Satisfied review and hopeful outlook
A new year has begun, also for the Fortified Churches Foundation. New perspectives and an optimistic zest for action join the old challenges, which the team will meet with its usual passion. Unfortunately, >>
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 >>
Fortified churches represented at the first Ecotourism Fair of Sibiu County
The first Ecotourism Fair, organized last weekend by Sibiu County in the pavilion of the Astra Multicultural Museum in Sibiu within the framework of the Wandering Years (Anii Drumeției) program, showed the interested >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Opening of the construction site at the fortified church of Șoarș
On an extremely sunny and hot 23 June 2021, representatives of the Evangelical Church, the Romanian cultural authorities and experts from the building industry met on site at the Church of St James >>
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 >>
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 >>
Invitation to the digital travelling exhibition of fortified churches
Since a few weeks, the touring exhibition of the Fortified Churches Foundation can also be viewed online. This was made possible by a grant from the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labor and >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Germany promotes the preservation of the landscape of fortified churches
The Fortified Churches Foundation, the leading and coordinating office of the Evangelical Church A. C. in Romania (ECR) for the preservation and sustainable use of the fortified church landscape, receives a special grant >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Expert visit within the framework of the Romanian-German joint programme
From 10 to 14 September, the Fortified Churches Foundation welcomed two experts from the architectural office of Dr. Krekeler to Transylvania. The aim of the visit was to strategically and conceptually process the >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Students of Architecture fascinated by the Fortified Churches
It is dark in the bacon chamber of the fortified church in Agârbiciu. Bacon has not been stored here for a while but the numbered hooks on the ceiling timbers are still witnesses >>
New Travelling Exhibition about the Landscape of Fortified Churches in Transylvania
The Fortified Churches Foundation is currently producing a travelling exhibition titled: “The Transylvanian Landscape of Fortified Churches. A European Cultural Heritage”. The concept and production were developed and organized in cooperation with the >>
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 >>
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 >>
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. >>
First a teachers’ house, then a shoemaker’s workshop, soon a project house in…
…Movile – a small, inconspicuous, remote place in the upper Harbach valley. Here you will find everything: movement and awakening, relaxation and return, outlook and hope, tradition and innovation, encounter and salvation. The >>
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 >>