INTBAU - Transylvania

INTBAU - images of rural Transylvania Images of Transylvanian countryside

Transylvania is the name of the historic province which today forms the Western part of Romania. The province measures nearly 100,000 Km² and its population is around 7 million. The province is surrounded by mountains and it is believed that its name comes from the Latin "silva" which means forest or wood.

Since medieval times, the population of Transylvania has been a mixture of Romanians, Hungarians, Germans, Jews, Roma and other ethnicities , and the built environment reflects the cultural diversity of its inhabitants and its very rich history. Throughout the centuries, Transylvania has belonged to a variety of empires and states - Dacia, the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Romania - but has in other periods functioned as an autonomous principality. With the exception of a brief occupation by Hungary during the Second World War, Transylvania has been part of Romania since 1918.

Architecture

The province is divided into a few regions with distinct architectural influences, mostly from Western Europe. There are fine examples of the Transylvanian Gothic style - such as the fourteenth century Black Church and Bran Castle, both in Brasov County. Specific to Transylvania in mediaeval times was the extension and fortification of towns based on principles of functionality; the cities of Sighisoara, Sibiu and Brasov are excellent examples. In the western part of the province, the Austro-Hungarian influence is more visible.

The INTBAU Masonry Training Centre is established in Archita, a village in the so-called Saxon area in the centre of Transylvania. The Saxons (the name by which German settlers were known to the local people) settled here at the beginning from the twelfth century at the invitation of King Geza II, who needed help to defend his kingdom against invaders. Over the following 800 years, the Saxons built beautiful and harmonious cities and villages across a hilly and mountainous area of Transylvania which offers outstanding views.

The villages are neatly planned with houses lined along the street, with high gates, vividly painted and decorated facades, and with the windows often protected by wooden shutters. The houses are made of traditional materials such as stone, bricks, timber, lime and sand. The designs follow symmetrical patterns. After the collapse of communism in Romania in 1989, almost all of the Saxons emigrated from Transylvania to Germany and the region started a rapid decline. Presently, there is a chronic shortage of craftsman who can undertake traditional restoration work.

Medieval Church of Archita

The village of Archita was first mentioned in a document dated 1356, and its evangelical church was fortified around the year 1500. The church still has seven of its original nine defensive towers, and around it two sets of defensive walls, within which the entire village used to take refuge.

When the Saxons lived in Transylvania, buildings such as Archita's mediaeval church were impeccably maintained and restored. Nowadays these fine buildings are rarely used, and many desperately need maintenance and restoration. From 2009, some of the maintenance work needed by the medieval church in Archita is undertaken by INTBAU. Through its masonry training programme, INTBAU, along with its apprentices, is able to study the fabric of the citadel, learn traditional restoration skills and contribute to the preservation of one of the most remarkable medieval churches in central Europe.