A Swiss bank has recently published the list of accounts with no activity on them for a considerable period of time, calling on possible heirs to come forward by 2020. One name in particular, draws attention, Ibranossian Garabed, a member of one of the best known merchant families of the Ottoman Empire. Vartan Estukyan from Agos unfolds the Ibranossian family history through an interview with Assoc. Dr. Oya Gözel Durmaz, who has researched the family’s history and provides insight into the lives, the challenges faces and the fate of the family.
The Ibranossian sewing atelier in Amasya, 1910
Below is the English translation of the interview.
Vartan Estukyan: Could you tell us about Garabed Ibranossian and the Ibranossian family?
Oya Gözel Durmaz: The Ibranossians were an Armenian family from Amasya who made their considerable fortune in production and trade over the last stretch of the Ottoman rule. The family owned a chain of trade stores in various cities of the Empire and settled in Istanbul in 1890-s. We know that they built a school in Amasya. The most prominent figure of the family was Maruke Ibranossian, who is mentioned in the family’s trade documentation as someone who has achieved great success. Maruke and his brother Yeprem founded the company “Ibranossian Brothers.”
We come across Garabed Ibranossian’s name as a company shareholder. There is also a document concerning him in the Ottoman archives, incidentally, it is a document connected to Switzerland. Garabed’s wife goes to Switzerland for treatment and in September of 1918, she asks permission from the Ottoman government to allow her to return. Therefore, we see that Garabed Ibranossian already had a connection to Switzerland due his wife’s health issues. We could assume that, being an internationally trading merchant, another side of this connection would be banking.
Vartan Estukyan: What role did the family have in Ottoman trade?
Oya Gözel Durmaz: The Ibranossians, with over 40 stores in various vilayets, were important figures in the small business sector. On the other hand, they owned the Ibranos Shiping Company, and had a stake in international trade as well with their cargo ships.
Vartan Estukyan: There is the opinion that the Ottoman Empire had drawn out a special plan to bankrupt this family, what are your thoughts on that ?
Oya Gözel Durmaz: I do not agree with this hypothesis, on the contrary, the story of Maruke Ibranossian, the company founder and the most prominent member of the family, shows a completely different reality. During the first months of the deportations, he was tried in a military court in Kesaria but having no connection to the Armenian committees, was acquitted. Maruke was not deported, he continued to reside in Istanbul but converted to Islam. This way he regained the rights to his assets, and being spared the consequences of the deportation, continued to trade. The family faced major issues after Maruke’s sudden death in 1920. According to state register, he was a Muslim at the time of his death, and the Islamic inheritance law prohibited passing inheritance to heirs of different religion. Based on this principle, the government denied Maruke’s relatives’ claims. The ships were confiscated by the government and the Ibranossian commercial activities ceased.
Vartan Estukyan: During your research what did you find most noteworthy ?
Oya Gözel Durmaz: Until very recently, when discussing the deportations and the tragedy that struck the Armenian society, we ignore social class distinctions. We now know that these [class]differences have resulted in different stories. Through Ibranossian’s example we see that these distinctions and having “good” ties with the government have brought to completely unlikely outcome. We are talking about a “fortunate” merchant, who was spared deportation and got to keep the right to his assets. Of course, we should not forget that not all the members of the Ibranossian family had the same lucky. The branch of the family that stayed in Amasya was deported to Aleppo.
Vartan Estukyan: Do you have information about Ibranossian family heirs?
Oya Gözel Durmaz: The family story ends in the 1920s. The names Garabed, Mihran and Berj are mentioned as Ibranossian Brothers company shareholders. But with the first years of the Republic, information about the family runs out. The last bits of information are the company liquidation notices. As to what happened afterwards, whether family members stayed in Turkey or fled to other countries, is unknown. Recently, I’ve been trying to find Maruke Ibranossian’s tomb. It’s written that he was buried at the Sisli Armenian cemetery, but there is no information in the cemetery records. There are various Ibranossians, Ipranossians and Epranosians online, but it is impossible to correspond with all of them one by one. May be this interview will be a trigger and I’ll be able to find more information.