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Prejmer
Prejmer Village (Prejmer)
The Prejmer village, 15km Northeast from Brasov, was for the first time documentary certified in 1211 by a document of Andrei II addressed to Teuton knights (a member of an ancient Germanic people that originally came from Jutland). Through this document the Teutons had rights over the Tarlung (Tartillou) river, in the surroundings of the river being founded the Prejmer locality. The name "Prasmar" appears for the first time in 1360.
Prejmer Fortified Church is the biggest of this kind in the Southeastern Europe being built in the 14th century by Germans settled in Transylvania called "sasi". The fortress, in circle shape, had walls thick by 3-4m and 12m in height, fire holes, bastions, iron gates, deep moats and lifting bridges. But the most impressive was the renowned firearm called "the organ of the death" consisting of many arms put together, firing in the same time.
On the inside part of the walls were built, on 4 levels, 272 small rooms like a honeycomb that sheltered the people from the fortress when they were attacked. In peaceful times they used these rooms as a storage place for food. These rooms were inherited from father to son.
Placed in the East part of Transylvania, near the Buzau Pass, the fortress was 50 times attacked by Turkish but never defeated. Nowadays it has also an ethnographic museum. It exhibits costumes, painted furniture and pottery.
Inside its walls there is an Evangelic church, being one of the oldest in Transylvania. The Teutons knights built the church between 1218-1461 in Gothic style. It was finished in 1461 when the tower, having 36m in height, was built. During its history the Catholic Church turned into an Evangelic-Lutheran church. It has one of the oldest altars in Romania, built in 1450 in Gothic style and painted on both sides. The organ dates back since 18th century.
Being many times renovated, the church is renown for its special architecture.
The Orthodox Church was for the first time erected in 1601. The actual church was built in 1769. At the beginning the church was entire painted but today just very few paintings can be seen. Its iconostasis is carved in Baroque style and includes 59 painted icons. The church has two valuable painted icons, dating back since 1789 and a large library.
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