Biertan (german: Birthälm; hu, Berethalom) is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, in the north of the
Sibiu County, 80 km north of
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
and 29 km east of
Mediaș. Biertan is one of the most important
Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
The south-eastern Transylvania region in Romania currently has one of the highest numbers of existing fortified churches from the 13th to 16th centuries. It has more than 150 well preserved fortified churches of a great variety of architectural st ...
, having been on the list of
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Sites since 1993. The
Biertan fortified church was the seat of the
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
Bishop in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
between 1572 and 1867.
The commune is composed of three villages: Biertan, Copșa Mare (''Gross-Kopisch''; ''Nagykapus''), and Richiș (''Reichesdorf''; ''Riomfalva''), each of which has a
fortified church.
History
The first documentary testimony about the village dates from 1283 in a document about the taxes paid by the inhabitants of 7 villages and so it is believed to have been founded sometime between 1224 and 1283 by
Transylvanian Saxons. The village settlement quickly developed into an important market town and by 1510 Biertan supported a population of about 5,000 people. Between 1468 and the 16th century a small
fortified church (''die Kirchenburg'') was constructed and developed. After the medieval period the town declined in importance with the rise of neighbouring
Sighișoara (or ''Schäßburg'' in German),
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
(''Hermannstadt''), and
Mediaș (''Mediasch'').
In the census of 1930 Biertan had 2,331 inhabitants, of whom 1228 were
Transylvanian Saxons. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
many men were conscripted into the Romanian army and later the
Waffen-SS. After the war many
Transylvanian Saxons were
expelled from the region. Following the collapse of
Communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
in 1990 many more left for
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Today the whole commune has a population of about 2,500 and the village of Biertan alone has about 1,600 people. It is one of the most visited villages in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, being the historically important place of the annual reunion of the
Transylvanian Saxons, many of whom now live in Germany.
Festivals
Th
"Luna Plină" ("Full Moon") Horror and Fantasy Film Festivaltakes place in Biertan. It is the only film festival in Romania focused exclusively on fantasy movies.
Gallery
File:Stamps of Romania, 2011-76.jpg, Biertan on a 2011 Romanian stamp
File:Biserica fortificată din Richiș, vedere estică, 2016.jpg, left, Medieval fortified Evangelical Lutheran church in Richiș
File:Award-Winning Lock - Biertan - Romania.jpg, Lock on a wooden door in the church at Biertan. The lock contains 19 locks in one. It won first prize at the Paris World Expo in 1900.
File:SALZER(1881) p007 Birthälm.jpg, Biertan in 1881, digitized copy from the British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
File:Ansamblul bisericii evanghelice fortificate 1.jpg, Ensemble of the Evangelical fortified church
File:Biertan - Incintă fortificată interioară, cu trei turnuri, bastion, turn de poartă.jpg, Indoor fortified enclosure with three towers, bastion and gate tower
File:DonariumBiertan.JPG, Biertan Donarium
The Biertan Donarium is a fourth-century Christian votive object found near the town of Biertan, in Transylvania, Romania. Made out of bronze in the shape of a Labarum, it has the Latin text EGO ZENO VOTUM POSVI, which can be approximatively tra ...
File:Biertan 001.jpg, Biertan fortified church
Natives
*
Johann Peter Migendt
Johann Peter Migendt, also Migend, (1703 – 19 September 1767) was a German organ builder in Berlin and successor to Joachim Wagner.
Life
Migend was born in Birthälm, Principality of Transylvania (now Biertan, Sibiu County, Romania). From 1 ...
(1703–1767), organ builder
*
Artur Phleps
Artur Gustav Martin Phleps (29 November 1881 – 21 September 1944) was an Austro-Hungarian, Romanian and German army officer who held the rank of '' SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS'' (lieutenant general) in the Waffen-SS d ...
(1881–1944), a Biertan-born military career officer. He, uniquely, served in the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
army of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, the royal army of Romania and finally the
Waffen-SS.
* (1903–1960), bishop
*Sara Römischer. Although she was not famous in the traditional sense, her story is representative of that experienced by many
Transylvanian Saxons in Biertan following the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Sara was deported to
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
in January 1945. She survived and after five years returned to her hometown of Biertan to bring up her family through many further hardships. Read an English translation of her harrowing story, or for the original German text in
Siebenbürgische Zeitung).
Demographics
According to the 2011 census,
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
made up 73.8% of the population,
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
made up 17.9%,
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
made up 4.6%, and
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
made up 3.6%.
See also
*
Biertan Donarium
The Biertan Donarium is a fourth-century Christian votive object found near the town of Biertan, in Transylvania, Romania. Made out of bronze in the shape of a Labarum, it has the Latin text EGO ZENO VOTUM POSVI, which can be approximatively tra ...
*
List of castles in Romania
This is a list of castles and fortresses declared historic monuments by Romania's Ministry of Culture. Banat
; Caraș-Severin (6)
* Bey's Fortress, Socolari
* Caransebeș Fortress, Caransebeș
* Cuiești Fortress, Bocșa
* Ladislau Fortress ...
*
Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
References
External links
*
Information and pictures about Biertan*
Info about Biertan*
*
Info and pictures about BiertanFortified church in Biertanvideovideo
{{Authority control
Communes in Sibiu County
Localities in Transylvania
Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
Articles containing video clips