Feldioara and the Medieval Fortress of Marienburg

Feldioara and the Medieval Fortress of Marienburg

A new destination in the heart of Romania

Risen out of its own ashes, the Fortress of Marienburg is an imposing sight on the banks of the Olt river, at Feldioara, only 20 km away from Brașov on the road to Sighișoara. The 2013-2017 restoration efforts saved the remains of the walls that survived the last hundreds of years, and managed to bring it back to the way it looked in the 17th century.

The strategic location, with good visibility over a vast land, together with natural advantages, made this place an attractive one since prehistory. Archaeological digs on the plateau on which the fortress is rising have revealed settling vestiges dating back to the oldest of times – Neolithic, Bronze Age, the Dacian and Roman periods, but especially Middle Ages. In the first centuries of the second millennium, the Hungarian conquerors found a hillfort here, probably strengthened with palisades. Thus, they named it “Földvár.” The German colonists, brought by the Kings of Hungary and the Teutonic Knights, called it “Saint Mary Fortress” – Marienburg. We don’t know its previous name, but the Romanian name keeps the form derived from Hungarian – Feldioara.

In the Middle Ages, Feldioara was one of the most important settlements in the region – Judgement Seat and, later, free borough; all of this being attested by the historic monuments, beginning with the Fortress itself, now properly highlighted and open for those that would like to discover them! The medieval settlement was founded by Saxon colonists in the second part of the 12th century, while between 1211 and 1225 Feldioara becomes residence for the Teutonic Knights ruling over Burzenland. Coming from the East, where they took part in the crusades, the Teutonic Order was installed in Burzenland by the Hungarian King Andrew II, who wanted thus to stop the increasing Cuman incursions. The Teutons were a monastic military Order, of German origins, and were renowned for their rigorous and solemn composure. Because they kept mourning the Christians who fell in battle against Muslims, their heraldry consisted of a black cross on a white background.

The construction of the fortress also began in the 13th century. Over the following centuries it was successively destroyed and rebuilt, losing at one point its military role and becoming more of a common storage place, or a location favored by various events organized by the Saxon community.

Marienburg Fortress, Present Times

The Western Tower – the “Archaeological Vestiges” exhibition contains pottery fragments from ancient times, medieval tiles manufactured in the fortress workshop, ironworks objects and weapons. The exhibition also displays the results of archaeological research beginning with 1990. The last floor hosts the temporary exhibitions “The Teutonic Knights Return to Feldioara Fortress” and “Maypole – Celebration and Tradition”.

The Eastern Tower – “Evidence of inhabitation and coinhabitation in Feldioara,” an exhibition about Feldioarans, Romanian and Saxon, about crafts and agriculture, about garbs and homes, about church, school, marching bands, and traditions. All of these are possible due to the artifacts donated or lent by local people, but also because of old photographs and ancient documents. Two interactive modules invite visitors to discover old artifacts hidden in drawers, lyrics of once sang folk songs, or recent photographs from Feldioara signed by the local photographer Cătălin Radu.

We invite you to discover Feldioara and its surroundings!

A journey through history and nature.