Biertan

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Biertan and its fortified church

The fortified church; it is possible to see the three protecting walls from this view

This small building stands next to the church of Biertan. There was the habit to close there for two weeks the couples that wanted to divorce. Inside there was only a bad and the necessary to eat. It actually worked because in 400 years only one couple eventually decided to break up

Biertan (German Birthälm, Hungarian Berethalom) is a commune in central Romania in the north of the Sibiu County, 80 km north of Sibiu and 15 km east of Mediaş.

The first documentary testimony about the village is from 1283 in a document about the taxes paid by the inhabitants of 7 villages. It is one of the most important Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, having been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1993. It was the see of the Lutheran Evangelical Bishop in Transylvania between 1572 and 1867.

The whole commune has a population of about 3,000 and the village of Biertan alone has about 1600 people. It is one of the most visited villages in Transylvania, being the place of the annual reunion of the Transylvanian Saxons, many of whom now live in Germany.