Fortified Church Hălchiu / Heldsdorf

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