SAFE - Saxon cultural treasures

18.11.2024

The Contrafort Pro Kleinschenk/Cincșor Association is currently carrying out the SAFE project : Saxon Cultural Treasures, which aims to make a complete inventory of the objects of historical and artistic value preserved in ten parishes under the authority of the Evangelical District Consistory of Sibiu: Chirpăr/ Kirchberg, Daia/ Thalheim, Dealu Frumos/ Schonberg, Hosman/ Holzmengen, Marpod/ Marpod, Merghindeal/ Mergeln, Nocrich/ Leschkirch, Nou/ Neudorf, Roșia/ Rothberg and Veseud/ Zied.

Medieval goldsmithery, baskets, painted furniture specific to the Transylvanian peasant Baroque (altars, pews, pews, pews, lecterns), small altars, pulpit elements, copper church vessels, old textiles, books and documents, as well as bells, clocks and organs are among the cultural goods that are identified and documented.

Some of these objects have never been researched or are even completely unknown to both specialists and the general public. Often in a poor state of conservation, they risk being destroyed or disappearing because their value is unknown.

Inventorying, digitizing and researching these heritage objects is absolutely necessary to maintain accurate records and to identify future conservation and restoration solutions. One of the objectives of the project is to secure the endangered objects, to introduce them into the scientific and, as far as possible, tourist circuit, and to valorize them for the local communities.

Making this heritage accessible to the public is done through an online database that brings together information about the ten fortified churches, as well as images and detailed records of the objects preserved in or originating from these parishes.

An exhibition capitalizing on the results of the project's research is being organized in partnership with the Teutsch House in Sibiu and will be touring some of the ten fortified churches included in the project.

SAFE. Saxon Cultural Treasures is a project implemented by the Contrafort Pro Kleinschenk/Cincșor Association, in partnership with the Evangelical District Consistory C.A. Sibiu, the Friedrich Teutsch Center for Dialogue and Culture of the Evangelical Church C.A. in Romania and the Renascendis Association, and is co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN).

The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.