Gemeindeausflug der evangelischen Kirche aus Heltau ins Kokeltal

The evangelical parish of Heltau planned this year's study trip for Saturday, 27 May 2017, so that young and old could come together that morning to spend a beautiful, educational day.

Despite the rainy weather, we gathered in front of the evangelical church in Heltau and boarded the bus, where we were warmly welcomed by our guide, Bogdan Muntean. After a two-hour journey, we arrived at our first destination, Durles/Dârlos. Along the way we learned interesting facts about Stolzenburg/Slimnic, Kleinkopisch/Copșa Mică and Mediasch/Mediaș. For example, that the area around Kleinkopisch had, during the time of the local soot factory, ranked first in the country in terms of environmental pollution. He also told us about the Wire Church in Mediasch. There we found an abandoned evangelical church that nevertheless has true treasures to offer. On the one hand, there stands an altar table over 700 years old, and on the other there are unique wall paintings adorning the church both inside and out.

Thanks to our guide's detailed explanations, we recognised familiar scenes from the Bible. We then continued to Malmkrog/Mălâncrav, where we first visited the manor house that belonged to the Hungarian noble family Apafi.

We also discovered the coat of arms of this noble family in the details of the evangelical church in Malmkrog. Another special feature of this church is its very well-preserved wall paintings, which are extremely rare to see in Transylvania. Through the vivid explanations, the precise and colourful paintings came to life as stories.

Our stay in Malmkrog ended with a visit to the apple juice factory, an initiative of the Mihai Eminescu Trust, where one could purchase locally made products. The next stop on our route was Elisabethstadt/Dumbrăveni. Here we had some free time to explore the town. Later we gathered in the town centre to take a closer look at the building that defines the town centre: the Armenian church, built at the end of the 18th century. We then continued on to Meschen/Moșna.

Here we were warmly welcomed by Mrs Mariane Rempler. She led us into the evangelical church, the centrepiece of the Meschen fortification, where we had the opportunity to learn something about the church, the traditions and village life in Meschen. It was permitted to climb the tower, which some of our fellow travellers were keen not to miss. Also within the fortification, in the Speckturm, Mrs Rempler had prepared a generous brunch for us. Refreshed, we reached our final destination: Almen/Alma Vii. The fortified church and the village community had been supported in many ways by the Mihai Eminescu Trust. We found a well-maintained defensive wall, within which — thanks to the display of many pictures, graphics, tools and craft products — we could be transported back to another era. Here too we visited the typical defensive towers, each containing exhibits on a particular theme. From the tower one could see restored Saxon houses that stood out especially with their distinctive colours. At the exit there was the possibility of purchasing local products. Here we once again recognised the principle of the Mihai Eminescu Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation and regeneration of villages and communities in Transylvania. We then made our way back to Heltau.

This study trip of 27 May 2017 was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Transylvania and its history. This happened not only on site in the respective localities, but also during the bus journey, which was never boring.

Author: Anna Katharina Henning
Date: 20.07.2017