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 >>
Fröhliche Stimmung und besinnliche Momente in Holzmengen
Vorweihnachtliche Traditionen, lokale und regionale Handwerksprodukte, Weihnachtsmusik und eine fröhliche Stimmung haben den Weihnachtsmarkt in Holzmengen (Târg de Crăciun la Hosman) auch in seiner vierten Auflage zu einem unvergesslichen Adventserlebnis für Groß und >>
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 >>
Kirchenburgen-Wanderausstellung im Oktober in Kärnten
Since October 1, 2022, the traveling exhibition Transylvanian Landscape of Fortified Churches – A European Cultural Heritage of the Fortified Churches Foundation is located in the premises of the Romanian Honorary Consulate of >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Siebenbürgens Kirchenburgenlandschaft: Veranstaltung in der Botschaft von Rumänien
Am 17. Mai lud die Botschafterin von Rumänien in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Adriana Stănescu, zu einer Veranstaltung mit dem Thema „Zukunftsperspektiven für die Siebenbürgische Kirchenburgenlandschaft“ in die Botschaft Berlin ein. Die Ausrichtung des >>
Professionals look after fortified churches of Magheruș and Ormeniș
The detection of structural defects at the earliest stage is crucial for the preservation of historic buildings. Time and again in the past, it has happened that emergency interventions were not carried out >>
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, >>
Mobile app for discovering the fascinating landscape of fortified churches in Transylvania
Experience Fortified Churches / Descoperă Biserici Fortificate / Kirchenburgen Entdecken, the official app of the Fortified Churches Foundation, is an interactive tool to discover and experience the rich cultural heritage of Transylvania’s fortified >>
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 >>
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 >>
Human suffering and threatened cultural heritage
Nothing about war is as terrible as the human tragedies caused by the outbreak of violence. Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine in recent days has already left several thousand dead and injured. Hundreds >>
Insights into the collaboration with Tudor Pavelescu and his team at Modul 28
(Sibiu, February 2022) Fortified Churches Foundation (FCF): Historic buildings have played an important role in your portfolio since the beginning of your work in the field of architecture. Can you tell us where >>
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, >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>