The Sebeș Lutheran church ( ro, Biserica Evanghelică din Sebeș; german: Stadtpfarrkirche Mühlbach) is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

fortified church A fortified church is a church that is built to serve a defensive role in times of war. Such churches were specially designed to incorporate military features, such as thick walls, battlements, and embrasures. Others, such as the Ávila Cathedra ...

. It is located at 5 Piața Primăriei in the town center of

Sebeș Sebeș (; German: ''Mühlbach''; Hungarian: ''Szászsebes''; Transylvanian Saxon dialect: ''Melnbach'') is a city in Alba County, central Romania, southern Transylvania. Geography The city lies in the Mureș River valley and straddles the rive ...

(''Mühlbach''), itself situated in Alba County, in the

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 ...

region of

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. The church was built by the

ethnic German , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

Transylvanian Saxon community at a time when the area belonged to the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. Initially

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, it became Lutheran following the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Description

Saxon colonists began a Romanesque basilica during the 12th century, but this was destroyed during the 1241-1242

Mongol invasion of Europe From the 1220s into the 1240s, the Mongols conquered the Turkic states of Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, Alania, and the Kievan Rus' federation. Following this, they began their invasion into heartland Europe by launching a two-pronged invasion of ...

. It was subsequently rebuilt in Gothic style, fortified and endowed with walls. An imposing choir was added in the second half of the 14th century, during a period of local prosperity. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Sebeș became a center for craftsmen, who worked on extending the church. During World War I, the bells were confiscated, melted and turned into munitions; they were replaced in 1925.Sebeș/Mühlbach
at biserici-fortificate.org The church is listed as a

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, with Saint James's Chapel (''ca.'' 1420), the parish house and the walls being listed as separate entries.Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Județul Alba
/ref> Sebes Biserica evanghelica (4).jpg, Portal Altar Bis evanghelica Sebes.jpg, Altar Ansamblul bisericii evanghelice din Sebeș 2.jpg, Nave Ansamblul bisericii evanghelice din Sebeș 3.jpg, Organ Jakobskapelle sebes.jpg, Saint James's Chapel

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sebes Lutheran church Lutheran churches in Romania Lutheran churches converted from Roman Catholicism Historic monuments in Alba County Fortified church buildings in Romania Gothic architecture in Romania 13th-century churches in Romania Sebeș