The organ in the Fortified Church of St. Stephen in Saschiz is among the top ten largest ones in Transylvania and was brought from Brasov in 1788, the church's organist, Hans Bruno Roth told the presentation of the organ restoration project, an event that took place within the "Haferland Week" Festival.
The organ, considered a valuable baroque instrument, was built in 1786 by master Johannes Prause.
"This year, St. Stephen's Church is celebrating 500 years since its first inauguration and consecration. I have been playing the organ for the last ten years, when it did not look the way it does now, and I have caught 'its last breath'. The organ was built in 1786 by Johannes Prause. (...) He built several organs in Transylvania, including this one. (...) Over time, this organ underwent two major changes: one in 1878 and the other in 1930. The communities were very large at that time and decided to enlarge the organ, add registers, sounds, whistles," said Hans Bruno Roth.
The most recent restoration was completed in 2024, and Hans Bruno Roth contributed to the restoration of the organ considered the "queen of instruments".
"We want to be a living community, we are the last religious parish that is sustaining itself. In the last 20 years, in our community we have had new things, built by generations, and during our lifetime we have witnessed the renovation of a church, the Fortress, the organ, we have sewage, paved roads," said engineer Rudolph Poledna Joachim.
The presentation ended with a short organ concert in which works by Johann Sebastian Bach were presented.
At the Saschiz Refuge Fortress, the mayor of the locality, Ovidiu Soaita, stated that "restoration began in 2018" with European funds.
"It is a source of pride for all of us because this testimony is alive, because it attracts many people who, when they get here, with a little effort, appreciate everything they find here, from the fresh air to the safety measures. We have slight problems climbing, we hope that when we get there too, there will be no more problems and that access will be as it should be. All the fortresses in this area are a testimony to the Saxon civilization that brought an enormous added value to the development of the area, Transylvania and Romania. (...) All the households we see here are small fortresses", said the mayor of Saschiz.
The 13th edition of Haferland Week is taking place from July 31 to August 3, in ten localities in the Oatland (Haferland) - Archita, Saschiz, Homorod, Rupea, Crit, Roades, Mesendorf, Cloasterf, Bunesti and Viscri.
The theme of the edition is "Traditions from the Neighborhood". Access to all events within the festival is free.
This year's edition of the festival takes place under the High Patronage of the President of the Romanian Senate and under the Patronage of the Head of the Federal Chancellery of Germany, Thorsten Frei, Minister for Special Affairs.
Haferland Week offers visitors the opportunity to get in touch with the rural civilization of the Saxons of Transylvania, which is still preserved today in the area of villages located between Sibiu, Brasov and Sighisoara. The Haferland region has preserved its rural character, attracting thousands of tourists every year who come to visit and stay in traditional Saxon farms.
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