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Bulgaria

From Bahaipedia
 Bulgaria
Bulgarian Bahá’ís visiting the grave of Marion Jack, 2005.
Location of Bulgaria
National AssemblyBulgaria
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 6,885,868
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 561
History:
Firsts
 -  Pioneers 1930, Marion Jack 
 -  Local Assembly 1935, Sofia 
 -  National Assembly 1992 
Official Website http://www.bahaibg.org/
Related media
Categories: Bulgaria • People

The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe. Bulgarian is the official language and Christianity is the predominant religion.

The region was part of the Ottoman Empire from the Middle Ages until achieving independence in 1908. It became aligned with the Soviet Union in 1946 and later transitioned to a democratic constitution in 1991.

A Bahá’í community was established in Bulgaria in the 1930s however due to the Second World War and local circumstances the community had to be re-established in the 1990s.

History[edit]

In the early 1900's Persian Bahá’í Haji Qalandar made a travel teaching trip to Bulgaria after a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.[2] Martha Root later visited Bulgaria in February, 1926, spending two weeks in the country during which she met with university students and had Bahá’í literature delivered to members of the Royal family of Bulgaria including the King.[3] In late 1927 Root returned to Bulgaria for a longer visit during which she spent time in Ruse, Sofia, Polvdiv, and Vratza. She delivered many public talks including at Universities and Esperantist societies.[4] In early 1928 Louise Gregory made a travel teaching trip to Bulgaria which lasted a few months.[5]

In 1930 Marion Jack pioneered to Bulgaria settling in Sofia,[6] and she was joined by George Adam Benke in 1931.[7] As of the early 1930's there were Bahá’í communities in Sofia and Turnovo,[6] with Sofia having five Bahá’ís in 1932.[8] Martha Root visited the country again in 1933,[9] and in 1935 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Sofia was established through Marion Jack's efforts.[10][11]

The Second World War disrupted teaching efforts in the country and several Bahá’ís left the country however Marion Jack decided to stay throughout the war falling into difficult living conditions as a result.[12] After the end of the War Jack resumed teaching the Faith hosting three firesides a week as of 1946.[13] Jack passed in 1954 and in 1958 a Monument was erected at her grave, as had been requested by Shoghi Effendi, by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada.[14]

Restrictions on religion in Bulgaria after it aligned with the Soviet Union curtailed the growth of a Bahá’í community however Ludmila Van Sombeek was able to make travel teaching trips to the country throughout the 1960's.[15] Restrictions on religion rapidly relaxed in the late 1980's and in 1990 the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany arranged several large scale teaching projects in Bulgaria.[16]

Teaching efforts resulted in the formation of a Local Spiritual Assembly of Plovdiv in January 1991 which was the first Assembly in the country since World War II,[17] and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Sofia was re-established in March, 1991.[18] Also in 1991 the first National Teaching Conference of Bulgaria was held,[19] and on November 26, 1991, the religion was officially registered with the Bulgarian government.[20] Rapid growth continued and by 1992 there were four hundred Bahá’ís in Bulgaria and ten Local Spiritual Assemblies and that year the National Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria was established. Rúḥíyyih Khánum represented the Universal House of Justice at the first Bulgarian National Convention.[20]

In December, 1993, the National Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria was formally registered with the Bulgarian government,[21] and the same year the first National Bahá’í Youth Conference of Bulgaria was held.[22] In 1994 four Bahá’í Holy Days were recognized by the Bulgarian Parliament,[23] and in 1995 the first Bulgarian Bahá’í women's conference was held.[24] In September 1995 the National Bahá’í Center of Bulgaria was officially opened in Sofia.[25]

In February, 2000, the first training institute using Ruhi Institute materials in Bulgaria was held in Kostenels.[26] In 2005 the Bahá’í International Community Office of Public Information hosted a public information management seminar in Sofia which gathered representatives from Bahá’í communities across Europe,[27] and a group of Bahá’ís visited Marion Jack's grave to commemorate her service to the community.[28]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ Marzieh Gail, Summon Up Remembrance, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 117
  3. ↑ M. R. Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold, Baha'i Publishing Trust: Wilmette, 1983, p 247
  4. ↑ M. R. Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold, Baha'i Publishing Trust: Wilmette, 1983, p 291
  5. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1928). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 2 (1926-1928), Pg(s) 31. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1933). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 4 (1930-1932), Pg(s) 75. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1936). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 5 (1932-1934), Pg(s) 416. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Baha'i News (1932). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 60, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ Baha'i News Letter (May-June, 1925). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 5, Pg(s) 47. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1935). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 90, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1937). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 6 (1934-1936), Pg(s) 35. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 12 (1950-1954), Pg(s) 676. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (1947). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 195, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ Baha'i News (1958). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 324, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 690. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 350. View as PDF.
  17. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 438. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 217. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 205. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 217. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 22 (1993-1994), Pg(s) 82. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 22 (1993-1994), Pg(s) 123. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1996). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 23 (1994-1995), Pg(s) 131. View as PDF.
  24. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1997). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 24 (1995-1996), Pg(s) 81. View as PDF.
  25. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1997). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 24 (1995-1996), Pg(s) 109. View as PDF.
  26. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 89. View as PDF.
  27. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2007). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 34 (2005-2006), Pg(s) 84. View as PDF.
  28. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/385/
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