Współcześni Aramejczycy: w poszukiwaniu tożsamości narodowej

The article discusses the modern Aramean national and social identity with special focus on the autoperception of the Aramean diaspora. The text consists of three parts. The first of them concerns the emergence of a distinct Aramean identity and outlines complicated relations with the Assyrian brethren. In the second part, the author presents the results of an online survey of the group of 306 Arameans which was conducted from November 2008 until May 2009. Part three contains a critical analysis of the presented data. The paper advances a claim that the centre of the Aramean community life is not in the historical lands of Aram-Nahrin (Middle East) but in the diaspora (Western European countries). Religion (belonging to the Syrian Orthodox Church) plays an important role, although the new lay elite educated in the West sometimes opposes the clergy. Traditional culture and lifestyle is not the only option for the young generation. Consequently, the assimilation of the diaspora is one of the most serious threats to the Aramean identity.