Eritreans in Germany
Total population | |
---|---|
75,735[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia | |
Languages | |
Tigrinya · Tigre · Kunama · Nara · Afar, · Beja · Saho · Bilen · Arabic · English · German | |
Religion | |
Christian (Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic, P'ent'ay) · Islam |
Eritreans in Germany are citizens and residents of Germany who were born in Eritrea or are of Eritrean descent. As of 2020, there are 75,735 Eritreans living in Germany.[1]
History
Interaction between Germany and the Horn of Africa dates back to at least the early 15th century; three Ethiopian monks, Petrus, Bartholomeus, and Antonius, are recorded as having been in Konstanz from 1416-1418, and participated in the Council of Constance.[2] In the Late Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Ethiopia also controlled much of present-day Eritrea.[3] Thus, it is possible that these monks originated in what is now Eritrea.
Since the outbreak of the Eritrean War of Independence, many Eritreans have fled their homes as refugees and asylum-seekers.[4] During the war (1961-1991), an estimated 25,000 Eritreans sought refuge in Germany.[5] Between 2013 and 2020, the Eritrean population in Germany grew from 11,655 to 75,735.[1]
Eritrean supporters of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front had a strong presence in Germany. Eritrea Hilfswerk Deutschland is a German organization founded in 1976 which supported the EPLF's Eritrean Relief Association (which itself had a branch in Cologne). The Research and Information Centre on Eritrea, founded in London in 1979, had a branch in Germany as well.[6]
Geographic distribution
As of 2020, most Eritrean nationals residing in Germany live in Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Bavaria.[7] The following table lists German states by Eritrean population.
Rank | State | Population (2020)[7] |
---|---|---|
1 | Hesse | 9,780 |
2 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 8,865 |
3 | Bavaria | 8,160 |
4 | Baden-Württemberg | 5,510 |
5 | Lower Saxony | 2,585 |
6 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 2,530 |
7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 2,095 |
8 | Hamburg | 2,050 |
9 | Saxony | 1,475 |
10 | Thuringia | 1,325 |
11 | Saxony-Anhalt | 1,190 |
12 | Brandenburg | 1,065 |
13 | Berlin | 945 |
14 | Saarland | 670 |
15 | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 660 |
16 | Bremen | 395 |
Notable people
References
- ^ a b c "Bevölkerung und Erwerbstätigkeit Ausländische Bevölkerung Ergebnisse des Ausländerzentralregisters" (PDF). Destatis. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ Krebs, Verena (2021). Medieval Ethiopian Kingship, Craft, and Diplomacy with Latin Europe. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. p. 35. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-64934-0. ISBN 978-3-030-64934-0.
- ^ Salvadore, Matteo (2017). The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402–1555. New York: Routledge. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-315-61229-4.
- ^ "UNHCR declares cessation of refugee status for Eritreans". UNHCR. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Eritrea - Federal Foreign Office". Federal Foreign Office. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Conrad, Bettina (April 2010). "We are the Prisoners of our Dreams": Long-distance Nationalism and the Eritrean Diaspora in Germany (PDF) (Thesis). Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Federal Statistical Office Germany - GENESIS-Online: Result 12521-0027". Destatis. 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2021.