CivilnetBodil Biorn was a Norwegian missionary who served in the Ottoman Empire starting in 1905. She was originally stationed in Mezereh and later Mush in Western Armenia. After the Armenians of Mush were deported and massacred, Biorn went to Istanbul, later she founded an orphanage in Alexandrapol (modern-day Gyumri) and later still, she continued her work by assisting the Armenian refugees in Syria and Lebanon. Bodil Biorn’s statue in her native city of Kragero, Norway was erected by the initiative of the Armenian community in Aleppo. Biorn was not only a witness to the Armenian Genocide but through her dedication saved thousands of Armenian lives. Her grandson, Jussi Flemming Bioern spoke to CivilNet about his grandmother’s lasting legacy.
