Jakob Künzler
Encyclopedia
Jakob Künzler was a Swiss
who resided in an oriental
mission in Urfa
and who witnessed the Armenian Genocide.
Born in Hundwil
, Switzerland
, he worked in the canton Appenzell
and made a living as a carpenter. Afterwards he was trained in Basel
as an evangelist deacon (Krankenpfleger). In 1899 he traveled to Urfa in Turkey
, where he found his own place to work. He continued to study medicine until he became an independent operating surgeon, and later in 1905 he married Elizabeth Bender, daughter of a Christian missionary and granddaughter of an Ethiopian princess.
From 1915 to 1917 Künzler became an eyewitness to the Armenian Genocide
, the subject of his 1921 book In the Land of Blood and Tears. Despite mortal danger he helped provide, when he could, for thousands of Armenian orphans and resumed his hospital enterprise in Urfa.
He was a Swiss pharmacist who had remained in Turkey serving the sick and wounded, non-Muslims and Muslim
s alike, in a hospital in Urfa who documented accounts of massacres of various Armenian labor battalion companies.
In October 1922 he closed his hospital he worked in and moved his family to Ghazir, near Beirut
, where later he opened a center for orphans. Later he established a settlement for Armenian
widows in Beirut and a lung sanatorium in Azounieh.
Jakob Künzler observed in August 1915:
He died in Ghazir, Lebanon
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
who resided in an oriental
The Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
mission in Urfa
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...
and who witnessed the Armenian Genocide.
Born in Hundwil
Hundwil
Hundwil is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland.-Geography:Hundwil has an area, , of . Of this area, 58.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 31.2% is forested...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, he worked in the canton Appenzell
Appenzell
Appenzell is a region and historical canton in the northeast of Switzerland, entirely surrounded by the Canton of St. Gallen....
and made a living as a carpenter. Afterwards he was trained in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
as an evangelist deacon (Krankenpfleger). In 1899 he traveled to Urfa 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 he found his own place to work. He continued to study medicine until he became an independent operating surgeon, and later in 1905 he married Elizabeth Bender, daughter of a Christian missionary and granddaughter of an Ethiopian princess.
From 1915 to 1917 Künzler became an eyewitness to 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...
, the subject of his 1921 book In the Land of Blood and Tears. Despite mortal danger he helped provide, when he could, for thousands of Armenian orphans and resumed his hospital enterprise in Urfa.
He was a Swiss pharmacist who had remained in Turkey serving the sick and wounded, non-Muslims and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s alike, in a hospital in Urfa who documented accounts of massacres of various Armenian labor battalion companies.
In October 1922 he closed his hospital he worked in and moved his family to Ghazir, near Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, where later he opened a center for orphans. Later he established a settlement for Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
widows in Beirut and a lung sanatorium in Azounieh.
Jakob Künzler observed in August 1915:
He died in Ghazir, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Prizes and honors
- 1947 award by the University of BaselUniversity of BaselThe University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
- 1959 memorial in Hundwil
- 1971 earnings/service medals of the Lebanese government
- 1971 memorial in Hundwil and WalzenhausenWalzenhausenWalzenhausen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland.-History:The farm Walzenhausen was mentioned first in 1320. The church was built in 1638 in as little as nine months. This was the establishment of Walzenhausen as a municipality.In the past textiles played an...
, Switzerland (1971).
Literature
- 1929: In the Land of Blood and Tears
- 1959: Jakob, the Resource in the Service of Life