With the opening of the new Assyrian Association in 2025 – officially known in Dutch as Assyrische Vereniging Amsterdam, a milestone was set for the social life of the migrant community. For the roughly 3,000 Assyrians who have found a home in and around Amsterdam, this closes a decades-long gap. The new association explicitly sees itself as a complementary institution to the existing church congregations and is intended to serve as a central place for cultural exchange, the cultivation of identity, and intergenerational coexistence.
The Netherlands, especially the eastern region of Twente, occupies a historically prominent place in the history of the Assyrian diaspora in Western Europe. Twente is not only home to the first Syriac Orthodox monastery in Western Europe, but it was also the seat of the first Syriac Orthodox bishop in the region. However, while a permanent and highly institutionalized community established itself early on in Twente, the development in the capital Amsterdam was more volatile.
About 40 years ago, there was already a promising attempt in Amsterdam to organize the community outside the ecclesiastical framework. At that time, Assyrians who had immigrated from the northern Syrian city of Qamishli founded the cultural association "Zelge d'Madenho" (Rays of the East). However, when a large part of this founding generation moved to the structurally stronger Twente region in the following years, the association in Amsterdam lost its membership base and eventually had to close. The re-establishment of the Assyrische Vereniging Amsterdam now builds on these historical roots and carries the legacy into the modern era after four decades.
The Assyrian Community at a Glance
- Demographics: Approx. 550 Assyrian families, or roughly 3,000 people, live in and around Amsterdam.
- Denominational Majority: The vast majority belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.
- Ecclesiastical Diversity: In addition to the Syriac Orthodox majority, there are Chaldean Catholic, Assyrian Church of the East, and Syriac Catholic parish members.
- Complementarity: The new cultural association acts entirely complementary to the religious institutions.
Today, around 550 Assyrian families live in the Dutch metropolis. The community is characterized by remarkable internal diversity. Although the traditional affiliation with the Syriac Orthodox Church is the defining element, numerous Assyrians belonging to other historic churches also live in Amsterdam. These include believers of the Chaldean Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Syriac Catholic Church.
The four pillars of the Syriac Orthodox congregation
The vitality of the Syriac Orthodox majority manifests itself particularly in the four independent churches that have emerged in the Amsterdam metropolitan area over the past decades. Each of these congregations reflects a distinct era or a specific origin within the diaspora:
- Ito dyoldath Aloho (Church of Our Lady Maria): Opened in 1982 in the center of Amsterdam, this church is the historical cradle of the congregation and bears witness to the beginnings of the Assyrian presence in the city.
- Mor Sharbil: This congregation was founded in 1993 in response to the continuous growth of the community and has formed a solid pillar of community life for over thirty years.
- Mor Gabriel: This church is primarily attended by Assyrians who have fled or immigrated from Syria. Characteristic of this congregation is the continuous use of the Arabic language in everyday life and social exchange.
- Mor Matta: This congregation serves primarily as a spiritual and social refuge for Assyrians from Iraq. Here, too, the Arabic language, alongside traditional Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, is a unifying element among the believers.
This sacred infrastructure is complemented by the Mar Benyamin church, which belongs to the Assyrian Church of the East. It is located in the town of Zeist, just outside Amsterdam, but represents a central focal point for believers from the entire region.
The newly founded association explicitly does not see itself as competition, but rather as a bridge-builder and partner to the churches. While the houses of worship preserve the spiritual home and the millennia-old liturgical heritage, the Assyrische Vereniging Amsterdam dedicates itself to secular, social, and cultural needs. The goal is to keep the Assyrian identity, language, and history alive while actively promoting integration and dialogue with the Dutch majority society. After 40 years of waiting, the Assyrian diaspora in Amsterdam has thus regained a strong, secular foundation.
You can follow the association's activities on Instagram and Facebook.
