The fortified churches

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In Transylvania the Saxon community model, brought here by the German colonists, developed a unique feature facing the migratory populations' danger, this is the fortified church.

The villages with fortified churches are characterized by a specific land use system, settlement pattern, and organization of the family farmstead units preserved since the late Middle Age, gathered around a fortified church. The original development of church reinforcements are linked to the troubled history of Transylvania, starting from the Tatar invasion, in 1241-1242. They were built by the German colonist brought here by the Hungarian crown beginning with the 12th century. The Germans built villages with houses surrounded by gardens arranged in tight rows, with streets, commons and squares; the churches stood in the center of the village, in most cases built on hills which made them easy to reach and protect. Since 1993 Biertan fortress church, as well as the access paths around it is on the World Heritage list drawn up by UNESCO, and from 1999 another 6 churches added to the list.