St. Bartholomew's Evangelical Church Brasov

About St. Bartholomew's Evangelical Church Brasov

The Saint Bartholomew's Church is located in the western part of the city, at the base of the Sprenghi hill. The church is the oldest building in the city and it was built in the 13th century, in an early Gothic style. In the past, the church was also known as the Church of the three orphans. According to legend, the three orphans had left all of their belongings to the church and were buried under the altar.

In the 15th century, due to the destructions caused by the numerous Turkish invasions, the church was partially rebuilt. The church is surrounded by a circular, not very high defence wall. The northern, western and south-western parts of the medieval defence wall are original and the eastern and also some parts in the northern part were demolished and rebuilt. 

Inside the defence wall is placed the cemetery of the Saxon parishioners from Bartolomeu. In this cemetery is buried Iohannes Mattis – Teutsch (1884 – 1950), one of the figures who have revived the plastic arts from the beginning of the 20th century and a prominent figure of the European expressionism.
The church's tower was rebuilt and added a level in 1842, after the original tower collapsed as a consequence of the earthquake in 1822. The altar dates from 1791 and one of the old pews from 1683.

For more than 500 years, during the last Sunday before the 24th of August (Saint Bartholomew's day) takes place the pilgrimage of the Patron Saint Bartholomew, a regional celebration where the Saxon communities from ?ara Barsei gather.
The festive religious service is followed by traditional German dances and music, accompanied by the fanfare.