assyrische

Assyrische is the German adjective used for things related to Assyria and the Assyrian people, as well as to the modern languages and culture associated with them. The term encompasses both ancient history and contemporary identity.

Historically, Assyria was a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire centered on cities such as Assur and Nineveh, with influence spanning parts of present-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey from roughly the 25th to the 7th century BCE. In modern usage, Assyrische also denotes the ethnoreligious community that traces descent from these ancient roots and who form a significant minority in the Middle East and a dispersed global diaspora.

Modern Assyrians are culturally diverse and predominantly Christian, with churches including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Catholic Church. The community has a rich heritage in literature, music, and education, and has faced displacement due to regional conflicts, notably in the early 20th century and again in the 21st century.

Languages associated with the Assyrian identity belong to the Neo-Aramaic language family. Major dialects include Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (Suret), Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, and Turoyo. They are written in Syriac scripts (such as Estrangela) and in modern forms use additional writing systems. Global populations are concentrated in the Middle East and in the diaspora, especially in the United States, Europe, and Australia.