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.

In addition to orphan care, the great missionary actively organized and implemented series of activities improving the conditions of Armenian survivors. In 1896 on Bonnard’s direct initiative an assembly of Swiss cantons was held in Laussane, where it was decided to provide humanitarian aid to Armenian population of Ottoman Empire. In the meantime, again with active efforts of Krafft-Bonnard “Swiss organization of Armenian Relief” was founded, which continued its activities up to 1922. As the head secretary of the “Union of Swiss Committees of Friends of Armenia” Krafft-Bonnard steadily appealed to the leaders of Great powers concerned about the destiny of Armenian nationals of Ottoman Empire. On October 31, 1919, Bonnard sent a telegram to president of USA W. Wilson in which he was asking “to take the martyring nation under his protection”. From 1920 he was member of executive committee of “International League of Armenophiles”, and persistently appealed to League of Nations to advocate the Armenian question.

Krafft-Bonnard wrote series of works devoted to Armenian question. In one of his works he writes: “If any Armenian asks you for help, don’t treat him as a beggar, but extend a helping hand to him with respect and excuse, because we must not disavow from our responsibilities”.

AGMI issued a special postcard with limited edition dedicated to the 140th anniversary of Krafft-Bonnard.


Here is the selected list of editions by Antony Krafft-Bonnard

Haykazn Mihrdat was born in 1864 in Constantinople (Ottoman Empire), social-political figure, national deputy, president of the “Aharonyan akumb” (Aharonyan club) in Peshiqtash. He was a victim of the Armenian genocide.

November 10, 2011On November 9, 2011, the granddaughter of Fridtjof Nansen Marit Greve, with the Norwegian delegation, visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex ...

November 10, 2011On November 7, 2011, Asya Darbinyan, a graduate research fellow at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, recently spent four days at the Armenian Research Center conducting research for her dissertation on Near East Relief orphanages ...

November 9, 2011On November 6, 2011, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Head of the Russian Imperial House visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, put flowers at the eternal fire and honored the memory of the innocent victims with a minute of silence ...

October 25, 2011On October 25, 2011, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John A. Heffern accompanied by his spouse Mrs. Libby Dowling Heffern, visited ...

October 13, 2011 On October 13, 2011, Secretary General of Interpol Ronald Noble visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and put flowers at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims ...

August 31, 2011 On August 30, 2011, the regular meeting of the MFA senior staff and the heads of the diplomatic missions started in the Conference Hall of the K. Demirjian Sports and Concert Complex ...

August 27, 2011 Dr. Hayk Demoyan, director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, has become a new member of the Genocide Education Project’s (GenEd) advisory board ...

July 11, 2011 Fanny Ardant, the world known French actress, who visited Yerevan in the framework of the 8th edition of “Golden Apricot” Yerevan International Film Festival, visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial ...

June 30, 2011 Director of AGMI H.Demoyan and Deputy Director of AGMI S.Manukyan had a meeting with ambassador of RA in Russia Oleg Yesayan in Moscow. During the meeting the projects and cooperation ...

June 17, 2011 Minister of French Cooperation Henri de Raincourt visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, within the framework of his official visit to Armenia on June 16-17, and put a wreath at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims ...

June 17, 2011 The delegation headed by President of Brest Regional Executive Committee in Belarus Konstantin Sumar visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex. Mr. Konstantin Sumar put a wreath at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims ...

June 10, 2011 Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of USA, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, put flowers at the eternal fire ...

June 09, 2011 Dr. Ara Sanjian, the Associate Professor in Armenian and Middle Eastern History from University of Michigan - Dearborn had a meeting in the Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute with the staff of AGMI ...

June 01, 2011 The deputy-director of AGMI Suren Manukyan participated on conference dedicated to 150th anniversary of Fridtjof Nansens held in a city of Kharkiv, Ukraine ...