The History Of The Medieval Saxon Fortified Churches In Transylvania

Since the High Middle Ages, a German-speaking population known as the Transylvania Saxons has been continuously living in southern and north-eastern Transylvania, present-day Romania. One of their greatest historical achievements is represented by a series of fortified churches, compactly spread in the proximity of the Carpathian mountain range.

These peasant citadels (as opposed to their fortified cities) were built in the wake of the Mongol invasion of Europe during the 13th century. Given the fact that many settlements from Transylvania were completely obliterated by the Mongols at the time, the surviving Saxon colonists from the rural areas collectively contributed to the construction of a series of multi-purpose citadels that could serve them defensively but also religiously and economically.

So it is that an estimated number of 250 to 300 such architectural structures (referred to as ‘Kirchenburgen’ in German) were built throughout the High and Late Middle Ages on Transylvanian soil, most notably in contemporary Sibiu (Hermannstadt), Brașov (Kronstadt), and Mureș (Mieresch) counties. Nowadays, approximately 150 well preserved fortified settlements of this sort can by visited by tourists from all around the world.

Some of these impressive historical monuments had been subsequently listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites during the early 1990s. Those which made it to the UNESCO list of ‘Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania’ are the following ones (listed in Standard German, Transylvanian Saxon dialect, and Romanian):

Birthälm/Bierthalmen (Biertan), Sibiu County

Wurmloch/Vurmliχ (Valea Viilor), Sibiu County

Weisskirch/Veiskiriχ (Viscri) , Brașov County

Tartlau/Torteln (Prejmer), Brașov County

Keisd/Kaest (Saschiz), Mureș County

Kelling/Kellenk (Câlnic), Alba County

Below you can watch a short documentary by Mihai Eminescu Trust foundation highlighting the history of these medieval landmarks, in particular the story of Almen (Alma Vii):

Documentation sources and external links: