About us

The office of the Fortified Churches Foundation is located in Sibiu. The following structure forms the basis of the organisation:


The Patrons
The Romanian President Klaus Werner Johannis and the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have take over the double patronage of the Foundation.

Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany
*Copyright Bundesregierung/Steffen Kugler

The Board of Trustees

… is active in terms of a supervisory board. It is responsible for overseeing the work of the foundation and is to help and relieve the Executive Board. It is composed of eleven honorary members from Romania and abroad.


The Executive Board
… directs the work of the Foundation and is responsible for making important decisions. The following two honorary members are currently in the Executive Board:

Architect Prof. Dr. Paul Niedermaier, Director of the Institute of Humanities Sibiu
Friedrich Gunesch, Lead Counsel of the Evangelic Church A.C. in Romania.

The Office of the Foundation

… is run by a managing director and is composed of the following staff. Together they are responsible for the practical work.

Philipp Harfmann: Managing Director ph@kirchenburgen.org

Andreea Mănăstirean: Office and Project Manager am@kirchenburgen.org

Ramona Laczko David: Cultural Advisor / DFD Siebenbürgen rld@kirchenburgen.org

Sebastian Bethge: Representative for Monument Preservation sfb@kirchenburgen.org

Ruth István: Representative for Tourism and Public Relations ri@kirchenburgen.org

Ecaterina Gál: Project Manager BKM-Dächerprogramm (roof program) eg@kirchenburgen.org

Wieland Köber: Project Administration wnk@kirchenburgen.org

A large network of professionals and experts support the team on individual occasions and projects.

The work of the Fortified Churches Foundation is based on the almost ten-year experience of the former Coordination Office for Fortified Churches and is further developing it.

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