforts. and help the Armenian refugees driven through Urfa, on their way to the camps of death
Deir ez-Zor Camps
Deir ez-Zor camps were a great "killing center" in the heart of the Syrian desert where many thousands of Armenian refugees were forced into death marches during the Armenian Genocide. The US vice-consul in Aleppo, Jesse B...
in the Syrian desert of Deir ez-Zor, with providing food and water and hiding many of them under the floor of her house. She never left Urfa during the war and helped many Armenians to escape by disguising them as Kurds and Arabs. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
she was forced, due to ill-health, to return to Denmark in 1918, where she campaigned on behalf of Armenians.
Jeppe in Aleppo
After spending three years in Denmark, Jeppe decided to return to SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Upon her arrival at Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
in 1921, she found employment for Armenian widows by establishing orphanages, schools, medical clinics and workrooms, then worked to rescue two thousand Armenian women and children scattered in the area, as Aleppo director of the Commission for the Protection of Women and Children in the Near East, under the auspices of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. However, the situation was deeply worsened in 1922, as new waves of Armenian refugees arrived in Aleppo escaping from the massacres in Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
, as the French troops -despite promises to the contrary- had evacuated Cilicia in 1921, leaving thousands of Armenians to be killed or expelled by Turkish nationalists.
In 1924, after negotiations with a rich Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
sheik; Hadjim Pasha, Jeppe rented parts of his lands to the west of Aleppo in the valley of Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
, at a fair price. In 1925, she was joined by two new assistants from Denmark; Jenny Jensen and Karen Bjerre who helped her to concentrate her efforts on this project. On the other hand, the French rulers in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
had offered to create an agricultural colony for the Armenian refugees, but nobody joined in. However, the Armenians had lost confidence in the French rulers, after their withdrawal from Cilicia, which brought a fatal consequence to many of their compatriots.
Hadjim Pasha became a good friend of Karen Jeppe, helping her with practical things and maintaining the security of the new Armenian settlers through his status and the effect that he had in the region.
Life in the 1930s and death
Karen Jeppe made all possible efforts to create good relations between Bedouins and Armenian peasants, through which, she succeeded to found six Armenian farming colonies in the region of Ar-Raqqah like Tel Armen, Tel Samen, Charp Bedros, Tineh, etc.Jeppe visited Denmark for the last time in autumn 1933. Upon her return to Syria, she had been affected by malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. Having partly recovered, she continued to direct her efforts towards the development of the newly-created Armenian communities. In the summer of 1935, she suffered a more serious attack of malaria during her stay at her white house in the agricultural colony. She was taken to the hospital in Aleppo, where she died on 7 July 1935, at the age of 59.
Karen Jeppe was described as the "Danish Mother of Armenians" by the Golden Apricot International Film Festival. She was buried in the Armenian cemetery of Aleppo.
The first-established Armenian higher educational college in Aleppo (opened in 1946) is named after Karen Jeppe.
The Danish government honoured Karen Jeppe by making her a Knight of the Legion of Honour of Denmark.