Braller

The commune of Braller (Romanian: Bruiu, Hungarian: Brulya) belonged to Făgăraș County until 1950, when, after the county was abolished, it was assigned to Sibiu County in Transylvania.

The history of the fortified church is marked by many changes. In the second half of the 19th century the side aisles of the Romanesque basilica from the 13th century were demolished, and a gallery storey and an apse were added. Of the original architecture only a Romanesque door frame with a round arch has survived. A ring wall with four bastions and three wall-walks were built, as well as a building attached to the church that served as a storehouse, dwelling, and fighting house.

The fortified church of Braller now stands in the centre of the village without its two ring walls.

The altar was witness to countless baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and communion services for more than four centuries. Today only a few Evangelicals remain in Braller, which is why the Evangelical congregation of Heltau has offered this valuable winged altar a new, safe home.

The precious pre-Reformation Nikolaus Altar from 1520 comes from a workshop in Hermannstadt (Sibiu), while the Madonna with the Christ Child is from the hand of Veit Stoss the Younger. On the feast-day side four scenes from the life of St. Nicholas are depicted; on the weekday side 16 saints are shown in dialogue with one another.

Author: Zîmța Andreea
Date: 03.10.2017

For photos from Braller, please click: Photos from Braller