The Mechitarist Congregation in Vienna, established in 1811, is a repository of diverse cultural heritage. It offers insights into the history of the Armenians, the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires, not only through the monastery complex but also through its invaluable collection of over 2,600 Armenian manuscripts, 150,000 books and the world's largest collection of Armenian newspapers and periodicals (Inglisian 1961, Arat 1990, Kodjanian 2012, Babikian 2017). 

The Congregation's library also contains a significant number of manuscripts, prints and newspapers in Turkish written and printed in Armenian script between the late 17th and 20th centuries. The foundation stone for this rich collection was laid by Mechitar of Sebaste (Sivas) (1676-1749), who founded the congregation in Constantinople in 1701 (Aslanian 2016, Zekiyan 2017). Subsequently, he was compelled to flee the Ottoman Empire to evade persecution and established his monastery in Methoni (Peloponnese), which at the time was under the dominion of the Republic of Venice. Following the fall of Methoni to the Ottoman Sultan and the subsequent destruction of the monastery in 1717, Mechitar of Sebaste relocated with his order to the island of San Lazzaro (degli Armeni) near Venice. He remained there until his death in 1749, during which time he was recognised as a highly esteemed scholar and publicist (Arakelian and Yevadian, 2017). In 1727, he published a grammar of modern Armenian, which is regarded as the earliest printed work in the Turkish language to be produced in Armenian script (Ter Minassian 1998, Aslanian 2016, Strauss 2018).

A schism within the order resulted in the departure of several members from the motherhouse in Venice in 1773, who proceeded to settle in Trieste. Empress Maria Theresa (reigned 1740-1780) incorporated the monks, who henceforth referred to themselves as "Mechitarists", into her "Orient policy" and granted them the right to settle in the Habsburg Empire in 1775. The Mechitarists were granted a monastery, a church, and a school. The congregation was permitted to accept priests, novices, clerics and lay brothers, lead missions and open branches in the Habsburg Empire as well as in the Near and Middle East. The congregation was granted the right to operate a printing press with Armenian and Latin letters (Mayer 1887, Arat 1990, Tragut 1995, Denscher 2009, 2012, Kodjanian 2012).

Following the fall of Trieste to France in 1809, Francis I, the founder of the Austrian Empire (reigned 1804-1835), granted the Mechitarists asylum in Vienna in 1810, thereby confirming their previous privileges. In 1811, a new printing press was established in a newly constructed building, the former Capuchin monastery, which had been destroyed by the Ottomans during the siege of the city in 1683 and subsequently rebuilt in 1684 following the successful defence (Kasper 1961, Tragut 1995, Denscher 2009, 2012).

The Mechitarist fathers played a significant role in what has been termed the "Armenian Renaissance of the 19th century" or Armenian awakening (Zart'ōnk') (Zekiyan 1999, Bardakjian 2000, Hajikyan 2005, Semerdjian and Bivins 2013, Der Matossian 2020). This was achieved through their engagement in a range of endeavours, including the publication of classical Armenian literature and the publication of the Armenian Bible. The Mechitarist fathers engaged in a variety of endeavours, including the publication of classical Armenian texts, the preservation of the classical Armenian language, the research and study of Armenian history, the translation of texts from and into Armenian, the provision of education in their network of Mechitaristic schools, and the collection of ancient manuscripts. Vienna became a hub of academic inquiry, particularly within the philological disciplines, where the majority of nineteenth-century Mechitarist fathers originated from Istanbul (Kodjanián 2012, Strauss 2018, Der Matossioan 2019). Furthermore, they played a pivotal role in the education of numerous young intellectuals, including Vartan Pasha and Hovhannes Hisarian, who would go on to spearhead the literary movement, the press, the associations and the political activity of Ottoman Armenians (Strauss 2003, 44). The foundation for this line of inquiry was the Mechitarists' library, which amassed a substantial collection of both ancient and modern printed books (Aslanian 2016).

Furthermore, the project acknowledges the contributions of the Mechitarists to the Armenian Renaissance in Vienna, which facilitated the intellectual growth of prominent figures such as Hovsep Vartanian (Strauss 2018, Der Matossian 2019). Pioneering works such as the first study on Armeno-Turkish by Friedrich von Kraelitz-Greifenhorst (1912), who became the inaugural full professor of Turkish Studies at the University of Vienna in 1923/24, and Adreas Tietzes (1991), the most significant Viennese Turkologist, emphasise the historical affinity of the project through their seminal contributions. The project is based on these works and employs digital humanities methodologies to enhance accessibility and provide crucial primary sources for research into the history of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and in the diaspora.