Eritreans in Germany

Eritreans in Germany are citizens and residents of Germany who were born in Eritrea or are of Eritrean descent. As of 2020, there are at least 75,735 Eritreans living in Germany.[1]

Eritreans in Germany
Eritrean population in Germany by state.
Total population
75,735[1]
Regions with significant populations
Frankfurt · Kassel · Hamburg · Duisburg
Languages
Tigrinya · Tigre · Kunama  · Nara  · Afar,  · Beja · Saho · Bilen · Arabic  · English  · German
Religion
Christian (Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic, P'ent'ay) · Islam

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 Hesse9,780
2 North Rhine-Westphalia8,865
3 Bavaria8,160
4 Baden-Württemberg5,510
5 Lower Saxony2,585
6 Rhineland-Palatinate2,530
7 Schleswig-Holstein2,095
8 Hamburg2,050
9 Saxony1,475
10 Thuringia1,325
11 Saxony-Anhalt1,190
12 Brandenburg1,065
13 Berlin945
14 Saarland670
15 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern660
16 Bremen395

Notable people

References
  1. "Bevölkerung und Erwerbstätigkeit Ausländische Bevölkerung Ergebnisse des Ausländerzentralregisters" (PDF). Destatis. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. "UNHCR declares cessation of refugee status for Eritreans". UNHCR. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. "Eritrea - Federal Foreign Office". Federal Foreign Office. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. 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.
  7. "Federal Statistical Office Germany - GENESIS-Online: Result 12521-0027". Destatis. 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
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