The Black Church (in German Die Schwarze Kirche), it is one of Brasov symbols and the parochial church of the Romanian Evangelic Church. Located in the heart of Brasov, the construction of the Black Church started probably on the location of an older church in 1377 in the time of Vicar Thomas Sander, in gothic style, when the city was in full economic and cultural development, being the biggest developed city in Transylvania. Initially being catholic, the church was known as The Virgin Mary Church (Marienkirche) and this is shown by the fresque of the Virgin Mary still existent at the left entrance in the church.
The Turks invasion in 1421 stopped the construction works at the church because the city had to be involved more in the construction of the city fortifications. Initially the construction project was with two towers at the church entrance but a strong earthquake made the right tower collapse, and the constructors decided to leave the construction like it is today – quite asimetrical. In 1477 the construction was completed and in 1499 a new organ was installed, and in 1514 at the church tower was installed a clock and bells (inside the Black Church is biggest bell from Romania from bronze, with a total weight of 6 tones). In this period the church reformation was strong in Brasov and Transylvania and one of its promoters was the humanist Johannes Honterus (1489 – 1549) and in 1542 the first evangelic messe was celebrated in the Black Church.
The building was partially destroyed in 1689 after a big fire, when it got the actual name due to the walls that were completely black. The roof completely collapsed and all the furniture and the rugs inside were burned. The works for the church restauration started immediately and were completed in 1722. Because in Brasov were no prepared constructors able to build such large roofs, a team of constructors from Danzig was brought to Brasov to finish the works. These constructors finished the roof in baroque style that was used in that period and not in gothic style used at the beginning when the Black Church was built. In 1836 the Bucholz company from Berlin start to install one of their biggest organ (4000 de pipes, 4 manual with 56 tastes and one pedalier with 27 tastes and 76 registers). The organ is inaugurated on April 17, 1839, and organist is Carl August Bucholz. Nowadays an organ concert is organized every week.
The church is the most representative and beautiful gothic monuments in Romania and in the same time the biggest sacred construction in Romania and the biggest medieval gothic cathedral from the Stephensdome in Wiena to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
The Black Church is the biggest gothic cathedral in south eastern Europe, with 89 meters long and 38 meters width and can house around 5.000 people at the ceremonies. The church is up to 65 meters tall at the point of its Cross tower while the roof is up to 42 meters. The total surface of the church is 2500 m², and the blocks that compose the construction walls have a total volume of 9000 m³.
The largest collection of old carpets from Asia Minor from Brussa, Usak and Ghiordes regions, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries represent an invaluable thesaurus of the Black Church (around 110 carpets exposed and another 46 in restoration process at the church atelier successfully led by Era Nussbächer, or in the church deposits as entire carpets fragments). Those were donated in the course of years by the craftsmen, merchants and citizens of the city. Only the Topkapi museum in Istanbul has a larger collection of this kind of oriental carpets. It is supposed that after the church reformation that was against the religious paintings inside churches, the carpets were used to decorate the church interior.
Priceless Values.
The furniture and worship objects represent other remarkable values that turn this construction into a place that no tourist can miss. The bronze font made by the local craftsmen was donated in 1472 by Vicar Johannes Reudel. After almost 150 years, in 1716, blacksmith Meensen Hannes made a wonderful wrought iron grating that surrounds the font. Then, in the South porch there is a mural painting made after 1476 that shows Virgin Mary and Child Jesus, featured between Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara. The crests of Matthias Corvinus and his wife Beatrice of Naples – Aragon are at the bottom of the painting.
Three folds, with five paintings from the Feldioara altar (the end of the 15th century) are also to be mentioned. The pews in the naos date from the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century and have Baroque wooden carved ornaments. Then the lecterns are in neo – gothic style, dating from 1866, and the pews in the centre of the naos, made of oak wood, were placed there in 1937.
The old tombstones of some famous personalities of the city were built in the side spaces of the West entrance when the neo – gothic altar was built (in 1866) and when the heating system was installed (in 1937).
An oiled canvas representing The Wedding From Cana work of the painter Hans Eder, is exposed on the frontal wall of the North side naos. The emblem of the city, representing a crown on a rooted trunk, is plotted in relief on the pillar in front of the pulpit.
Inside the church there are also some sculptures, the oldest of all being the bust of Saint John the Baptist. The others represent Saint Thomas, Saint Jacob the Pilgrim, Jesus Salvator Mundi, Virgin Mary, Saints Pavel, Luke and Sebastian.
A sculpture uncommon for a place of worship is to be found on the North buttress. It is about the representation of a child that seems to be about to fall. The legend says that when they were building the church, one of the workers became jealous of a very talented apprentice. At one point he asked the child to lift something from the cornice, and when he leant out, the worker pushed him. The legend also states that the sculpture was made by the other workers to the memory of the cowardly killed child.
The Statue of Johannes Honterus de Harro Magnussen (1898) represents the humanist, reformator, and school system pioneer Johannes Honterus (1498-1549). Honterus also founded the first printing house and edited didactic materials for reformating the schoolar system. In that period the old teological latin schools were transformed in protestant schools. The two bronze reliefs on the statue basement are showing Honterus in the printing house and at the religious ceremony.
Biserica Neagra (in germana Die Schwarze Kirche), este unul din simbolurile orasului Brasov si biserica parohiala a cultului evanghelic din Romania. Localizata in inima orasului Brasov, constructia Bisericii Negre a inceput probabil pe amplasamentul unei biserici mai vechi in 1377 in timpul vicarului Thomas Sander, in stilul gotic, intr-o perioada in care orasul se afla in plina dezvoltare economica si culturala, fiind cel mai mare si cel mai dezvoltat oras din Transilvania. Initial fiind catolica, biserica era cunoscuta sub numele de Biserica Fecioarei Maria (Marienkirche) si aceasta este reprezentat de o fresca a Fecioarei Maria, fresca ce inca exista la intrarea din stanga in biserica.
Invazia turceasca din 1421 a stopat lucrarile de constructie la biserica deoarece orasul a inceput sa se implice masiv in constructia fortificatiilor orasului. Initial proiectul de constructie prevedea doua turnuri la intrarea in biserica insa un cutremur puternic a provocat prabusirea turnului din partea dreapta, iar constructorii au decis sa lase constructia asa cum arata ea in prezent – aproximativ asimetrica. In 1477 constructia a fost finalizata si in 1499 o noua orga a fost instalata, iar in 1514 la turnul bisericii a fost instalat un ceas si clopote (in Biserica Neagra se afla cel mai mare colopot din bronz din Romania, cu o greutate totala de 6 tone). In aceasta perioada reformarea institutiei bisericii a fost foarte puternica in Brasov si in Transilvania si unul din promotorii ei a fost umanistul Johannes Honterus (1489 – 1549) si in 1542 prima slujba evanghelica a fost oficiata in Biserica Neagra.
Cladirea bisericii a fost partial distrusa in 1689 in urma unui incendiu puternic, cand a primit numele actual datorita peretilor care au devenit complet negri. Acoperisul s-a prabusit complet si toata mobila si covoarele din interior au ars. Lucrarile de restaurare a bisericii au inceput imediat si au fost finalizate in 1722. Deoarece in Brasov nu erau constructori capabili sa construiasca acoperisuri asa de mari, o echipa de constructori din Danzig (Gdansk) a fost adusa in Brasov pentru a finaliza lucrarile. Acesti constructori au finalizat acoperisul in stil baroc asa cum era moda in acea vreme si nu in stil gotic asa cum era obiceiul in perioada in care Biserica Neagra a fost construita. In 1836 compania Bucholz din Berlin a inceput sa instaleze una din cele mai mari orgi (4000 de tuburi, 4 manuale cu 56 de taste si un pedalier cu 27 de taste si 76 de registri). Orga a fost inaugurat pe 17 aprilie, 1839, si primul utilizator a fost insusi Carl August Bucholz. In prezent in biserica au loc concerte de orga in fiecare saptamana.
Biserica Neagra este cel mai reprezentativ si cel mai frumos monument gotic din Romania si in acelasi timp cea mai mare constructie religioasa din Romania si cea mai mare catedrala medievala gotica de la Stephensdome din Viena pana la Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Biserica Neagra este cea mai mare catedrala gotica din sud estul Europei, cu 89 metri lungime si 38 metri latime si poate adaposti aproximativ 5.000 de persoane la ceremonii. Biserica are pana la 65 metri inaltime in varful crucii din turn in timp ce acoperisul se afla la o inaltime de 42 metri. Suprafata totala a bisericii este de 2500 m², iar blocurile de piatra care compun constructia zidurilor au un volum total de 9000 m³.
Cea mai mare colectie de covoare vechi din Asia Minor din regiunile Brussa, Usak si Ghiordes, datand din secolele 17 si 18 reprezinta un tezaur inestimabil al Bisericii Negre (aproximativ 110 covoare expuse si alte 46 in proces de restaurare in atelierul bisericii condus cu success de Era Nussbächer, sau in depozitele bisericii ca fragmente intregi de covoare). Acestea erau donate de-a lungul anilor de mestesugari, negustori si alti locuitori ai orasului. Doar muzeul Topkapi din Istanbul are o colectie mai mare de acest fel de covoare orientale. Se presupune ca dupa ce a avut loc procesul de reformare al bisericii care era impotriva picturilor religioase din interiorul bisericilor, covoarele erau folosite pentru a decora interiorul bisericii.
Valori Inestimabile.
Mobilierul si obiectele de cult reprezinta alte valori remarcabile care au transformat aceasta constructie intr-un loc pe care nici un turist nu trebuie sa il rateze. Un vas de bronz pentru botez realizat de mestesugari locali a fost donat in 1472 de Vicarul Johannes Reudel. Dupa aproximativ 150 de ani, in 1716, fierarul Meensen Hannes a realizat un superb grilaj din fier forjat care inconjoara acest vas de bronz. In porticul de la sud se afla o pictura murala realizata dupa 1476 care o infatiseaza pe Fecioara Maria cu Pruncul Iisus, aflata intre Sfanta Caterina si Sfanta Barbara. Coifurile lui Matei Corvin si al sotiei sale Beatrice of Neapole – Aragon se afla la baza picturii.
Trei cadre, cu cinci picturi de la altarul de la Feldioara (sfarsitul secolului 15) merita de asemenea mentionate. Stranele din naos dateaza de la sfarsitul secolului 17 si din prima jumatate a secolului 18 si au ornamente in stil baroc sculptate in lemn. Apoi pupitrele sunt in stil neo – gotic, datand din 1866, iar stranele din centrul naosului, realizate din lemn de stejar, au fost aduse aici in 1937.
Pietre de mormant vechi a unor personalitati celebre ale orasului au fost construite in spatiile laterale de la intrarea de vest odata cu construirea altarului neo – gotic (in 1866) iar ulterior a fost instalat sistemul de incalzire (in 1937).
O pictura in ulei pe panza a lui Hans Elder infatisand “Nunta din Cana” este expusa pe peretele frontal in partea de nord a naos-ului. Emblema orasului, reprezentand o coroana pe un trunchi cu radacini, este sculptata in relief pe stalpii din fata amvonului.
In interiorul bisericii se afla niste sculpturi, cea mai veche dintre ele fiind bustul Sfantului Ioan Botezatorul. Celelalte sculpturi ii reprezinta pe Sfantul Toma, Sfantul Iacob Pelerinul, Iisus Mantuitorul, Fecioara Maria, Sfintii Pavel, Luca si Sebastian.
O sculptura neobisnuita pentru un lacas de cult se afla pe contrafortul din partea de nord. Aceasta reprezinta un copil care pare gata sa cada. Legenda spune ca in perioada construirii bisericii, unul dintre lucratori a devenit invidios pe un tanar ucenic foarte talentat. La un moment dat el i-a cerut baiatului sa ridice ceva de pe cornisa, si in momentul in care baiatul s-a aplecat, acel lucrator l-a impins de pe acoperis. Legenda mai spune ca aceasta sculptura a fost realizata de ceilalti lucratori in memoria baiatului ucis miseleste.
Statuia lui Johannes Honterus de Harro Magnussen (1898) il reprezinta pe umanistul, reformatorul, si pionierul sistemului de invatamant Johannes Honterus (1498-1549), care a intemeiat prima tipografie si a editat materiale didactice pentru reformarea sistemului scolar. In acea perioada vechile scoli teologice latine au fost transformate in scoli protestante. Cele doua reliefuri de bronz de la baza statuii il infatiseaza pe Honterus in tipografie si in timpul unei slujbe religioase.
| Home | Bucharest | Dobrogea | Moldova | Wallachia | Transilvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
