Biertan/Birthälm

Especially in the 17 and 18 centuries the community leaders in Biertan (German name Birthälm) fought a harsh fight against moral decline. They tried to stop increasing misconducts with strict rules and severe penalties. For example, it was prohibited to drink in bad company, or to linger around at the inn for too long. If “premarital immoral incidents” occurred between couples the wedding ceremony itself was conducted in an especially degrading manner. These and many others stories can be discovered by visitors to the Biertan fortified church. The so-called “Marriage prison” for divorcing couples survived until today, but only as a building. It is located in the precincts of the Biertan castle, which is one of the most impressive and largest fortified churches in Transylvania. The church dates back to the early 16th Century and is surrounded by three fortification walls and nine defensive towers. Once a year the meeting of the Saxons – the largest gathering of Germans still living in Transylvania and those who emigrated – takes place here. Inside the fortified church one can find a museum as well as a bookshop, and two guesthouses offer all year accommodation in the village.