| Open
10:00-17:30,
Closed Sun
Admission : 0.8 US$/pax |
In Brasov city, situated at the foot of Tampa Mountain (960m) , in the
North-East of the Meridionali Carpathians (on the National Road, at 25 km North from
Predeal); Brasov is the residence of Brasov county.
The
Black Church is one of the most important and doubtlessly the most imposing monument built
by the German people from Transylvania in Their 850 years of history. The name "Black
Church" was conferred to the main Evangelic - Lutheran Church of German language from
Brasov after the catastrophic fire in 1689, when the whole city was actually burnt. The
flames and the smoke blackened its walls, but the sumptuousness and the greatness of the
church couldn't be destroyed.
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The Black Church |
The
Black Church, having a length of 89m, is the biggest Gothic church between Vienna and
Constantinopole. It’s building was begun in the Gothic style in 1383 on the place of a
church from the first half of the 13th century; its first head being the priest
Thomas Sander. Being finished to a great extent, the church was seriously damaged
during the first Turkish invasion in 1421. The building was finished and the church was
dedicated until 1477, its patron being the Holy Virgin.
Nowadays the church has only three from the six bells
which existed at first. The big bell, having a 6300 kilos weight, is the biggest church
bell in Romania. It has an extremely beautiful sound and it can be heard on the occasion
of the great church holidays.
from 1696, which was donated by a
butcher’s patron , integrates itself well in the general image of the church. The coat
of the city - a crown on a tree trunk - and the coat of arms of the King Matei Corvin
can be noticed on the column from the central nave, opposite to the pulpit.
from the two lateral naves are adorned with beautiful
wooden Baroque sculptures and with panels of the gilds, on which interesting folk motives
are painted. The oldest dates from 1696, the others being from the first half of the 18th
century.
were made in
the second half of the 19th century. The wooden oak benches were donated to the
church in 1937.
The funeral stones of some important citizens of the city, buried in the church
from the 16th century to the 18th century, are displayed in the two
rooms which frames the western entrance hall.
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The Black
Church - details |
The Northern hall houses an
exhibition about the life and activity of the reformer Johannes Honterus,
and the Southern hall houses an exhibition about history, the history of the building and
restoring of this worship place.
having a number of 4000 pipes, was created
in 1838-1839 by the organ creator Buchholz from Berlin and it ranks among the
biggest organs in the South-Eastern Europe. It is the only organ of the Buchholz’s
firm which was preserved in its original aspect. During the summer months organ recitals
can be heard daily, being attended by many lovers of "musica sacra", from the
country and from abroad.
A
treasure of a special value belonging to the church is represented by the collection of
Anatolian carpets, most of them from the 17th and 18th centuries.
They come from Bursa, Usak and Gordes from Asia Minor. The Black Church has the richest
collection of this kind in Europe.
It’s also important to see the Johannes
Honterus’s statue (1498-1549) placed outside, in the southern side of the church
tower. It is the work of the sculptor Harro Magnussen from Berlin. The
statue was uncovered in 1898 on the occasion of the 400th celebration of Honterus’s
birth.
It’s important to mention that the Black Church was never an
episcopal cathedral.
Copyright
(c) 1999 - Agrotour - Toate drepturile rezervate