Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului

Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului in Miercurea Sibiului
Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului in Miercurea Sibiului
Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului in Miercurea Sibiului
Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului in Miercurea Sibiului
Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului in Miercurea Sibiului
Fortified Church Miercurea Sibiului in Miercurea Sibiului

Altar

The altar that stands in the church today is a baroque altar from 1760. It was made by Simon Wolff and Johann Weiß. In the center is a crucifix, flanked by wooden sculptures depicting Moses and Aaron, including a depiction of the Last Supper. Baroque architectural elements - columns, pillars, volutes and foliage - frame the paintings and sculptures.

Pews

Baroque painted pews from the 18th century have been preserved in the church.

Baptismal font

The baroque wooden baptismal font also serves as a lectern.

Organ

The pneumatic organ is a work by the Rieger company and was installed in 1909. It has two manuals, pedal and 13 registers.

Epitaph

A stone epitaph from around 1736 commemorates the priest Georg Hutter; it bears a Latin inscription.

Bell tower

The slender bell tower from the 13th century still has many Romanesque elements.

Tower clock

On the church tower there is a working iron clock.

Defenses

The church is surrounded by an almost circular wall, which, based on the ground plan, suggests that the first walled fortifications were built in the 13th century. In the 15th century the ring wall was renewed and adapted to the requirements of firearms. Cellar-like pantries are built inside the castle along the ring wall. The arrow slits on the ring wall could be served from the pantries on the ground floor. A second set of arrow slits was served by a corridor running between the curtain wall and the storerooms. Storerooms and battlements are covered by a broad pent roof. In the 16th century a second circular wall was added to the east of the fortified church. It had a fortification tower, the remains of which are still visible today.

History

1150-1200 The village is built up by German settlers, possibly instead of a Szekler village.
1200-1300 Construction of a Romanesque three-nave pillared arcaded basilica with a bell tower.
1494 The distribution of the tax burden shows that Miercurea Sibiului must have suffered badly from the Turkish invasions, since it has to pay a relatively small contribution in relation to earlier tax lists.
1496 Miercurea Sibiului receives a grant of 10 guilders for the construction of the church. The church is rebuilt in the Gothic style.
1500 There are 40 families living in the village, 3 poor people and a teacher; 3 farms are deserted.
1534 Miercurea Sibiului is pledged to the mayor of Sibiu, Matthias Armbruster.
1590 The weekly and annual market rights for Miercurea Sibiului are established.
1615 Prince Gabriel Bethlen donated 82 guilders for the maintenance of the tower.
1658 The place is devastated and burned down by a Turkish army invading Transylvania against Prince George Rákóczy II.
1704 Serbs ("Ratzen") from the imperial army plunder the place.
1783 The church is rebuilt and enlarged to the east.
1875 The bishop from Sibiu on occasion of a general church visitation notes moral decay in the village.
1977 On the ring wall, 73 bacon chambers were still in use.
1995-2005 There were repair works on the church financed by the village.

Places in the surroundings