Fortified Church Vingard / Weingartskirchen

Ormeniș / Irmesch The village of Ormeniș was first mentioned in documents in the year 1319. It is part of the so-called “Kokelburger Komitat”, a kind of province or administrative area. Ormeniș belongs to a group of 13 villages from the region that made efforts to win a trial against their landlords in the 18th and 19th century as they felt their traditional freedom and rights were not being respected. The hall church was erected in the 16th century, boasts a polygonal choir, and has galleries on three sides which are supported by wooden pillars. The Baroque altar dating back to 1720 is subdivided by massive Corinthian pillars and shows a scene from the Last Supper on the predella and a scene from the Entombment of Christ on the top. The center of the middle part displays a picture of the Crucifixion with Maria, Maria Magdalena and John while the Saints Peter and Paul are shown on the left and right to complete the altar. The even older baptismal (1703) is made of blazed clay and has the form of a chalice. The organ with its 6 + 2 organ stops were brought to Ormeniș in 1875. In the year 1937 the church was renovated. The almost oval ring walls and the bell tower with its wall-walk were most probably erected in the 17th century. In 2017, inscriptions and wall paintings were discovered during security work carried out by the Fortified Churches Foundation. Keys are with: Mr. Liebhard Maurer phone: +40/265/712 018

Veseud / Zied As early as the 13th century, a towerless Romanesque pillared arcaded basilica was built in Veseud. Of this church, the choir square, the perimeter wall and the pillars are still preserved. Besides the modest choir, the low triumphal arch, in the preserved inner choir wall, also conveys the original spatial impression. Around 1500, the church was rebuilt and fortified with a rectangular wall belt and four fortification towers. The fortified tower built in the west of the church also served as a bell tower. All four towers as well as the ring wall were demolished in the second half of the 19th century. In the course of the fortified reconstruction, for reasons of stability, the choir was sheathed in order to be extended with a massive five-story defensive tower as well as a half-timbered passage on hanging trestles. On the upper floor of the tower there is the bell chamber. In it hangs a bell cast in the 15th century with the inscription “O rex glorie veni cum pace”. In 1784/85 the church was once again extended by a barrel vault and connected to the gate tower by a vaulted corridor. This gate tower has been preserved, as well as a section of wall 20 meters long and five meters high. Keys are with: Mrs. Lucretia Grenner of the Veseud Pension Gueshouse

Codlea / Zeiden The bell tower dominates the fortified church in Codlea. Its walls reach a thickness of 5m after having undergone several construction phases. The church was built during the 13th century and was transformed into a Gothic single-nave church two centuries later. The first Ottoman invasion convinced the villagers of the necessity of a good defensive system. Thus an 8m high and 2m thick defence wall equipped with embrasure and machicolation surrounded the church. Granaries were also constructed in its interior, and so not only the lives of the residents were protected, but also their goods. The interior of the church is dominated by the painted panelled ceiling, which was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century and consists of 252 panels. Also impressive is the 1783 organ, one of the most valuable instruments in Transylvania built by the craftsman Prause of Silenzia and decorated by the artist Oelhan. Place and surroundings From the newly refurbished square in Codlea one can admire the fortified church and picture its centuries-old history. One can try to imagine how this picturesque appearance might look 400 years ago, when Prince Gabriel Báthory besieged the castle. He promised at that time to spare the lives of the inhabitants and the warriors who came for helping from Braşov, if they would voluntarily surrender. However he never kept his promise. The defenders of the fortification were killed and the castle was occupied. But soon the situation changed one more time due to an inhabitant of Codlea, named Thomas Göbel. First he tried to exit the gates with two wine pots. He was stopped and the wine was confiscated. Apparently angry he went away, but appeared shortly thereafter with other two full cans. Under laughter the wine was again confiscated. What Báthory’s soldiers did not knew, was that the wine contained sleeping powder. Therefore it was possible for the people of Codlea to reclaim fast their fortification. Göbel has been named a hero and as reward he was freed for his lifetime of paying taxes. Keys are at: the Parish Office Codlea phone: +40/268/251 853 address: Codlea, str. Lungă nr. 110 e-mail: zeiden@evang.ro or with Mrs. Hedda Bardon phone: +40/747/169 859 address: Codlea, str. Măgurii Nr. 52

Brateiu / Pretai Only few remains are still preserved from the Gothic basilica of the 14th century and today’s church bears the signs of the changes it underwent in the 15th century. The aisles were subject to multiple transformations: the southern arcades were demolished and the wall was heightened. Particularly interesting are the arcades preserved on the northern side featuring profiled columns and various capitals. In order to stand against attacks, the church was fortified: a defence floor was built above the chancel and a battlement walk on the bell tower. Moreover the assembly was surrounded by defence wall with a five-level gate tower. A community house was constructed later on in 1906 by using material left from the partial dismantling of the defence wall. Place and surroundings On the journey through the valley of Târnava Mare, just few miles east of Mediaş appears the fortified church of Brateiu, erected in the middle of the village. The bell tower is visible from far away and from its defense level one has a magnificent view of the surroundings. After protecting for centuries the lives and the goods of the villagers, the fortified church is nowadays part of a training center, result of a successful cooperation between the Evangelic Church A.C. in Romania and the Evangelic Church of Kurhessen Waldeck (in German language only). Starting with 2008 the craftsmen are trained here in various techniques to gain the skills necessary to properly repair the fortified churches. At the western edge of the village towards Mediaş the copper-smiths from Brateiu present a shiny and rich offer: all kind of copper objects for various use. Keys are with: Mrs. Rosemarie Popşor, phone: +40/269/863019, Accomodation: Guest rooms in the former parish house Mrs. Rosemarie Popșor phone: +40/269/863015 or +40/269/863019 Hotel: Meeting Place 5 rooms, bunk beds, 1 double bed, kitchen, lounge, bathroom Camping is possible in the large parish garden or in a mobile home Information and Booking: Kuratorin Rosemarie Popșor phone: (0040-269) 863019 or (0040-787) 516732 Weiter Informationen beim Vorsitzenden des Fördervereins Kirchenburgen: Michael Theurkauf Tel.: (0049-160) 90587493 E-mail: mogk-kassel@t-online.de Internet: www.fv-ausbildungszentrum-kirchenburgen.de

Petreşti / Petersdorf During the 13th century a Romanesque basilica was built on a hill outside the village, but only the ruin of the bell tower covered in greenery and the remains of the surrounding boulder wall that was probably built already end of 13th – beginning of the 14th century are still preserved. On the southern side the ruins of a former bastion can still be identified. The rest of the church was demolished in 1805, the resulting material being used to erect a new building inside the village. The neoclassical hall church is covered with penetrated barrel vault and has a bell tower on the western side. The neoclassical altar was built in 1877 by Fritz Reuschel from Sebeş and the Rieger company built the organ in 1895. Place and surroundings On a hill not far from the center of the village Petrești the ivy-overgrown ruins of a tower and an almost perfectly preserved curtain wall are to be found: these are the remains of a former fortified church. Today the Divine Service for the largest rural Saxon community in Transylvania is being held in the church built beginning of the 19th Century. However the Evangelic cemetery it is still located under the curtain wall. In the time when the old church was still in use many legends were born. Thus, it is said that a peasant was returning late from the mill, when a huge white dog cut his way growling. The man was astounded to discover that the animal’s aspect resembled his neighbor. He immediately thought that he was dealing with a werewolf, a spellbound man who transformed into a dog at night. Thus the white dog became famous, being seen as the leader of the dog pack of the village. And indeed, when the man’s neighbor died, the dogs started to howl awfully, coming one by one to do the deathwatch and staying around the coffin. Keys are with: Mrs. Annamaria Bacilă Dörr phone: +40/742/168 016 Please make an appointment 2-3 days in advance.

Sânpetru / Petersberg The church in Sânpetru was built in 1794, replacing a medieval basilica from the 14th century, which was demolished after its tower had collapsed twice. The new church was unusually provided with a western chancel and a tower was built in 1817. The interior was endowed in neoclassical style, from organ and scarcely decorated pillars to the column- altar in the chancel. Only ruins are still preserved from the exterior and second curtain wall. But the first fortification wall stands complete even today, preserving its five towers and the two level rooms built on its interior. On the southern side of the assembly the old school and the old town hall were erected. The 13th century pre-reformation chapel was fortified in the 15th century by addition of two levels. Valuable mural paintings from 1400 decorate the chapel’s walls. Place and surroundings Sânpetru was founded in the 13th Century in the so-called Țara Bârsei, in a valley of the Carpathian arc. For centuries the village was on the edge of both Hungarian and Austrian sphere of influence and it was therefore exposed to attacks much more than other settlements in Transylvania. The imposing fortified church in the middle of the village repelled many invasions. Yet, even this fortress could not stop the most dreaded enemy: the Black Dead. Legends tell of a mysterious stranger, an old woman dressed in black who was seen in Sânpetru every time before the outbreak of the plague. Beyond all legends, the strict measures that were taken to prevent the disease were historically certified. According to the monograph of the village, the inhabitants were prohibited from working their land on the same days as the people from the neighboring villages. Foreigners were denied access and breaking this rule could even have fatal outcomes for them. Even the coins were boiled, disinfected and pierced. The last great plague, which killed nearly 400 villagers stroke in 1718-1719. Keys are at: the Parish Office Sânpetru, phone: +40/268/360550 fortress, phone: +40/268/250778, e-mail: petersberg@evang.ro, Internet: www.petersberg.sitew.org Church service every sunday at 11:00h Hotel: In the former castle keeper's apartment adress: Str. Republicii 642 bedroom (2 beds), dining room with sofa bed for 2 people, kitchen, bathroom, washing machine, cellar, iron, car parking Information and Booking: in the Parish Office phone: (0040-268) 360550 or: Pastor Peter Klein phone: (0040-755) 137818 e-mail: petersberg@evang.ro

Valea Lungă / Langenthal In the 14th century a towerless Gothic hall church was erected in Valea Lungă. It was fortified in the 15th century with an almost circular quarry stone wall and surrounded by six towers. The portal tower in the south and a tower reconstructed in 1981 with a reconstructed defence platform have been preserved. The church was renovated in 1681 and major repairs were carried out in 1721 and 1722. In the process, the side walls of the nave were demolished and moved inwards by one wall width. The construction work was completed in 1725 with the installation of a coffered ceiling. The painted bridges and mirrors show floral and tendril motifs. The baroque altar was erected in 1766. The main image depicts Jesus crucified and is surrounded by a baroque border. Hermann Binder built the organ in 1986 using parts of the organs from Monairu and Dumitra. The wall of the organ gallery is painted and bears the dates 1711 and 1766. Keys are with: Mrs. Elfriede Gieb phone: +40/785/570 773 or +40/258/888 597

Hălchiu / Heldsdorf In the 13th century, an early Gothic church was built in Hălchiu and consecrated to St. Andreas. A late Romanesque west portal has been preserved to this day. In the 15th century, a Gothic hall church was built instead. After an earthquake in 1802 it was replaced by a larger hall church, whereby the old foundation walls were reused in places. In 1894/95 the fortification was removed. The inner wall was nine and the outer wall six meters high. A drawing by Andreas Altomonte shows the fortified church in 1727 with an inner curtain wall and two fortification towers and the outer curtain wall with four towers. Three bells from the church tower are made of sound steel and were consecrated in 1923. They replaced three older bells, which the Hungarian military had confiscated in 1916 for war purposes. The fourth bell dates from 1434 and is the oldest bell in the region. The double-wing altar was erected in 1528 and restored in 1975/76 by Gisela Richter from Brașov. The present organ from 1808 is by Johann Theiss in Râșnov, who used parts of the organ destroyed in the earthquake. In 1839 the organ was rebuilt again. Keys are with: Mrs. Elfriede Beders phone: +40/747/842 936