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Biertan and UNESCO
A meeting of utmost importance
We now find ourselves near the center, after a visit filled with stories about Biertan and its church. The fortification you’ve encountered has stood the test of time for centuries, but it gradually lost its purpose and luster. Over the years, leaderships and customs changed, and the fortification no longer served a defensive role. Later, after 1989, with much of the Saxon community departing, the church was no longer filled on Sundays and holidays. Without its people, a building left alone tends to fall into disrepair.
A turning point in the life of the citadel came in the modern era. In 1993, Biertan’s church was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and in 1999, the list expanded to include seven Transylvanian villages with their fortified churches, with Biertan’s being the first of the seven and the most emblematic. This designation brought international recognition to Biertan and the other citadels, placing them alongside renowned structures and sites like the Colosseum in Rome, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Taj Mahal.
We are in a space that the whole world considers valuable, and we want to keep it valuable because it's important for all of us! This village is on the list of the most valuable places on the planet. It is, of course, a great honor, a status that brings benefits, but all of this also requires responsibility. Maintaining the cultural landscape as a whole – that is, the combined works of nature and man – depends on those who own or manage it but also travelers. The whole depends on each individual component. Without properly preserved and conserved pieces, the global image is lost, and the village risks no longer belonging to this prestigious family. Does this seem like a big responsibility? It is, but there are many allies. Architects, mayors, counselors, guides – all of them work together to keep the village in a legendary state. Everyone benefits but also everyone is responsible for preserving the image of the villages and their natural surroundings. And the ones in whose hands we place our hopes for the future are the children and teenagers of today, who will carry forward a significant heritage, which becomes even more valuable as time passes.
What is the UNESCO List?
In 1945, after the devastation of the two World Wars, the United Nations established the “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,” or UNESCO for short. The mission of this agency is, and I quote, “to contribute to the promotion of peace and security in the world through education, science, and culture, in order to foster international cooperation, respect for fundamental human rights, without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion.”
In 1972, member states of the agency initiated a list of monuments of great importance that must be protected from wars, economic interests, or disasters, as they represent the pinnacle of our global cultural heritage.
UNESCO brings prestige, and Biertan is best known for its citadel, of course, but we invite you to go beyond a superficial encounter. Layers of history and unique stories await discovery in this audio quest and at the doors of the village elders. They deserve to be explored leisurely and attentively, as they are the ones that truly enrich us.
It is also worth mentioning that here, nestled between the hills in the shadow of the citadel, lies a broader cultural tapestry — old houses, objects, the natural landscape, people, and their customs. All these elements deserve to be preserved, cared for, restored, or continued because they, together with the fortification, mutually enhance each other’s value. Together, they create a space rich in history and legends, a place where you’ll be happy to linger.
In Romania, there are other UNESCO monuments and sites that we invite you to search for and discover. You will enrich your knowledge and understand the present in a new way. Alongside them, a series of intangible heritage elements reflect Romanian culture. Explore traditional techniques for making scoarţa (woven textiles), the pottery techniques of Horezu, the art of the cămaşa cu altiţă (traditional shirt), the male carol singing (colindatul în ceata bărbătească), or the căluşul ritual, among others. Heritage is the face of a country, it is the face of our country and the country you come from, dear traveler. Try to respect and take care of it.
Text by Andrei Tache and Alexandra Mihailciuc, written as part of the Heritage Lab workshop in 2024. Audio guide created by the Designers, Thinkers, Makers Association and Biertan Town Hall, as part of the Culture & Cultures. Connecting the Dots project, co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration.
Audio guide produced in 2024 via the Culture&Cultures. Connecting the dots project.
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Proiectul nu reprezintă în mod necesar poziția Administrației Fondului Cultural Național. AFCN nu este responsabilă de conținutul proiectului sau de modul în care rezultatele proiectului pot fi folosite. Acestea sunt în întregime responsabilitatea beneficiarului finanțării.
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