Evangelical Fortified Church Prejmer
About Evangelical Fortified Church Prejmer
The fortified church from Prejmer is one of the main touristic attractions from Transylvania and it is the best preserved medieval church – fortress from Eastern Europe. Prejmer is a commune located within 10 Km from Bra?ov, on DN10 (tr. n. DN stands for ‘national road’), the road that connects Brasov with Intorsura Buzaului.
The first documentary attestation of the area was made in a certificate addressed by the Hungarian king, Andrew II, to the Teutons. In the certificate were mentioned the river T?rlung and the commune of Prejmer.
The fortress, built in a Gothic style, was erected by the Teutonic Knights. The church has suffered from many alterations. Its base was built on a central plan, in the shape of a Greek cross, but it was modified in the 16th century. The fortress resembles the Cistercian monastery from Câr?a and the Evangelical church from Bartolomeu – Bra?ov. This fact places the fortress in the same stylistic and temporal ambiance as these two structures, namely the mid-13th century.
The enclosure walls, with a height of about 12 to 14 m, with a base wide of up to 5 m, endowed with iron gates and bridges, along with the water ditch, were built with the purpose of defending the structure against the Ottoman attacks. A special aspect of the defensive structure is the ‘Death Pipe Organ’, made out of several weapons, placed together and fired at once.
Since 1993, there were made several restoration works and were organized permanent exhibitions. The space was arranged under the initiative of the Transylvanian Saxons Foundation, under the direct guidance of the curator Dr. Volker Wollmann, who has designed almost all of the museal compartments in the fortress.
Among the permanent exhibitions are: the school, some traditional Saxon rooms, looms (brought from the village of Gârbova, in Alba County), specific tools used by wheelwrights and coopers (brought from Beia, Brasov), tools used by saddlers and belt makers (brought from Altina, in Sibiu County), tools used in viticulture and pomology, a blacksmith’s workshop (brought from Tatarlaua, in Alba County, in 1992), tools used for hemp processing (brought from Brasov County).
Visiting hours:
Between the 1st of May and the 31st of October
From Tuesday to Friday, between 9 am and 17 pm
On Saturdays, between 9 am and 15 pm
On Sundays and Mondays the fortress cannot be visited.
Between the 1st of November and the 30th of April
From Tuesday to Saturday, between 9 am and 15 pm
On Sundays and Mondays the fortress cannot be visited.