Evangelical Church of St Bartholomew

Lungă Street, no. 251

The Evangelical Church of Saint Bartholomew is the oldest architectural monument in Brașov, being built in 1223, in early Gothic style. It was rebuilt in the 15th century. It is a former Catholic church built in the Romanesque style, with broken arched windows, ogive vaults and decorative Gothic art motifs made of sandstone. From the 16th century it became a Lutheran church. The founder of this church was Herman von Salza, the leader of the order of German knights. The church is 55 m long, and its columns are supported by strong plinths and are finished by capitals in the pre-Gothic style. The painting on the walls of the church impresses with its Romanesque and Gothic motifs. After the earthquake of 1833, the altar was rebuilt in classicist style and a new organ with 25 registers was installed. There are two towers on the west facade, one of which is unfinished. The current tower was built in 1842 and is the replacement of the old tower that collapsed in the earthquake of 1822, being one floor higher than the previous one. In 1923, the clock in the tower was installed.
The church still preserves elements of the Romanesque style, but elements of the Gothic style predominate. It is one of the fortified churches of Brașov County. Inside the church are presented old Saxon tools and objects. The sundial on the southern facade of the bastion stands out. At the same time, the Saxon cemetery can be found inside. Within the Evangelical Church of Saint Bartholomew, the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Saint Bartholomew has been held annually for over 500 years, a local celebration where the Saxon communities from Ţara Bârsei gather. The event takes place on the last Sunday before August 24, more precisely the day of Saint Bartholomew. After the service it is customary for each of the assembled Saxon communities to present small performances of German dance, marching bands and songs. Since 2003, a small museum has been opened within the Evangelical Church, which includes over 1,500 items - from furniture, Saxon ports, bakery tools and carpentry tools to the presentation of a typical Saxon household. Sources: historia.ro, centruturistic.ro
Concerts