Fortified churches of Transylvania
so much alike and so much different
Fortified churches of Transylvania guides you through all elements which are basically the same in each Saxon village.
Just visit more then one. It'll be impossible not see they are sisters/brothers. Cause their parents, the Saxons, put a visible stamp on them. They are so Saxon: robust, clean, elegant, sober. And time adds a romantic touch, too.
I have to admit, when I first traveled through these Saxon villages with fortified churches I was disappointed. I felt like I lost my time cause one village is enough to see the whole picture.
You know, for white people all Asian people look the same. But take a closer look on them and you'll learn to differentiate the Vietnamese people from the Chinese. The Japanese from the Korean. It works the same with fortified churches and Saxon villages.
My advice? If you're a hurried traveler, hungry to see as much as possible, visit only one (maximum two) such village and go on your way to a different destination. If you come here only to see medieval Transylvania take your time cause you have a lot to do.
The Saxons arrived in southeastern Transylvania during the 12th and 13th centuries, in the area occupied by two counties Brasov and Sibiu, and a part of Mures County. They were invited by the Kings of Hungary to defend the eastern borders of Christian Europe against the invaders from the south and est (Turks and Mongols).
They had a special status among nations in the province and their civilization managed to survive and thrive, forming a very strong community of farmers, artisans and merchants. They established about 200 villages, and 7 main fortified towns/cities - hence the German name for Transylvania, Siebenbuergen.
The pattern?
On their native land, the colonists had already learned that, in wartime, it was better to leave one's village and save one's life and goods. This mentality influenced the way they built each settlement. The arable land was shared according to the Flemish system. The villages are typically built in line, along each side of a stream and a central square. The churches were placed in the center of the village. In most cases, they were built on hills, which made them easy to reach and protect.
The houses surrounded by gardens were arranged in tight rows. They were built in the style of their 12-13th century Western Europe origins. The villages have remained unchanged in structure and largely unchanged in size for many centuries.
Each house has high walls and a large gate, wide enough for a loaded hay cart. Within, there is a very private courtyard: the house on one side, or both, followed by animals' sheds and a large barn for storing hay closing the courtyard (at right angles). Behind the barn there is a small (about 0.5 ha) vegetable plot, followed by an approximately 1 ha fruit orchard. This is usually the border of the land attached to the house, often marked by a line of walnut trees.
The spiritual and defensive center of each village was the distinctive fortified church. At times of attacks, Saxons would retreat with their fortunes within the walls of the church, in which stores of food were being kept. In fact, households used to keep their dried ham and fat bacon within family storerooms built into the church walls even in peacetime. Each Sunday villagers would cut off enough for the week, and the hams remained in the cool of the thick-walled church. This custom continues in some villages even nowadays.
From more then 200 fortified churches Transylvania keeps traces of about 150. From these 7 have been chosen to be part of UNESCO world heritage. They are: Biertan, Calnic, Darjiu, Prejmer, Saschiz, Valea Viilor, Viscri.
Before I finish this page I want to answer to those hurried travelers who don't understand why UNESCO put "the village with fortified church" on their list while the only interesting thing in the village is the fortified church itself.
Well… The countryside of the Saxon villages from Transylvania is one of Europe's last medieval landscapes, basically unchanged for hundreds of years, in which little agriculture coexists with an abundance of flora and fauna.
The area is a traditionally managed landscape of meadow-steppe grass lands, arable fields and woodlands that still presents a medieval land-use pattern. Such landscapes have disappeared from most of modern Europe.
So, if you arrive here don't run to the church, take a brief look and go forward. Take a walk on the village streets, take a look inside a household, talk with people about their habits and customs. Ask to see a folk costume. Participate to a religious service or a local custom.
You'll discover that Transylvania's Saxon villages themselves, not only the fortified churches, are unchanged from hundreds of years.
