Aram Andonian
Armenian journalist, historian and writer
About Aram Andonian
Lived 1875 – 1951 (aged 75–76). Aram Andonian was a Turkish and French historian, journalist, opinion journalist, writer, public figure and draftsperson.
Aram Andonian (; 1875 – 23 December 1951) was an Armenian journalist, historian and writer.
Biography Andonian was born in Constantinople and was ethnic Armenian. There he edited the Armenian journals Luys (Light) and Dzaghik (Flower) and the newspaper Surhandak (Herald). Andonian then went on to serve in the department of military censorship of the Ottoman Empire. He was arrested by order of interior minister Talat Pasha of the Ottoman Empire on the eve of 24 April 1915, and joined the large number of Armenian notables who were deported from the Ottoman capital. Andonian was deported to Chankiri, then, halfway there, returned to Ankara and was deported again to the camps in the Ra's al-'Ayn and Meskene. However, Andonian survived in Aleppo in the underground. When British forces occupied Aleppo, a lower-level Turkish official, Naim Bey collaborated with Aram Andonian in publishing his memoirs, an account of the deportation of the Armenians. The Memoirs of Naim Bey were published in 1920, and are sometimes referred to as the "Andonian Telegrams" or the "Talat Pasha Telegrams." The telegrams are purported to constitute direct evidence that the Armenian genocide of 1915–1917 was state policy of the Ottoman Empire. They were introduced as evidence in the trial of Soghomon Tehlirian.
According to Robert Melson, Andonian's report on post-1915 deportations and killings of Armenians are crucial for the research of that period.
From 1928 to 1951 Andonian directed the Nubarian Library in Paris, and succeeded in hiding and saving most of the collection during the German occupation of Paris. He also worked to collect eyewitness testimonies of the genocide.
He is the author of a Complete Illustrated History of the Balkan War (Vol. 1–5, 1912–1913), published originally in Armenian.
Works , Constantinople, 1911. A biography of Alexander Shirvanzade. ( (Complete Illustrated History of the Balkan War)), 5 vols., Constantinople, 1912-1913. Published in Turkish translation as , Istanbul: Aras Yayincilik, 1999 (1st ed.). ( (In Those Dark Days)), Boston, 1919. ( (The Great Crime)), Boston, 1921 (English translation by Simon Beugekian, editor Taner Akçam, 2026 ). The Memoirs of Naim Bey, London, 1920.
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Important facts
People in Aram Andonian's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Aram Andonian?
Armenian journalist, historian and writer
When was Aram Andonian born?
Aram Andonian was born in 1875 in Beyoğlu.
When did Aram Andonian die?
Aram Andonian died on 23 December 1951 in 15th arrondissement of Paris.
What was Aram Andonian's occupation?
Aram Andonian was a historian, journalist, opinion journalist, writer, public figure and draftsperson.
What nationality was Aram Andonian?
Aram Andonian was Turkish and French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Aram Andonian. https://biography.guide/aram-andonian/
MLA: "Aram Andonian." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/aram-andonian/.
Chicago: "Aram Andonian." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/aram-andonian/.
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