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Fortified churches exhibition comes to Switzerland

The travelling exhibition of the Fortified Churches Foundation will be shown at two locations in Switzerland this autumn. The initiative came from Marianne Hallmen, President of the Association of Transylvanian Saxons in Switzerland, and the occasion is the tenth anniversary of the founding of the association. The Association of Transylvanian […]

Tarteln/Toarcla: Step by step towards salvation

Not so long ago, a private initiative was formed in Tarteln around the Transylvanian Saxon homeowner Joachim Gherghel to preserve the 13th century fortified church. Now that the second work assignment has been successfully completed, further steps are already being planned. The medieval gem of Tarteln, which was converted into […]

Fortified churches exhibition in Luckau and Aarhus

This summer, the Fortified Churches Foundation is showing its travelling exhibition simultaneously in Luckau (Brandenburg) and in Malling, Denmark. It will be on display for several weeks in both places. The exhibition The Transylvanian Landscape of Fortified Churches – A European Cultural Heritage will be on display in Luckau’s St. […]

St James’ Church in Șoarș secured after nine years

The Protestant church in Șoarș near Făgăraș has been the focus of the Fortified Churches Foundation team’s activities for nine years. From summer 2023 to March 2024, the final stretch of the work to secure the church was completed – an occasion for a positive interim summary. Ursula Hummes, Chairwoman […]

Conservation works in Tarteln

From June 24 to 29, 2024, the 2nd monument preservation campaign will take place at Tarteln Fortified Church, which means that maintenance work and minor repairs will be carried out. As last year, the “Friends of Tarteln Fortified Church” initiative and the Fortified Churches Foundation invite you to join them […]

Change in the management of the Fortified Churches Foundation

Philipp Harfmann – Managing Director of the Fortified Churches Foundation for many years – has given up his position and will hand over his duties to a successor in order to take on new tasks in the future. He took over the management of the foundation when it was established […]

Fortified churches meet fortified churches

Anyone who studies the topic of fortified churches will quickly learn that they also exist outside Transylvania. Some can be found in Germany, Austria and France, for example. Even in the Philippines, fortified churches were built at the instigation of the Spanish colonial rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries. […]

Digital round table to celebrate thirty years

People from five different countries took part in an interersting exchange between UNESCO cultural heritage sites from two continents on 7 March 2024. The event was organized to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the inscription of several monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Transylvania’s landscape of fortified churches was […]

Initiation of a partnership

A delegation from the German Association for the Promotion of Art and Culture (VKF) visited Transylvania from 2 to 4 February 2024 to organize a work assignment with around fifty active association members in the spring. The Fortified Churches Foundation of the Evangelical Church A. C. in Romania (EKR) is […]

A milestone in monument preservation

2024 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Venice Charter. The document, which was adopted by the International Congress of Architects and Conservationists in the Italian lagoon city in May 1964, also serves the Fortified Churches Foundation as a guideline for its conservation activities. After the devastating catastrophe […]

Happy New Year!

The Fortified Churches Foundation wishes all friends, partners, sponsors and supporters a healthy, energetic and peaceful New Year!

Hosman Christmas Market delights for the fifth time

The smell of mulled wine and pre-Christmas sounds sweetened the frosty temperatures on Saturday, 16 December 2023, when the CEPIT association hosted the fifth edition of the Christmas market in Holzmengen. The Advent event in the fortified church is becoming a tradition and is now setting an example for Christmas […]

Toarcla – working on a gem

Even many connoisseurs of the fortified church landscape are hardly familiar with the hidden village of Toarcla, although the ensemble harbours exciting cultural and historical treasures. Many therefore refer to it as a “gem near Fogarasch”. This autumn, the Fortified Churches Foundation took on the task of preserving this architectural […]

Precautionary intervention in Meșendorf

One of the most picturesque fortified churches in Transylvania is located in Meșendorf. Situated between the upper reaches of the Hârtibaciu River and national road no. 13, the monumental building was part of an EU-funded renovation project ten years ago. What could not be completed at the time has now […]

Măgheruș: Important work on the façade

The fortified church of Măgheruș, picturesquely situated in the region between the two Târnava Rivers in the Sighișoara church district, has been the focus of our monument conservators for several years. In addition to the maintenance programme started in 2022 with the ARCUS Association from Filitelnic (see report), work was […]

Fortified Churches in Romania

“Fortified Churches in Romania – a photo exhibition‟ has its opening on Friday, November 10, 2023, from 16:00 hrs., at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm headquarters, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Daniel Ioniță, Ambassador of Romania to the Kingdom of Sweden. The event will be attended by Philipp […]

Vice-President of the German Bundestag visited Transylvania

During a visit to Romania lasting several days, the Vice-President of the German Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, made several stops in the landscape of fortified churches. The programme included meetings in Câlnic, Sibiu and Gușterița. On Saturday afternoon, 30 September, the politician stopped in the Sebeș region after visiting this year’s […]

Repair works in Movile

As part of the funding programme for adaptive reuse, the Fortified Churches Foundation was able to carry out longer-planned building work on the fortified church of Movile in June this year. The south tower now has a stage for cultural events. In the community of Movile, where the association Churchfortress […]

Holzstock rocks the landscape of fortified churches

From 18 to 20 August 2023, the ninth edition of the Holzstock Festival will take place at the fortified church of Hosman! The event combines entertainment with heritage protection in a unique way and has become a fixed part of the Romanian festival calendar in recent years. This year, the […]

HANDS ON CONSERVATION IV – Summer School 2023

With the fourth edition of HANDS ON CONSERVATION in Apold, the organizers have turned a successful concept into a tradition! Ten participants from Romania and Germany built the second part of a wooden extension within the ring wall of the fortified church. For the duration of two weeks, the fourth […]

Storm damages again!

A heavy storm has hit parts of the Hârtibaciu Valley, causing  serious damage. It is already the second severe weather event to affect the southern Transylvanian region this year. Clean-up and repairs are still underway after the floods, but Movile cannot come to rest. A heavy storm has uprooted trees […]

Important visitors from the German Church (EKD)

A seven-member delegation from the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW), led by Annette Kurschus, EKD Council President and President of the EKvW, toured Sibiu and its surroundings in early July 2023. During the trip, the delegation also paid a visit to the fortified church of Hosman. Ruth István, tourism advisor […]

Call for Donations for Movile

A few days ago a strong storm raged in the Hârtibaciu Valley and caused floods with great damage. In Movile the storm surge unfortunately also hit the association house of our friends from Churchfortress e.V. – Friends of Hundertbücheln/Movile. We admire the great ideas and great projects that the association […]

Do the clocks work differently in Transylvania?

“No, not directly,” explains Philipp Harfmann, Managing Director of the Fortified Churches Foundation: “But there are special challenges in Transylvania that have to be faced to prevent them from not going at all in the long run.” Since last year, an expert from Germany has been dealing with the solution […]

Partnership agreement between the Fortified Churches Foundation and Västergötlands Museum

The Fortified Churches Foundation and the Västergötlands Museum have signed a cooperation agreement to expand and deepen their collaboration. The agreement focuses on the cultural heritage of Transylvanian Saxon fortified churches. The Västergötlands Museum from Skara, Sweden, has entered into an official cooperation with the Fortified Churches Foundation. The cooperation […]

State visit to the Landscape of Fortified Churches

During his official visit to Romania, Germany’s Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) also paid a visit to the Evangelical Church A. C. in Romania and the Fortified Churches Foundation, of which he is a patron together with Romania’s President Klaus Johannis. It was the first presidential visit since 2016, when […]

SEK, the 8th edition

The graduate students of the Master’s program Protection of European Cultural Heritage of the European University Viadrina from Frankfurt/Oder went on a one-week trip throughout the landscape of fortified churches at the end of April 2023. It was the eighth educational trip to date that SEK students have taken through […]

Focus on Roof Carpentry

It is well known that there are often magnificent treasures under the roofs of churches. But in addition to altars, baptismal fonts or wall paintings, Transylvania’s fortified churches often offer ancient and spectacular carpentry works. Experts from home and abroad are now researching these medieval masterpieces. Robin Gullbrandsson, the commissioner […]

Historian Konrad Gündisch is new board member

At the last meeting of the Superior Consistory of the Evangelic Church A. C. in Romania, among other things, a new member was elected to the board of the Fortified Churches Foundation. In the future, Dr. Konrad Gündisch will be playing a leading role in the management of the monument […]

Vocational school extends commitment in Transylvania

At the beginning of February 2023, a delegation of vocational teachers from Kassel, Germany visited Transylvania and the Fortified Churches Foundation. During excursions and working discussions with the Foundation’s team, the German teachers decided to extend their commitment to the fortified churches, which began years ago. The Arnold Bode School […]

Kick-off of construction works in Curciu

For years, the Fortified Churches Foundation has been working intensively on concepts for expanding the use of historic churches and fortresses in order to open them up for the future. This year, the foundation’s first “own” project is to be implemented: a project to use the fortified church of Curciu […]

Christmas cheer and magical moments in Hosman

Pre-Christmas traditions, local and regional handicraft products, Christmas music and a joyful atmosphere have made the Christmas market in Hosman (Târg de Crăciun la Hosman) an unforgettable Advent experience for young and old, even in its fourth edition! How do you manage in just five years to make an event […]

Traveling exhibition in Eupen / Belgium

The traveling exhibition Transylvanian Landscape of Fortified Churches. A European Cultural Heritage is currently on display at the headquarters of the Prime Minister of the German-speaking Community in Eupen, Belgium, until November 16. Those interested can visit the exhibition during opening hours, Monday – Friday, between 8:00 and 18:00, at […]

Members of the German Bundestag visit fortified churches

Five representatives of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) from the German Bundestag visited Bucharest, Brașov, Cincșor, Hosman and Sibiu from October 5 to 7, 2022. Within the framework of the trip, the preservation of the fortified churches was also the […]

Swedish scientists visited Fortified Churches Foundation

In early September 2022, a scientific delegation from the Västergötlands Museum in Sweden visited the Fortified Churches Foundation. The visit is a further step towards intensifying contacts between the two institutions and could lead to a cooperation agreement for the future. The Swedish guests, who have maintained good relations with […]

Apold Heritage Lab: Visitors day and round-trip

Since July 18, a summer school for professionals and future specialists in the field of monument preservation has been taking place at the Apold fortified church: the Apold Heritage Lab. The participants come from Romania and Germany and are students in the field of architecture and monument preservation. Among the […]

HANDS ON CONSERVATION III | A heritage community

If you ask us what is new about each edition of the HANDS ON CONSERVATION III Summer School, it is first and foremost the team spirit that connects the participants around common interests and passion for the conservation of historic monuments, thus creating a heritage community. The objective of this […]

Second spring for Vingard

The construction site at the Lutheran church of Vingard, which started in March, was successfully completed in May. During a church service on the occasion of the handover, new perspectives opened up for the valuable sacred building. The committed mayor in charge surprised the representatives of the church and the […]

Children enjoy themed cultural visits in Cristian

After two years of restrictions and online schooling, children are going out into nature again and schools together with guides and various associations are organizing thematic excursions of exploration and discovery. On Wednesday, the Sibiu County Tourism Association in partnership with the Fortified Churches Foundation and Sibiu’s 18th Primary School […]

Ormeniș: Renovation of the fortified church has begun

Already at the end of March the construction site at the fortified church of Ormeniș (church district of Sighișoara) was opened. Now, on April 5, 2022, a detailed inspection took place on site with representatives of the Fortified Churches Foundation and experts. Before the end of this year, the architectural […]

Rescue for Vingard begins

At the baptismal font of the Lutheran church of Vingard (church district of Sebeș), the first stone was laid on March 7, 2022 to save the sacred architectural jewel. Representatives of the District Consistory and the Fortified Churches Foundation met with the executing experts in wintry weather for the opening […]

Bruiu: Further steps towards rescue

On March 4, 2022, the official opening of the construction site on the southeast bastion of the Bruiu fortified church took place. The Fortified Churches Foundation, the Sibiu Church District and the Cârța Parish Community are thus working through another item on a long list to save the entire ensemble. […]

Weihnachtsmarkt in Holzmengen

Wir laden Euch herzlich zum diesjährigen Weihnachtsmarkt in Holzmengen ein! Wir erwarten Euch am Samstag, den 18. Dezember von 15 bis 20 Uhr mit einem schönen und vielfältigen Programm, tollen Produkten aus dem Harbachtal und weihnachtlicher Stimmung auf dem Gelände der Kirchenburg!

New edition in three languages

Already four years ago, the Fortified Churches Foundation published the booklet “Churches and Fortifications in Transylvania” with short descriptions of selected buildings, which is extremely popular among Transylvanian travelers. Now, the product is available in a third and expanded edition. The practical pocket-sized guidebook of the Fortified Churches Foundation has […]

Volunteer professionals preserve Transylvanian cultural heritage

In Movile and Hosman this August and September, young professionals from different fields restored outbuildings of the fortified churches. The work stays were coordinated through the organization European Heritage Volunteers.   Young experts from the fields of architecture, art history, monument preservation, restoration and craftsmanship from all over the world […]

Church of Hetiur near Sighișoara to be rescued

The dean of the district of Sighișoara, Dr. Bruno Fröhlich, the building and monument preservation experts of the Fortified Churches Foundation, Ecaterina Gál and Sebastian Bethge, as well as Mr. Alfred Back from the district consistory and Mr. Géza Jakabffy from the contracted construction company Novus Star from Cristuru Secuiesc […]

Planned works on murals force roof repair

At the end of June 2021, the representatives of the Mediasch Church District, the Fortified Churches Foundation, architect Alina Curea and the companies involved in the project met at the  Church of Șmig to give the starting signal for basic repair work. Once this work is completed, experts will be […]

Perle des 18. Jahrhunderts gemeinsam retten

Die Orgel der evangelischen Kirche aus Tobsdorf (Kirchenbezirk Mediasch) wurde im Herbst 2020 demontiert und in die Mediascher Margarethenkirche überführt. Dies war notwendig geworden, um einem weiteren Verfall, insbesondere durch Feuchtigkeit und Wurmfraß, vorzubeugen. – Nun kann über die Spendenkonten der Stiftung Kirchenburgen ein Beitrag zu ihrer Restaurierung geleistet werden. […]

Call for donations – Fortified Church in Alțâna

After the collapse of the vault above the central nave of the fortified church of Alzen the first inventories have begun. The impressions are sad and shocking, but the situation is by no means hopeless. We would like to ask for donations to finance the repairs of the damage caused […]

Securing work in Ruși completed

For the team of the Fortified Churches Foundation, “Corona-times” do not mean a standstill at all: construction work was on the schedule in the past months. In the parish of Ruși (church district of Sibiu), important safety and repair work was carried out in the period from May to August […]

Panel discussion on the future of fortified churches

A panel discussion on the future prospects of the Transylvanian Saxon fortified churches took place on 11 February at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin. The occasion was the conclusion of a project to examine particularly endangered buildings, which was funded from Germany between 2017 and 2019. Afterwards Ambassador Hurezeanu gave […]

Parteneriat cu Asociația European Heritage Volunteers

Pe 11 februarie 2020, Fundația Biserici Fortificate împreună cu Biserica Evanghelică C.A. din România a încheiat un parteneriat de colaborare cu organizația non-guvernamentală European HeritageVolunteers. Documentul a fost semnat la Ambasada României de la Berlin în prezența Excelenței Sale, Ambasadorului României, domnul Emil Hurezeanu. Scopurile comune ale parteneriatului sunt, pe […]

Roof of the church in Daia saved

The church building including the fortification and bell tower in Daia (church district of Sighisoara) has been the focus of the Fortified Churches Foundation for many years. With the support of the “Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation” (AFCP) several important measures have already been taken. Most recently, the roof of […]

Workshop AvantGuards – Open Fortified Churches

The debate within the framework of the seminar organized by the Fortified Churches Foundation on the topic of “Open Fortified Churches: transparency, innovation and awareness” brought to light a number of perspectives and considerations that we also wanted to examine in the organisation of the AvantGuards workshop. Participants were representatives […]

1:0 in the fight against rainwater

The church building in Apoș near Agnita suffered for years from a lack of use and care after the migration of the German-speaking Protestant population. Only recently, the private association “Villa Abbatis” of the tourism entrepreneur Mihai Barbu took over the administration of the church after the acquisition of the […]

HANDS ON CONSERVATION II

Eleven participants and two trainers met from 19 to 30 August in the church castle of Pelișor for the summer school HANDS ON CONSERVATION II. The Fortified Churches Foundation together with the association P.A.T.R.U. (Patrimoniu, Arhitectură, Tradiție, Rit și Universalitate) had taken over the organization of this ten-day workshop. Architects, […]

Focus >> Hosman

700 years: Hosman is celebrating! In 1319 the Harbachtal municipality of Hosman/Holzmengen was first mentioned in a document under the name “Holzmenia”. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary, a large celebration will take place on 3 and 4 August 2019 on the initiative of the Hometown Community (HOG). – […]

Further emergency intervention in Copșa Mare

The structural damage that occurred above the west gallery of the Protestant church in Copșa Mare (church district of Mediaș) could be secured. As part of an emergency intervention by the Fortified Churches Foundation, not only was the endangered part of the vault supported in June 2019, but two excavated arch bricks were also […]

Focus >> Filitelnic

A castle under reconstruction Filitelnic is a small village in the district of Mureș – it lies in the southern side valley of the Târnava Mică River, approximately 20 km from Sighișoara. The fortified church is located on a hill in the northeast of the village. The first documentary mention […]

HS Coburg and University of Bamberg visit Transylvania

For one week, the students and professors of the joint course of studies “Digital Monument Technologies” of the University of Bamberg and the University of Coburg travelled throughout the Transylvanian landscape of fortified churches. The initiator for the students’ stay was Prof. Dr. Olaf Huth from the HS Coburg, head […]

Focus >> Tătârlaua

An Art historical jewel Tătârlaua (Taterloch) lies in the district of Alba about 15 kilometers northwest of Mediaş (Mediasch). The first documentary mention of the village dates back to 1332. The Gothic hall church dates from the 15th century. A special sight in Taterloch is the Gothic altar, which dates […]

Registration for our summer school 2019 HANDS ON CONSERVATION II is now open!

HANDS ON CONSERVATION II is a workshop for traditional carpentry, focussing on introducing and training the participants in traditional crafts techniques and materials, at the fortified church of Pelisor, Sibiu county. The Fortified Churches Foundation started the project HANDS ON CONSERVATION II, with the financial support from the National Architects […]

Focus >> Valchid

Small and fine castle The small fortified church is a little off the beaten track in a left side valley of the river (Große Kokel). If one takes in this side valley the way to Copșa Mare (Großkopisch), one can make a stop here. Southwest is Biertan (Birthälm), northwest Şoarş […]

Exemplary work of the “HOG Holzmengen” at the fortified church

In the five days from 1 April, the HOG Holzmengen (community of emigrated Saxons) was very hard-working – some important measures were taken in and around the fortified church. The results are really impressive! The individual projects were discussed in advance by the advice and introduction of Sebastian Bethge, the […]

Minister of State Prof. Monika Grütters visits Transylvania

Monika Grütters, Commissioner of the German Federal Government for Culture and the Media (BKM), visited the Evangelical Church A. B. in Romania and the Transylvanian fortified church landscape on 15 April. The visit of the CDU politician took place in the run-up to meetings at ministerial level in Bucharest and […]

Focus >> Şoala

Castle on the hill Şoala lies about six kilometres east of Arbegen on the right side of the Weißbach river. The village consists of only two streets – the fortified church rises on a hill. From the 15th century Şoala/Schaal belonged to the district of Schelk as a free municipality. […]

Around 150 visitors at the panel discussion in Berlin

The announcement of the Fortified Churches Foundation to organise an event from the series KirchenburgenGespräch on Tour (fortified churches panel discussion abroad) for the first time aroused great public interest. On 8 March 2019, the almost 150 visitors experienced an exciting panel discussion entitled “Travel – Save – Restore” in […]

Focus >> Măieruș

Church Castle near the Ghost Forest The village of Măieruș is the northernmost municipality in the Burzenland, 30 kilometres from Kronstadt between the so-called Ghost Forest and the old river. Măieruș was first mentioned in 1377 under the name “villa nucum”. At that time the village formed an administrative unit […]

Focus >> Romos

Church in the Mureș Valley Romos is located east of Oraștie in the district of Hunedoara, on the left tributary of the Mureș River. The village is one of the oldest settlements of the Transylvanian Saxons, first mentioned in 1206. From 1532 Rumes belonged to the Chair of Oraștie. During […]

Rescue work in Dobârca

At the beginning of February, the so very urgent and important securing work could be carried out at the fortified church in Dobârca. After many discussions and site visits with local actors and various construction companies, it was now possible to erect an emergency roof. Instead of the collapsed choir […]

Fortified Churches Foundation receives support from Hessen

The Fortified Churches Foundation is also dependent on donations to secure its long-term work, i.e. on donations to expand its capital stock. From Wiesbaden came now energetic support for it. When Michael Sauter visited Transylvania in May 2018, this was not only an educational and recreational trip for him, but […]

Support Association to the Fortified Churches Foundation

On 19 January the annual general meeting of the German Support Association of the Fortified Churches Foundation took place in Berlin. The Executive Board reported on its work in 2018, which was primarily aimed at supporting the work of the Foundation, but also included accompanying activities in Germany. Donations received […]

Focus >> Holzmengen

The church castle takes the floor Ladies and gentlemen, dear fellow castles, I must tell you that it is already a curious thing what one experiences as a church castle: For centuries one stands around in world history, and all sorts of strange guests pay a visit to one. I […]

Roof repairs in Agârbiciu

In October, several construction projects on the fortified church in Agârbiciu were completed: After architect Liviu Gligor finalised the building plans in the summer, the church roof, i.e. the nave and the choir, could be repaired. During the works, each tile was checked individually – and some of the roof […]

„Good news“ for Daia

On 14 December 2018, Hans Klemm, Ambassador of the United States to Romania, visited the Evangelical Church A. C. in Romania and the Fortified Churches Foundation. The US diplomat presented Bishop Reinhart Guib with a symbolic cheque for 24,900 dollars for further work on the fortified church in Daia/Denndorf (Sighisoara […]

Burghüter-Workshop / HOC Modul 3

In der Zeit vom 05.-09.11.2018 wurde das dritte Modul des HANDS ON CONSERVATION-Workshops durchgeführt – traditionelles Handwerk für die Konservierung/Restaurierung der Kirchenburgen. Zielgruppe dieses Moduls waren die Burghüter. Wir haben diese Zeit mit den motivierten und engagierten Teilnehmern genossen, die mehr über die ordnungsgemäße Pflege von Kirchenburgen erfahren wollten – […]

Focus >> November

The fortified faith – church castles in Transylvania   Sometimes a project starts on a detour, so that even its authors seem to be surprised about its origin. Jürgen van Buer’s interest in fortified churches goes back to his youth. At that time an aunt had given him a book […]

Focus >> Bogeschdorf

A look of the altar of Bogeschdorf Bogeschdorf is situated in the Zwischenkokel area and north of Mediasch – in the 14th century the village belonged to the Mediasch chair as a free royal soil community, then to the Großkokel county and today it belongs to the district of Muresch. […]

Focus >> Galt

Fortified church in the shadow of the Galter Berg The fortified church is located on the right bank, 60 kilometres from Kronstadt/Braşov in the south-east of Reps. The village was first mentioned in 1211. Today you can reach Galt via the E60 and the district road DJ131F. As early as […]

Fokus >> Reußen

The leaning tower of Transylvania Between Stolzenburg and Marktschelken lies the small village of Reußen. On the way from Mediasch to Sibiu you can admire the leaning tower of Transylvania from the National Road 14. It lies on a hill in the east of the village and offers passers-by a […]

HANDS ON CONSERVATION

Two eventful and successful workshop weeks ended on Friday – happy participants and trainers, as well as some vivid results and a lot of learned handicraft techniques were the result of the project HANDS ON CONSERVATION. The workshop, consisting of two modules (1st module: carpentry / 2nd module: masonry) was […]

Vernissage of the Photo-Exhibit “SAȘI” of the Transylvanian Saxons

On Sunday, July 8, 2018, the ceremonial opening of the exhibition of  photographer Thomas Duffé (Hamburg, Germany) took place in Hamba. The pictures could be admired for the first time in the fortified church with honey-bread, honey-lemonade and salmon slices. Pia Ionescu-Liehn, the former ifa cultural manager of the German […]

Fokus >> Curciu

„This treasury must be preserved“ Interview with the Fortified Church keeper Dana Crişan from Kirtsch/Curciu Teacher Dana Crişan has not been on holiday for three years, the restless keeper of Kirtsch values the peace in her fortified church very much. Her family is also involved – from ringing the bell […]

Things are moving forward in the village of Movile!

The German landscape planner Jonas Arndt, founding member and chairperson of the churchfortress e. V. Friends of Hundertbücheln-Movile association, was a guest on 3 July, presenting the topic “Fortified churches and their open spaces – impulses from landscape architecture and environmental planning”. In a short introductory lecture Jonas Arndt dealt […]

Joint Project – Fortified Church of Pelișor

Within the framework of the cooperation between the Patrimonium Saxonicum Foundation and the Fortified Churches Foundation, important protective and preventive measures are carried out at selected fortified churches. This initiative is intended to show that with conscious and planned action, as well as professional technical measures, churches and fortified churches […]

Focus >> The altar of Hălchiu – a magnificent gem of the region

Between Codlea and Feldioara lies Hălchiu – in the year 1377 the village was first mentioned in a royal privilege. It is one of the free villages that belonged to the judicial and administrative unit with Brașov. The so-called „Haldeboatschi”, which adorns the western portal of the church and goes […]

HANDS ON CONSERVATION – Summer school

The Fortified Churches Foundation started the project Hands on Conservation, with the financial support from the Administratia Fondului Cultural National. Hands on Conservation is a multidisciplinary workshop, focussing on introducing and training the participants in traditional crafts techniques and materials, in the setting of the fortified church of Daia, Mures […]

Sunshine, shooting stars and a whole bunch of fortified churches

On sixth of April the class of the master’s degree “Strategies for European Cultural Heritage” of the European University Viadrina traveled to Romania to get to know the world of fortified churches and to enjoy the wonderful landscape in the most beautiful springtime weather. The Professional-Tourism-Journey was organized and accompanied […]

Three-Churches-Project: Students introduce their concepts

On 28 February 2018, eleven students from the 3rd year of the “Coservation and Restoration” course at the University of Architecture and Urbanism Ion Mincu presented their proposals for the use of the Movile, Agârbiciu and Daia fortified churches. Under the direction of Professor Architect Liviu Gligor, the students had […]

Presentation at the trade fair MONUMENTO in Salzburg

From 11th to 13th January the Fortified Church Foundation was represented at the trade fair Monumento in Salzburg/Austria. Its opening marks the beginning of the European Cultural Heritage Year that will provide a large number of projects that deal with the common grounds of European heritage. The Foundation had been […]

2017: A good year for Daia

Thanks to the support of the US-American Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation the project planning and some repair works to the worth of almost 60.000 US-Dollars will be carried out in three fortified churches, in Daia/Denndorf, Agârbiciu/Arbegen and Movile/Hundertbücheln by the end of 2018 (see also news from 5 May […]

First work on the Church of James in Șoarș

The work on the fortified church in Șoarș (near Fog.), which began on 21 August, is becoming increasingly visible: the “back” of the historic dovetail and plain tile with the partial use of new, handmade plain tile. The old battens were also retained where possible and in good condition. The […]

Cemetary in Șaeș – gravestones secured

The 49 tombstones, which were knocked over and devastated by vandalism at the end of 2016, were erected and secured again in July. Thanks to the generous donation of an emigrated Saxon from Șaeș and the additional funds provided by the “Support Association of the Fortified Churches Foundation”, the work […]

US Ambassador Hans Klemm visits Agârbiciu and Daia

Hans Klemm, Ambassador of the United States of America in Bucharest, paid a brief visit to Agârbiciu and Daia in mid-July. Together with the one in Movile, the fortified churches in the two Transylvanian villages are benefiting from funds from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). These budget funds […]

Copșa Mare is to be saved!

The Fortified Churches Foundation has been monitoring the endangered architectural situation of the fortified church in Copșa Mare with concern for some time. Sebastian Bethge, the representative of the Foundation for the Preservation of Monuments, has visited the site several times since the beginning of 2016. In addition to static […]

Pelișor – first danger averted

On 3 May 2017 the first emergency measures were carried out at the fortified church of Pelișor. It is located 22km south of Mediaș, in a side valley. For a long time no more worship services have been celebrated here and regular care could not be guaranteed until now. Thus […]

Donation for Three Transylvanian-Saxon Fortified Churches

U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation 2016/2017: “Safeguarding three Transylvanian-Saxon fortified churches: best practice for traditional crafts and community building” The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that Ambassador Hans Klemm is donating $59,300 to the Superior Consistory of the Evangelic Church Sibiu under the auspices of the special U.S. […]

Bell Tower in Idiciu: small intervention – great effect!

The Fortified Churches Foundation has repaired the bell tower of the Protestant church in Idiciu with an emergency measure as part of the roof programme. This was preceded in spring by the collapsing of the church roof. The first works organized by the Sighișoara district were able to provisionally secure […]

The whole world amazed by Transylvania’s Landscape of Fortified Churches

As every year the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin was an important date for more than 100,000 tourism professionals and around 60,000 thousand visitors. The Fortified Churches Foundation presented the landscape of fortified churches and found many new stakeholders and interested tourists. The Foundation shared a booth with the […]

107 Transylvanian Churches and Fortifications in your Pocket

The Fortified Churches Foundation is proud to present the new pocket-sized booklet titled „Churches and Fortifications in Transylvania“. It was published in the first weeks of 2017 and can now be obtained in three languages. It will formally be presented to a wider audience at the International Tourism Fair in […]

Module „Fortified Churches“ as part of history class

The curriculum of Romanian 7th-grade history class includes the subject of “Romanian minorities”. The topics of history and traditions of the German minority in Transylvania are studied quite profoundly – very tangible topics for the students living in Sibiu, especially if they are students of the Brukenthal School. After all, […]

Medieval gem in danger

In November 2016, the church of Ormeniș was hit by burglary and vandalism and has been severely affected: window panes destroyed, locks and doors broken open and parts of the organ damaged. Pastor Johannes Halmen is sad, but not ready to give up the church and the small parish. The […]

The Future of Religious Heritage in Europe

From 9 to 11 November the European association “Future for Religious Heritage” invited it’s members and other participants to the 2016 Biennial Conference titled: “Tourists, Travellers & Pilgrims – Encountering Religious Heritage in Today’s Europe” to Vicenza, Italy. Besides a great number of speeches, presentations, discussions, and debates the FRH […]

Two presidents under one church roof

German Federal President Joachim Gauck, who was on a state visit in Romania and Bulgaria in the middle of June, visited Transylavania on 21 June, accompanied by his Romanian colleague, President Klaus Werner Johannis. Among other things, the program included encounters with representatives of the Evangelic Church A. C. in […]

Monument specialists at the fortified churches in Felmer and Șoarș

On 25 July 2016, the fortified churches of Felmer and Șoarș (near Fog.) were full of activity: people between cameras on tripods, ladders on the walls, papers, sketches and drawings. Preparations for care and emergency measures as part of the roof programme of the Fortified Churches Foundation were in full […]

Tătârlaua: Frescoes from the 14th century discovered!

In Tătârlaua, district Alba Iulia, well-preserved and artistically valuable wall paintings were discovered in the course of a plaster study in the choir. The restorer Lorand Kiss led the preliminary investigations. This art historical treasure was not expected to be found in the rather small and inconspicuous church of Tătârlaua […]

Transylvania – Reychmut Country

At the end of June, 6 students of the conservation and restoration course at the HAWK (University of Applied Sciences and Art) travelled from Hildesheim under the direction of Dipl.-Rest. Ralf Buchholz, Prof. Dr. Thorsten Albrecht and Susanne Karius, restorer M.A., through Transylvania – with some projects and following the […]

15 churches and fortified churches in 5 days – SEK 2016

From 6 to 12 April the master-graduates of the course of study “protection of European cultural heritage” at the Europe-University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder visited the landscape of fortified churches. The 13 participants spent almost one week in Transylvania, a week full of new impressions. Those who did not know Transylvania […]

Arne Franke in Transylvania

The monument conservator and art historian Arne Franke visited Transylvania between 22 and 28 February. The reason for his trip was to continue his research work for a large travelling exhibition on the subject of the landscape of fortified churches being developed on behalf of the Fortified Churches Foundation. Cooperating […]

Constituting Board Meeting

On 17 Feburary the initial meeting of the executive board of the Fortified Churches Foundation took place. Participants were Prof. Dr. Paul Niedermaier and Friedrich Gunesch as members of the board, Philipp Harfmann as managing director as well as head mayor ad interim of Sibiu, Astrid Fodor, as a guest.