sibiu, the historic centre

Nomination for inscription on the 

World Heritage List 

1

Nomination of the 

SIBIU, THE HISTORIC CENTRE 

for Inscription on the World Heritage List 

Sibiu, September 2005 

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Applicant 

The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs 

The Municipality of the City of Sibiu 

Country, Region 

Romania, County of Sibiu 

Identification of Property 

Sibiu, the Historic Centre 

Geographic Coordinates 

N 45 o 47’ 51”, E 24 o 29’ 51” 

Verbal Description of the Boundary of the Nominated World Heritage Site 

V: Soldiş Bastion, the former Arsenal, the limit of the plots situated between Dârstelor and 

Pânzarilor Streets, respectively Cibin Market and Croitorilor Street. 

N–V: Cibin Market, Pulberăriei Street, Zidarilor Street. 

N: the north end of Ocnei Street, Pielarilor Street and Rotarilor Street. 

N–E: Hurmuzache Street, passage to Constituţiei Street, the premises of the blocks of flats. 

E: passage to 9 Mai Street, Blănarilor Street. 

S–E: Funarilor Street, Manejului Street, Haller Bastion, Corneliu Coposu Bd., Gimnasticii Street, 

Berăriei Street. 

S: Corneliu Coposu Bd., Unirii Square, Gheorghe Bariţiu Street, enclosure wall facing 

“Octavian Goga” High School. 

Plan of the Nominated Heritage Site (Size A4) indicating Its Limits and the Buffer Zone 

See plan verso 

Justification for Inscription/Declaration of Universal Value 

The exceptional universal value of the Historic Centre of the City of Sibiu, as evidenced by the 

outstanding urbanistic and architectural qualities of the Site, residing in a particularly skillful 

adaptation, over a long – mediaeval and modern – process of evolution to the specific features 

of the ground, as well as to early settlements and constructions. 

Criteria under which Inscription is Proposed 

(ii) Exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural 

area of the world, on developments in architecture […and] town-planning. 

(iii) Bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization 

which is living or which has disappeared. 

(iv) Be an outstanding example of a type of […] architectural […] ensemble […] which illustrates 

a significant stage in human history. 

(v) Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement […] which is representative of 

a culture […] when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 

Names and Contact Persons 

Institution: 

Address: 

Tel: 

Fax: 

E-mail: 

Web Addres 

The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs The Municipality of the City of Sibiu 

RO–011347, Bucharest, No. 30, Kiseleff Ave. RO–550024, Sibiu, Nos. 1–3,Victoriei Blvd. 

0040 21 2242510 0040 269 208800 

0040 21 2234951 0040 269 208811 

adrian.iorgulescu@cultura.ro primarie@sibiu.ro 

http\\www.ministerul culturii.ro http\\www.sibiu.ro 

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CONTENTS 

1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY 9 

1.a. Country (and State Party if Different) 11 

1.b. State, Province or Region 11 

1.c. Name of Property 11 

1.d. Geographical Coordinates to the Nearest Second 14 

1.e. Maps and Plans, Showing the Boundaries of the Nominated Property and Buffer Zone 14 

1.f. Area of Nominated Property (ha.) and Proposed Buffer Zone (ha.) 16 

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY 17 

2.a. Description of Property 19 

(i) Urbanistic Components of the Historic Centre 19 

(ii) Civil Buildings 40 

(iii) Dwelling Houses 61 

(iv) Defensive Architecture 67 

(v) Sculpture and Painting 73 

(vi) Archeological Remains 78 

2.b. History and Development 79 

(i) History of the City 79 

(ii) The Development of the Historic Centre, its Component Ensembles and Architectural 

Monuments 89 

3. JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION 99 

3.a. Criteria under which Inscription is Proposed (and Justification for Inscription under these 

Criteria) 101 

3.b. Proposed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value 101 

3.c. Comparative Analysis (Including State of Conservation of Similar Properties) 122 

3.d. Integrity and/or Authenticity 127 

4. STATE OF CONSERVATION AND FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROPERTY 133 

4.a. Present State of Conservation 135 

4.b. Factors Affecting the Property 143 

(i) Development Pressures (e.g., Encroachment, Adaptation, Agriculture, Mining) 143 

(ii) Environmental Pressures (e.g., Pollution, Climate Change, Desertification) 144 

(iii) Natural Disasters and Risk Preparedness (Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, etc.) 145 

(iv) Visitor/Tourism Pressures 146 

(v) Number of Inhabitants within the Property and the Buffer Zone 148 

(vi) Miscellanea 148 

5. PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PROPERTY 151 

5.a. Ownership 153 

5.b. Protective Designation 153 

5.c. Means of Implementing Protective Measures 155 

5.d. Existing Plans Related to Municipality and Region in which the Proposed Property is 

Located (e.g., Regional or Local Plan, Conservation Plan, Tourism Development Plan) 157 

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5.e. Property Management Plan or Other Management System 159 

5.f. Sources and Levels of Finance 160 

5.g. Sources of Expertise and Training in Conservation and Management Techniques 160 

5.h. Visitor Facilities and Statistics 164 

5.i. Policies and Programmes Related to the Presentation and Promotion of the Property 167 

5.j. Staffing Levels (Professional, Technical, Maintenance) 178 

6. MONITORING 179 

6.a. Key Indicators for Measuring State of Conservation 181 

6.b. Administrative Arrangements for Monitoring Property 184 

6.c. Results of Previous Reporting Exercises 185 

7. DOCUMENTATION 187 

7.a. Photographs, Slides, Image Inventory and Authorization Table and Other Audiovisual 

Materials 189 

7.b. Texts Relating to Protective Designation, Copies of Property Management Plans or 

Documented Management Systems and Other Plans Relevant to the Property 195 

7.c. Form and Date of Most Recent Records of Inventory or Property 195 

7.d. Address where Inventory, Records and Archives are Held 200 

7.e. Bibliography 201 

7.f. Glossary of the Romanian and German Names 209 

8. CONTACT INFORMATION OF RELEVANT AUTHORITIES 213 

8.a. Compilers 215 

8.b. Local Institution 217 

8.c. Other Local Institutions 217 

8.d. Official Web Address 217 

9. SIGNATURE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE PARTY 219 

Signature, Minister of Culture and Religions Affairs 221 

Non exclusive concessions 223

FOREWORD 

Fig. 1. Sibiu, Grand Square (Aerial Photo) 

On behalf of the people of the City of Sibiu, Romania, it gives me pleasure to present to the 

UNESCO the documentation for the nomination for inscription of the historic city centre of Sibiu 

on the World Heritage list. 

The enclosed documentation is the result of two years of persistent work that summed up the efforts 

and perseverance of decades devoted to the protection of the urban heritage of Sibiu. 

Eight years ago, our city embarked on an energetic national and international campaign, aimed at 

the highlighting of the invaluable historic centre and at the setting up of an institutional framework 

that would allow and encourage measures to protect its valuable public buildings and spaces. 

Various instruments have been perfected over the last few years: in 1999 The Charter for the 

Rehabilitation of the Historic Centre was set up; in 2001 a new set of Regulations for Local Townplanning 

for the Historic Zone was set up and revised in 2005. Also in the year 2001, following a 

public debate, The Urban Plan of Action for the Historic Centre 2001-2004 was adopted. A new 

document of a similar type was drafted in 2004-2005; as Plan of Management it is attached to this 

documentation. Also, in the year 2005, at the initiative of the Municipality of Sibiu, the Sibiu Local 

Council adopted a decision, mandating the nomination of the historic centre for inscription on the 

World Heritage List. 

All these efforts are the expression of the desire of the residents of an eight-century-old city to 

conserve, protect and hand down intact to future generations its cultural heritage, represented by its 

historic centre. 

Our gratitude goes to all the experts, institutions and partners in the work undertaken to compile 

this documentation, as well as to those willing to join us in our effort to protect, within an 

international framework, the historic centre of the City of Sibiu. 

Klaus Werner Johannis 

Mayor of Sibiu 

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1 IDENTIFICATION 

OF THE PROPERTY 

11

1.a Country 

1.a Country 

Romania 

Fig. 2. Romania’s position in Europe 

1.b County 

Sibiu 

Fig. 3. Sibiu’s Position in Romania Fig. 4. Main Historic Cities of Transylvania 

1.c Name of Property 

Sibiu, the Historic Centre 

Black Line = County Boundaries 

Grey Lines = Rivers 

Dot with red caption = the City of Sibiu 

Dots with Black Caption = County Capitals 

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Fig. 5. Layout of the Nominated World 

Heritage Site and of the Buffer Zone 

14 

Boundary of the Nominated Property 

Buffer Zone

16 

1 Identification of the Property 

1.d Geographical Coordinates to the Nearest Second 

The city of Sibiu is nestled in the foothills of 

the southern range of the Carpathians, in the 

valley of the Cibin River, 300 km north-west of 

45˚ 47’ 51”N, 24˚ 29’ 51” E 

Bucureşti, the capital of Romania. Its mean 

altitude is approx. 413 m. It is the capital of 

Sibiu County. 

1.e Maps and Plans, Showing the Boundaries of the Nominated Property 

and Buffer Zone 

The Boundary of the site proposed 

for nomination in the World Heritage List 

(Fig. 5, 6, 7) 

Western limit: Soldiş Bastion (Soldischbastei), 

Arsenal (Kempelkaserne), the boundary constituted 

by Dârstelor Street and Pânzarilor Street, 

Fig. 6. Street names 

respectively by Cibin Market and Croitorilor 

Street. 

Northwestern limit: Cibin Market (Sagtorbastei), 

Pulberăriei Street (Pulwergasse), Zidarilor 

Street (Maurergasse). 

Northern limit: The northern end of Ocnei

1.e Maps and Plans, Showing the Boundaries and the Buffer Zone of the Nominated Property 

Street (Burgertorbastei), Pielarilor Street 

(Lederergasse), Rotarilor Street (Wagnergasse). 

Northeastern limit: Hurmuzache Street 

(Margaretengasse), the passage to Constituţiei 

Street, the area of the blocks of flats. 

Eastern limit: The passage to 9 Mai Street 

(Elisabethgasse), the former Guşteriţa Gate 

Tower (Elisabethtor), Blănarilor Street 

(Kürschnergasse). 

Southeastern limit: Funarilor Street, Manejului 

Street (Reitschulgasse), Haller Bastion 

(Hallerbastei), Corneliu Coposu Bd, 

Gimnasticii Street (Turnschulgasse), Gheorghe 

Bariţiu Street, Berăriei Street (Brauhausgasse). 

Southern limit: Corneliu Coposu Bd, Unirii 

Square (Hermannsplatz), Cisnădie Gate 

Bastion (Heltauertorbastei), Gheorghe Bariţiu 

Street (Soldisch), the enclosure wall of 

“Octavian Goga” College. 

Buffer Zone (Fig. 8) 

Northwestern limit: the south bank of the Cibin 

River (Malului Street, Cibinului Street). 

Fig. 7. Boundary of the Nominated World Heritage Site 

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Northeastern limit: The railway tracks, 

1 Decembrie 1918 Square, Uzinei Street, 

Hermann Oberth Street. 

Southeastern limit: Constantin Noica Street, 

Revoluţiei Street. 

Southern limit: General Vasile Milea Bd, 

Someşului Street, the rear alignment of Casa 

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1 Identification of the Property 

de Cultură a Sindicatelor, the alley between 

the Army Club and “Lucian Blaga” University. 

Southwestern limit: Banatului Street, Dealului 

Street, the Petöfi Sandor Stairs, Turismului 

Street, Ion Neculce Street (up to the south 

end of the wooden bridge across the Cibin 

River). 

1.f Area of Nominated Property (ha) and Proposed Buffer Zone (ha) 

The overall area of the Nominated Site is 86.50 ha. 

The area of the Buffer Zone: 107.00 ha. 

Fig. 8. Boundary of the Buffer Zone

2 DESCRIPTION 


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2.a Description of the Property 


(i) Urbanistic Components of the Historic Centre 

Fig. 9. The Fortified Enclosures and the Old City Gates 

I – The Initial Fortress; II – The Expanded Initial Fortress; III – The Upper Town; IV – The Lower Town; 

1 – The Gate Tower by the Liars’ Bridge; 2 – The Gate Tower above the Tower Stairs (Pfarrerstübel); 

3 – The gate Tower of the Priests (Priesterturm); 4 – The Gate Tower on the Liars’ Bridge; 

5 – The Town Hall Gate Tower; 6 – The Gate Tower next to the Old Town Hall; 

7 – Cisnădia Gate; (Heltauertor) 8 – Salt Gate (Salztor); 9 – Guşteriţa Gate (Elisabethtor); 

10 – Ocnei Gate (Burgertor); 11 – Tower Gate (Sagtor) 

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22 

Overview of the Historic Centre 

The City of Sibiu extends over an area of appr. 

2,400 ha; the Historic Centre forms a compact 

entity within it and is easily identified in the 

general city plan. The city is laid out on two 

terraces, partly in the floodplain of the Cibin 

River (the Lower Town) and partly on an 

embanked terrace (the Upper Town). 

Four fortified areas can be distinguished in 

the Historic Centre (Fig. 9) whose shape and 

size is mainly responsible for the overall 

structure of the city: 

• Enclosure I - the original fortress; 

• Enclosure II - the expanded original fortress; 

2 Description of the Property 

Fig. 10. The Transit Roads and the Street Network 

(1 – Transit Roads; 2 – Main Streets and Squares; 3 – Streets of Dwelling Houses; 

4 – Connecting Streets and Passages) 

• Enclosure III - the Upper Town; 

• Enclosure IV - the LowerTown. 

For the most part, fortifications were erected 

with a view of exploiting certain terrain features for 

defensive purposes. The first three fortification lines 

encompassed larger and larger areas, the 20 metre 

slope being employed as a natural element of 

fortification. With Enclosure IV, this was no longer 

possible because Enclosure IV reached as far as the 

river; its course was included in the defensive water 

system, which was completed by a string of lakes. 

Each enclosure had three gates. As the city area 

grew, certain gates came to serve as linking 

elements between the various parts of the city. Like

other mediaeval cities with a well thought-out city 

plan, Sibiu had four external gates, placed along 

already existing transit roads: 

� Tower Gate (Sagtor), in the Lower Town; 

� Ocna Gate (Burgertor), in the Lower Town; 

� Guşteriţa Gate (Elisabethtor), in the Lower Town; 

� Cisnădia Gate (Heltauertor), in the Upper Town. 

The structure of the Historic Centre is based on 

the pattern of the above-mentioned transit roads, 

some predating the city, some appearing during 

the early stages of the initial settlement (Fig. 10). 

This is the case of the four roads intersecting at 

Dragoner Square: 

� The road to Alba Iulia, Turnului Street – 

Faurului Street, in the LowerTown; 

� The road to Copşa Mică, along Ocnei Street, in 

the LowerTown; 

� The road to Rupea and Braşov, along 9 Mai 

Street, in the LowerTown; 

� The road to the Olt Defile, along the route: 

Lesser Square – Grand Square –Nicolae 

Bălcescu Street, in the Upper Town. 

The structure of the Sibiu street network gives an 

impression of clarity, although developed in a 

number of successive stages. One can find areas, 


where town planning is rigorous, next to areas 

where planning was less organic. 

In the LowerTown, pre-existing roads form the 

basic structure of the street network – a 

longitudinal road (9 Mai Street, along Faurului 

Street and then Târgul Vinului Square) is 

intersected by two main crossroads, situated 

radially (Turnului Street / Fig. 11, and Ocnei 

Street). At such intersections of main roads, a small 

square clearly sets out the general disposition. 

In the centre, there are also longitudinal, 

“parallel” streets (Valea Mare, Plopilor, Nouă / 

Fig. 12, Vopsitorilor, Pielarilor, and Movilei); they 

are all connected by perpendicular side streets (Fig. 

13). On the eastern side, there are perpendicular 

streets of dwellings, of which Magheru Street and 

Constituţiei Street used to connect one of the gates 

of the Upper Town (Salt Tower) to an outer gate in 

the LowerTown (Guşteriţa Gate). In the western 

areas of the Lower Town, on ground resulting from 

the filling in of a lake basin, streets with dwelling 

houses are predominant. 

A common element for most streets, regardless 

of their importance, is their variable cross section. 

Some streets display widened-out portions, 

Fig. 11. Turnului Street 

23

favourable for obtaining a lateral vantage point, 

i.e. more advanced spots compared to the 

alignment of the street (Avram Iancu, Ocnei, 

Vopsitorilor and Faurului Streets). The closedspace 

aspect of the streets is further brought out 

by their narrowing down at the end, usually at 

the intersection with a major street (Vopsitorilor 

and Pielarilor Streets with Ocnei Street, 

Rebreanu Street with 9. Mai Street, and Movilei 

Street with Aurarilor Square). The areas where 

development was mainly shaped by external 

factors are those in the sloping sector between 

the Lower Town and the Upper Town, as well 

as those in the proximity of the temporary or 

permanent fortification lines, where the pattern 

of urban development was partly superimposed 

upon their pre-existing outlines (Fig. 14). 

In addition, the trace of certain streets in the 

Lower Town reflects the progressive filling in of 

a water surface (Kempel), as well as the course 

of certain streams. 

24 


Fig. 12. Nouă Street 

In the Upper Town (Fig. 15), there was only 

one traditional transit route, which determined 

the course of Nicolae Bălcescu Street. This 

means that the street network was, for the most 

part, shaped by urbanistic factors. In principle, 

the network is made up of two “parallel” streets, 

formed in one area of the town by Nicolae 

Bălcescu and Mitropoliei Streets (Fig. 16), and in 

the other area by Avram Iancu and General 

Magheru Streets (Fig. 17). All follow a curved 

route, which emphasizes their front lines. They 

are connected by means of a transverse square – 

Grand Square, to which Lesser Square and Huet 

Square are a complement. The exact route of the 

main streets, as well as the way they connect to 

Grand Square, was determined both by the size 

of the area available on the embanked terrace 

and by the pre-existing fortress. Consequently, 

they include curved segments, and two of the 

four main streets (i.e. Avram Iancu and General 

Magheru Streets) converge towards one gate –


Fig. 13. Felinarului Street 

25

26 


Fig. 14. Centumvirilor Street

Salt Tower, where they form a small square. 

In this area of the town, there are a number 

of longitudinal, “parallel” streets of dwelling 

houses (Centumvirilor (Fig. 14), Xenopol, 

Şelarilor, Timotei Popovici, and Tipografilor 

Streets). In out-lying areas of the Historic Centre, 

there are also perpendicular streets of dwelling 

houses (Tribunei, Gheorghe Lazăr and 

Filarmonicii Streets), as well as perpendicular 

connecting streets (Fig. 18) and a small square of 

the same type (Piaţa Schiller). 

Quite important are the passageways, some 

as narrow as 1 metre, that are incorporated 

within buildings. Such “short cuts” connect 

Huet Square and Lesser Square, Lesser Square 

and Avram Iancu Street, Mitropoliei and 

Xenopol Streets (Fig. 19), and General Magheru 

and Şelarilor Streets. In general, the allotment 

pattern (Fig. 20) is dominated by large, 

elongated plots. Although plot size may be 

determined from place to place by the local 

availability of land, there is a decrease of plot 

size from the centre to the outskirts. There are 


also longer, early plots in the old main streets 

(e.g. 9 Mai Street / Elisabethgasse), and 

interstitial plots in newer, side streets (Nouă 

Street / Neugasse and Movilei Street/Neustift). 

In the Aurarilor Square area there are also 

small allotments of a type quite different to any 

other kinds of allotments, which influenced the 

shape of the surrounding large allotments. 

Links Between 

the Upper Town and the Lower Town 

Both functionally and aesthetically, the 

connections between the two parts of the town, 

consisting of both slopes – with or without 

carriageways (Fig. 21) – and of stairways (Fig. 

22, 23) are also quite relevant. Wherever there 

is a steep slope, stairways or ramps go up and 

down, winding along or cutting through the 

hillside. Where the slope is gentle, there are 

ramps or streets that go straight uphill. Such 

connections exist both in the central area and in 

marginal areas of the inner town. A significant 

feature of the Historic Centre is that, in time, 

Fig. 15. The Upper Town 

27

28 


Fig. 16. Mitropoliei Street

some passages were either abandoned or 

replaced by others. 


Fig. 17. General Magheru Street 

Here is what things look like today, west to 

east (Fig. 24): 

Location Category Position Use / Status Notes 

Western Marginal Area 

1. Tribunei Street – Konrad Haas Street Street Direct In use 

2. Poştei Street – A. D. Xenopol Street 

Central Area 

Stairway Direct In use 

3. A. Odobescu Street 

Street Transverse In use 

4. Odobescu Str. – Moş Ion Roată Street Stairway Direct Out of use Remnants 

5. The Stairway Passage Street; now 

passage and 

stairway 

Transverse Altered High aesthetic effect 

6. Tower Stairs Stairway Direct In use 

7. Turnului Street – Huet Square Street Winding Out of use High aesthetic effect 

8. The Penance Corner – the Tower 

Stairs 

Passageway Transverse Blocked 

9. Penance Corner – Liars’ Bridge Passageway Blocked Blocked Easy to clear 

10. Liars` Bridge Street; two Direct Only one Preserved for most 

stairways 

flight in part; Local specific; 

use; Out of flights formerly 

use roofed 

29

30 


Location Category Position Use / 

Status 

Notes 

11. Aurarilor Square – Lesser Square Street Winding Out of use 

12. Aurarilor Square – Lesser Square 

13. the Aurarilor Stairway 

14. Aurarilor Square – Grand Square 

Eastern Marginal Area 

Stairway Direct Out of use Easy to clear 

15. Movilei Street – A. Iancu Street Street Direct In use 

16. Sării Street – A. Iancu Street – 

Although altered, 

General Magheru Street 

Street Direct In use high aesthetic effect 

Some of these passages are quite spectacular, 

e.g. the two links in the central zone. 

At one end of Turnului Street, the slope is 

negotiated by means of a stairway that reaches 

Huet Square by crossing under the gate tower of 

Enclosure I (Fig. 25, 26). 

At the same end of Turnului Street lies the 

Stairway Passage (Pempflingergasse), heading 

uphill towards the Old Town Hall. To the east, 

its front lines are sided by the tall walls of the 

first defensive line, reinforced over time, and to 

the west by a row of humble houses; arches 

connect both lines. During the first half of the 

20 th century, the upper half of the passageway 

was rebuilt as a stairway that ends in front of a 

gate tower of Enclosure III, beneath which and 

by which, one enters the Upper Town. 

The connection between Ocnei Street 

(Burgergasse) and Lesser Square (Kleiner Ring) 

was changed several times and it reached its 

current form in the mid-nineteenth century: an 

incline flanked by high restraining walls, 

connected by means of a cast-iron bridge – the 

Liars’ Bridge – one of the symbols of 

contemporary Sibiu. On one side of the 

carriageway, there is a stairway that leads up to 

Fig. 18. Poştei Street


Fig. 19. Passageway from Xenopol Street to Mitropoliei Street 

31

the bridge, the whole dominated by the 

impressive bulk of the Town Hall Tower. 

32 

The Central Squares 

The centre of the early settlement was situated 

in the Lower Town and it was made up of a 

number of specific areas. An early burial site 

was found in a large open area between 

Faurului Street and the Church of the Hospice, 

probably paired with an early religious building 

and a market zone situated in the area of a small 


Fig. 20. A 19 th Century Plan of the Pattern of Allotments 

(1 – Main fronts of allotments; 2 – Limits of Streets, Allotments; 3 – Main buildings) 

square called Dragoner, close to Târgului Street. 

These open areas were turned into allotments 

as far back as the Middle Ages. These functions, 

religious and commercial and with them, 

implicitely the city centre were moved to the Upper 

Town; step by step, a complex of squares (Fig. 27) 

took shape, which, to this day, constitutes the city 

centre. The several large spaces of these squares 

are linked by multiple passageways and come 

together in a contiguous space, unique of its kind.


Fig. 21. The Penance Corner 

33

34 


Fig. 22. Aurarilor Stairway


Fig. 23. Aurarilor Stairway 

A first step towards their creation was the 

building of a spacious church, surrounded by a 

churchyard, on the margin of the upper edge of the 

Upper Town, in Huet Square (Huet Platz), on the 

present site of the Lutheran Parish Church. On the 

premises of this core structure of the settlement, 

were gradually erected: buildings serving the 

spiritual and intellectual needs of the population, 

the capitulum, the vicarage, chapels, and the 

school building (today’s Brukenthal High School). 

In spite of the complexity of the square, 

evidenced by the placement of a major building in 

the centre of its pentagonal area, it never really 

became a unified square proper, being rather a 

succession of smaller spaces (Fig. 28). 

A secondary enclosure enlarged the surface of 

the square, whose aim was to preserve the 

general, unitary outline of the fortress; this resulted 

in the new enclosure assuming the shape of a 

crescent, which powerfully determined the final 

outlook not only of the square, but of the citycentre 

itself. The square assumed the function of 

the town’s main marketplace, where expensive, 

guild-made merchandise was traded. 

Lesser Square (Kleiner Ring / Fig. 29) was the 

result of building perimetral edifices (mainly, 

warehouses) with two fronts, one concave and the 

other convex. The enclosure is accessed through 

an incline; starting in the Lower Town, at the end 

of Ocnei Street, it divides the square into two 

sectors, joined by the Liars’ Bridge (Fig. 81). 

The fairly serene atmosphere of the front lines 

that also incorporate the outlets to the square is 

enlivened by two buildings jutting out into the 

square – The House of Arts (the former warehouse 

of the butchers’ guild), and the house at No. 31 

(the First Town Hall), next to which is situated the 

highlight of the square, the Town Hall Tower (Fig. 

29). Another vertical element is the steeple of the 

Lutheran Church, clearly visible over the row of 

houses on the opposite side (Fig. 30). 

Most of the buildings in the square have open 

archways on the ground storey. Apart from serving 

as shops and restaurants, another main use of the 

buildings is to accommodate local museums – 

such as the Town Hall Tower and the houses at 

Nos. 11, 12, 21, 26. As the development of the 

Fig. 24. Linking Streets between the Upper 

Town and the Lower Town 

(1 – Street connecting Armelor Square; 

2 – Stairs connecting Poştei Street; 

3 – Al. Odobescu Street; 4 – Linking Stairs between 

Al. Odobescu and Moş Ion Roată Streets; 5 – Stairway 

Passage; 6 – Tower Stairs; 7 – Street connecting Tower 

Stairs; 8 – Linking Passage between Tower Stairs and 

Penance Corner; 9 – Linking Passage between the 

Penance Corner and the Liars’ Bridge; 10 – Street and 

stairway passage to the Liars’ Bridge; 11 – Linking Street 

between Aurarilor Square and Lesser Square; 

12 – Linking Stairs between Aurarilor Square and Lesser 

Square; 13 – Aurarilor Stairway; 14 – Linking Passage 

between Aurarilor Square and Grand Square; 

15 – Şcolii Street; 16 – Gen. Magheru Street) 

35

Upper Town and of its fortifications progressed, 

Grand Square became the city centre. The square 

took over the function of a cultural-political centre, 

at the same time serving commercial purposes: 

there are dwelling houses with shops on the 

ground storey, alongside public buildings (the 

Catholic Church and its Presbytery, the Seat of the 

Lutheran Bishopric in Romania, the building of the 

headquarters of the Democratic Forum of 

Germans in Romania, the Brukenthal Museum, 

and its annex building, the Blue House, the former 

head office of Banca de Credit Funciar, currently 

under reconstruction and scheduled to house the 

future Town Hall). 

As new front lines appeared following the 

construction of more buildings, the square took on 

a more coherent shape. The general outline of the 

square fits a rectangle of 100 x 140 m; as in the 

case of the other two squares, there are no right 

angles. The front lines assumed a gently curved 

shape, resulting from houses set back, jutty 

elements, as well as directional changes of the 

front lines. 

Two of the four streets opening onto the square 

36 


Fig. 25. Tower Stairs 

– Nicolae Bălcescu (Heltauergasse) and General 

Magheru (Sporergasse) – are narrowed at their 

ends, because of uneven front lines (Fig. 31). 

Conversely, the other two take us towards adjacent 

spaces. Where Samuel von Brukenthal Street is 

located, the defensive wall of Enclosure II created 

highly convex front lines, giving them a “funnel” 

shape. Even more spectacular is the connection 

with Avram Iancu Street – that is, the connection to 

the convex front line of Enclosure II. Right in front 

of the main gate tower of the square, along its 

eastern front, there is a concave protrusion creating 

a small square that underscores the directioning 

towards the gate. As a result, the city centre is made 

up of the three dominant squares with different 

configurations, yet clearly part of the overall 

compositional pattern of the city. 

This central character of the ensemble is also 

emphasized by the string of squarelets surrounding 

the large squares at distances of 50 – 200 m. They 

create a connection between the three squares and 

the network of streets. The shape of most of these 

squarelets came about naturally, in a haphazard 

way; no fixed geometrical patterns can be detected, 

and in some cases, development side-stepped the 

main-street traffic. Clockwise, we have the 

following squarelets: 

� The small square at the crossing of Turnului – 

Vasile Tordoşan– Faurului – Târgul Vinului 

Streets; its outline is that of a trapeze. 

Visually, it is influenced by the connection 

with Huet Square and its dominant Lutheran 

Parish Church. 

� Dragoner Square, at the intersection of Ocnei, 

9 Mai, and Faurului Streets is an irregular 

triangle. The Public Community Scales were 

placed in its middle and, later, the Dragoons 

Watch were built here; then a row of houses 

were built; these were pulled down at the 

middle of the 20 th century. The square is 

closely connected to the Liars’ Bridge and 

Lesser Square, and dominated by the 

Lutheran Parish Church. 

� Aurarilor Square, at the intersection of 

Argintarilor, Târgului, Movilei Streets and 

Aurarilor Stairway, has the form of a triangle


Fig. 26. Tower Stairs 

37

that narrows down towards the Upper Town, 

forming a funnel and connecting with 9 Mai 

Street through two narrow side streets. 

� Dominated by the houses built on the hillside 

below Lesser Square, Aurarilor Square is 

connected with the latter by means of 

Aurarilor Stairway. It offers a spectacular, uphill 

view and its proportions favour footwalking. 

� The squarelet in front of the Convent of the 

Ursuline Sisters (Fig. 32) at the confluence of 

General Magheru and Avram Iancu Streets; in 

fact, this square results from the rectangular 

widening of these two streets, both leading to 

Grand Square. Because of the sloping ground, 

the pavements were placed higher than the 

carriageway; formerly, they were linked by a 

bridge. The square is dominated by the 

Church of the Ursuline Sisters, flanked by the 

building of the convent. 

� The site of a little park, Schiller Square 

(Schiller Platz) is a rectangular, transversal 

squarelet placed between Timotei Popovici 

and Tipografilor Streets. These two streets and 

38 


the small square linking them, used to form a 

distinct little corner of the city, off the 

neighbouring Grand Square. 18 th and 19 th - 

century buildings form serene front lines. 

The ensemble of these small squares, together 

with enlargements in Konrad Haas, General 

Magheru (Fig. 33) and Xenopol Streets emphasize 

the unity of the complex of central squares. 

The Suburbs 

From the second half of the 18 th century, suburbs 

become a more significant part of the urban 

pattern of the city, reflecting at the same time its 

multiethnic and pluridenominational character. 

Thus, the district called Terezian, in the northern 

area of the city across the Cibin River, was 

inhabited by Austrian settlers but also by 

Romanians and members of a Roma (Gypsy) 

community. Of the places of worship built here 

mention should be made of: the St. Elizabeth 

Roman Catholic Church (1767-1771), the Greek 

Catholic St. Peter and Paul Church (1783) and the 

St. Elijah Romanian Orthodox Church (1787). 

Fig. 27. The Main Squares of the City

Fig. 28. The Tower of the Tower Stairs 

Some of these districts are part of the Buffer Zone 

of the Nominated World Heritage Site; they 

comprise residential areas, such as the district of 

Hallerwiese in the southeastern part of the Historic 

Centre that has straight, equidistant streets and 

intersections involving three or more streets. Of 

the historic monuments in the area, we mention 

the CFR Hospital built by Otto Wagner and the 

Brukenthal summer residence. 

Cityscape and General Outlook 

The placement of the city upon two terraces and 

the subsequent advantage of having the bulky 

mass of large buildings on high ground, at the 

edge of the upper plateau of the Upper Town, are 

factors that contribute to the impressive cityscape 

of Sibiu (Fig. 92). The cityscape is dominated by 

the vertical lines of the steeples of the Lutheran 

Parish Church, of the Roman Catholic Church and 

the Town Hall Tower. On the western crest of the 

hill, these are completed by the steeple of the 

Hungarian Reformed Church, the twin towers of 

the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral 

and the steeple of the St. John Lutheran Church, 


while to the east the cityscape is enriched with the 

outline of the Church of the Ursuline Sisters. 

Today, there are lines of sight and spots 

where the cityscape is clearly visible (Fig. 34): 

► from the west, viewed from Şoseaua Alba 

Iulia, as you pass the Turnişor district; 

► from the northwest, viewed from Calea Şurii 

Mici, between the border of the city limits 

and the railway lines (Fig. 99); 

► from the north, viewed from Calea Şurii Mari; 

► from the east, viewed from Calea 

Nocrichului to the city limits. 

The best panoramic view of the historic city 

(Fig. 35) against the backdrop of the Cibin 

Mountains is available from Dealul Guşteriţei 

(Hammersdorfer Berg). 

There are spots even within the city, where 

you can admire the cityscape of the Historic 

Centre: 

► from the square in front of the Sibiu Railway 

Station (Fig. 113); 

► from the northeast, where Podului Street 

intersects Vasile Pârvan Street; 

► along the banks of the Cibin River and from 

Fig. 29. The Town Hall Tower 

39

its bridges; 

► from Gladiolelor Street. 

Moreover, many streets used to have, and some 

still have, a defensive tower as their vantage 

point. This can be a gate tower or an ordinary 

tower (e.g. the Curriers Tower at the end of 

Rimski-Korsakov Street). Sometimes, such 

“points of interest” are situated on the very axis 

40 


Place Visible Architectural 

Highlights 

Lesser Square steeple of the Lutheran 

Parish Church 

Grand Square the Town Hall Tower, the 

Roman Catholic Church 

General Magheru Street Church of the Ursuline 

Sisters 

Constituţiei Street Church of the Ursuline 

Sisters 

Avram Iancu Street steeple of the Lutheran 

Parish Church, 

the Town Hall Tower 

Nicolae Teclu Street steeple of the Lutheran 



Ocnei Street steeple of the Lutheran 



Rimski- Korsakov Street Lutheran Parish Church 

Victor Tordoşanu Street Lutheran Parish Church, the 

Town Hall Tower 

Tudor Vladimirescu Street The Tower of the Old Town 

Hall, steeple of the 

Hungarian Reformed Church 

Turnului Street Lutheran Parish Church, the 

Town Hall Tower 

Târgul Peştelui twin towers of the Romanian 

Orthodox Cathedral 

Alexandru Odobescu Street Lutheran Parish Church, the 

Old Town Hall 

Centumvirilor Street Lutheran Parish Church, the 

Old Town Hall 

Mitropoliei Street Hungarian Reformed 

Church, Romanian 

Orthodox Cathedral, 

“Johanniskirche” Lutheran 

Church 

Lungă Street Romanian Orthodox 

Cathedral 

of the street and can take the form of a segment 

of an inner fortification or a section of a 

retaining wall, uniting two street ends at uneven 

heights (in Movilei Street and between 

Centumvirilor and Alexandru Odobescu Streets). 

Here are some of the vantage points 

dominating certain streets in Sibiu: 

Observations 

Visible above the roofs 

Part of front line of the 

square 

Choir visual dominant 

Choir visual dominant 

Visible above the rooftops 

Excellent view of the church 

Church absolute visual 

dominant 



Excellent view of the church


Fig. 30. Lesser Square 

41

The picturesque cityscape is rounded off by the 

mountainscape of the Southern Carpathians – the 

jagged Făgăraş Mountains –, visible from various 

spots in the city. The whole remarkable chain of 

the Făgăraş Mountains is visible in the Buffer Zone 

from the upper side of Unirii Square. 

42 

Distribution of Historic Monuments 

Of the edifices listed as historic monuments (Fig. 

36), mention should be made of public 

buildings, especially churches and monasteries 

in the Historic Centre. Apart from these, the 

majority of the listed monuments are situated 

within the central perimeter of the three squares, 

where practically all buildings are listed; to 

General Characteristics 

The cityscape of the Historic Centre of Sibiu is 

completed by a large number of valuable 

historic monuments – churches and 

monasteries, communal buildings, dwelling 

houses and fortifications. Their size varies 

considerably, in the case of dwelling houses, for 

example, running from the small cottages of 

craftsmen to the imposing palaces of Patricians. 

We find the same diversity in their period of 

erection, as well as their style; the oldest extant 

structures date from the 13 th century, while the 

majority of buildings were erected between the 

15 th and the 20 th century. 

Diversity of size and style characterizes 

almost all architectural segments in the city. In 

the case of religious buildings, this diversity is 

also reflected in the multitude of denominations, 

to which these edifices belong: a Gothic 

Lutheran church includes certain Romanesque 

elements; there are Roman Catholic, Greek 

Catholic and Reformed churches built in 

baroque style; the Romanian Orthodox 

Cathedral is neo-Byzantine and the synagogue is 

neo-Oriental; there is even a Lutheran church 

built in Secession style. 

The architectural value of these monuments 

is reflected by their inclusion in a long list of 


(ii) Civil Buildings 

these should be added the four main streets of 

the Upper Town (Nicolae Bălcescu, Mitropoliei, 

Avram Iancu and General Magheru). These 

monuments belong to the category of public 

buildings, of dwelling houses (most of them 

former Patrician houses), as well as remnants of 

the nos. I-III fortified lines. 

A smaller number of buildings, mostly 

dwellings of great antiquity, are also listed in the 

LowerTown. 

Also within the historic city, there are 

additional remnants of the external fortifications, 

i.e. in isolated places in the Lower Town and in 

contiguous areas in the Upper Town (walls, 

curtain walls, towers, rondels and bastions). 

protected monuments of national importance; 

but they also give the architectural heritage of 

Sibiu an added measure of authenticity. There 

are also residential areas with buildings of 

exceptional architectural value, as well as other 

districts that are characterized by a 

predominantly vernacular architecture. As an 

overall characteristic, the architecture of the city 

is typical for the southeastern part of Central 

Europe, an area where Western culture meets 

and mingles with Southeast European, i.e. 

Byzantine and Ottoman culture. 

Religious Architecture 

The remarkable diversity of houses of worship 

in the Historic Centre of Sibiu is due mainly to 

the multi-confessional character of its 

inhabitans. The majority of these churches, with 

the exception of the Lutheran Parish Church, are 

hall-type buildings; their styles range from 

Gothic, baroque, neoclassical and neo- 

Byzantine, to eclectic or modern. While the first 

religious edifices of the settlement were built in 

the Lower Town, on the site of today’s Hospice 

and at the level of 9 Mai Street, later churches 

were built on the upper terrace of the Upper 

Town. They are different, both in terms of their 

architectural value and of their impact on the


Fig. 31. The Seat of the High Consistory of the Lutheran Church 

43

cityscape of the Historic Centre. 

The Lutheran Parish Church (situated in Huet 

Square / Fig. 37, 38) is the dominant architectural 

landmark of the Historic Centre – due to its 

monumental size, its spire being the key 

architectural feature of the cityscape. In addition to 

this functional role, the church is an outstanding 

architectural monument, being the only edifice in 

southeastern Central Europe that exhibits elements 

from all phases of the Gothic style. 

Originally named St. Mary’s Church, it was 

initially Roman Catholic; after the Reformation 

came to Sibiu, it was turned into a Lutheran 

church and from 1867 it became the Cathedral 

of the Lutheran Church in Romania. The 

monument is an imposing Gothic edifice; its 

ground plan is a polygonal choir with a nave 

(the remnants of the foundation of a hall-type 

choir are also preserved). To the north, the choir 

is flanked by a vestry, to the west, by a transept, 

while to the south we have a number of 

auxiliary rooms. Next is the nave flanked by two 

aisles in a basilica-type disposition, the south 

44 


aisle being overlooked by a gallery. The tower 

initially jutted out against the west façade; later 

it was incorporated within a three-aisled 

mortuary chapel, called ferula (galilee) that had 

a similar structure. 

The building was erected over a number of 

successive periods and the final result was a 

conglomerate of many different Gothic features. 

The oldest part of the church is the lower 

structure of the tower, in Romanesque style. Its 

west portal, today mounted in a different spot, is 

topped by semicircular arches, whose cornice 

bears the marks of Gothic transformations. 

The east wall of the transept shows the 

remains of a bricked-up round window, with an 

early Gothic tracery; a round pillar of the 

quadrangle belongs to an initial phase of High 

Gothic. The pillar with an octagonal cross-section 

in the southwest quadrangle was probably built at 

a later date. The transept is a powerfully 

articulated structure with arched straps and ribbed 

vaults, indicative of the High Gothic style. The 

tracery of the south window of the transept is also 

Fig. 32. Square in front of the Convent of the Ursuline Sisters, view from Avram Iancu Street

preserved, along with a round window in a less 

central spot. The first octagonal pillars 

separating the aisles bear the hallmarks of a 

similar style, as well as other decorative 

elements, such as three-leaved and four-leaved 

tracery. These were re-processed and used when 

the nave was raised in a period when, clusters 

of engaged colonnettes were built around the 

octagonal pillars of the nave and the aisles were 

also widened. The bays of the aisles had been 

constructed during earlier periods; thus the 

system of cross vaults with ogee arches was 

preserved. 

The gallery overlooking the south aisle was 

built later with a star-vault, typical for Late 

Gothic. The gallery was lengthened to cover the 

south aisle of the ferula. At the same date, the 

vestry was enlarged and the church steeple was 

raised by two storeys. There were also more 

minor works: the north wing of the transept was 

lengthened and two porches were also built. A 

chapel was built over the south portal, bearing 

the hallmarks of Late Gothic style, i.e. a starvault 

with curved ribs, floriated pillars with 


Fig. 33. General Magheru Street 

leafless vines; the apse vault is even decorated 

with a large sea-shell, typical for the 

Renaissance. At approximately the same time, a 

turret with winding stairs and a Renaissance 

doorframe was built on the south façade. Later, 

a door was built in the north-east side of the 

building, in Gothic style, with fillets crossing the 

fragment of a Renaissance lintel. 

Also present is sculpted and painted 

artwork. On the south façade of the choir, above 

a Gothic door, we find a bas-relief of “The 

Prayer on the Mount of Olives.” The bas-relief 

was attributed to a local workshop, inspired 

from the Central European Gothic sculpture of 

the last quarter of the 15 th century. Inside, in the 

north aisle, the ogee arches rest on pillars with 

floral decorations, one of these bearing a human 

mask. Similarly, the keystones are decorated 

with figurative Biblical representations. 

Noteworthy is the fresco of “The 

Crucifixion,” on the north choir wall, painted in 

1445, by Johannes de Rozenaw, of Austrian 

origin, as well as one of the most beautiful 

bronze fonts in Romania, the work of 

45

Leonhardus, dating from 1438. 

The church also has a number of winged 

altars, including the former high altar of the 

church, the work of a painter of the Danubian 

School, which can be dated between 1480 and 

1545, partially repainted in 1701, being a 

46 


Fig. 34. Dominant Lines of Sight 

(1 – Architectonic Dominants; 2 – Line of sight to dominant architectonic features; 3 – Lines of sight to the 

hills and mountains surrounding the city; 4 – Zones where the cityscape is visible) 

remarkable illustration of Reformation. 

The church served for the burial of the 

mayors, of comites saxones, or of other 

notabilities of the city. Over 60 gravestones 

were relocated in 1853 and mounted on the 

walls of the ferula; the result is one of the most

emarkable sculptural collections in a Central 

European building. One of the tombstones is an 

example of an attempt to follow the religious 

canons of the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

The organ is of late Romantic conception 

and it is one of the best preserved instruments of 

its kind in Europe. The organ has retained its 

prospect from the 17 th century, but the 

instrument proper dates from the early 20 th 

century; it was built by Sauer’s of Frankfurt and 

it is a very large, electro-pneumatic instrument, 

which has recently been restored and thus is in 

excellent repair. 

The Roman Catholic Parish Church (Grand 

Square, Fig. 39, 40) is the second monument in 

terms of its impact on the cityscape of the 

Historic Centre. Even though its spire is also part 

of the key elements of the cityscape, its major 

impact is reflected in Grand Square, the main 


public space of the city. The church presents 

its long side to the square and its forms have a 

remarkable congruence: in spite of the natural 

assymetry resulting from the very ground plan 

of the building, its façade has a symmetric 

design that also incorporates a bay of the 

neighbouring building within its concept; for 

reasons of urbanistic compositional harmony, a 

skylight tower was erected on the end 

opposite to the main spire, thus establishing a 

rapport between the church spire and an older 

tower (the Town Hall Tower) that is part of the 

same front line of the square, resulting in an 

architectural solution of great elegance. 

The church was built between 1726 and 

1733 in baroque style. The building is a 

rectangular hall church with lateral niches; the 

rectangular choir is incorporated between 

auxiliary structures. Unlike other Jesuit churches 

elsewhere in the Habsburg Empire, this church 

Fig. 35. The City of Sibiu, view from Guşteriţa Hill 

47

does not follow the usual Jesuit model of two 

towers on the west façade: the church has a 

single tower, out of alignment with the hall. 

From the outside, the monument has an 

austere look: there are two rectangular doors in 

the flank facing Grand Square, providing access 

into the church and into the vicarage. The 

façades are divided into bays by columns, with 

Tuscan capitals; the seven windows of varied 

dimensions on the ground storey have other 

smaller windows superimposed. Inside, three 

lateral altars are placed in niches overlooked by 

48 


Fig. 36. Locations of Historic Monuments 

galleries. The inner space is structured by 

massive Tuscan double columns, surmounted 

by a richly profiled entablature, decorated with 

bell motifs, triglyphs, sea shells and volutes. The 

vaults are barrel vaults, with penetrations, 

resting on transverse ribs in the nave and cross 

vaults in the choir. 

Of the art work of great value that can be 

admired in the interior, we mention: a fresco 

decorating the main altar, representing the Virgin 

with the Infant, the work of the painter Anton 

Steinwald (1774); the funerary monument of

General Count Otto Ferdinand Traunn de 

Abensberg (1677-1747) executed by Anton 

Schuchbauer of Cluj (1719-1789); and the stained 

glass windows made in Budapest in 1901. 

The third edifice in terms of its importance 

for the architectural heritage of the city is the 

Romanian Orthodox Church of the “Holy 

Trinity” (No. 33, Mitropoliei Street, Fig. 41, 42). 

Its main importance resides in the very existence 

of such a large Romanian Orthodox church in 

Central Europe, reiterating architectural forms 

from Constantinople. 

Of course, the first Romanian Orthodox 

churches were erected in the suburbs of the city. 

These were “The Curch-in-the-Hollow” and 

another church situated across the Cibin River. 

Their external architectural form is closely 

related to Transylvanian architectural tradition, 

even if features common to all Eastern Orthodox 

churches are clearly visible inside. In addition, 


there was an Eastern Orthodox church within 

city walls. It was pulled down in the early 20 th 

century, to make room for the Romanian 

Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, which was 

built on the site between 1902 and 1906. 

The building is of the Greek cross type, 

patterned on the Hagia Sofia in Constantinople; 

nevertheless, its longitudinal axis is somewhat 

elongated. The large dome of the nave is raised 

on pendentives and it is supported in the 

longitudinal plane by a group of hemicycles; to 

the east we have the apse of the altar and to the 

west a hemicycle over the gallery and the 

narthex. Two towers with a double, bulb-like 

roof and a skylight in the middle flank the 

entrance and two more octagonal, somewhat 

squatter towers are placed beside the lateral 

apses. Access is through a portico, with the piles 

surmounted by crockets and three semicircular 

openings. Behind the portico and between the 

towers, there is an ample, semicircular 

Fig. 37. The Lutheran Parish Church, the Choir 

49

50 


Fig. 38. The Lutheran Parish Church, Interior


Fig. 39. The Roman Catholic Parish Church 

51

pediment, with a gallery skylight of the same 

shape, decorated with circular medallions in 

mosaic, representing Jesus and the Four 

Evangelists. The final impression of the building 

is to a large extent given by its external 

trimmings, which are in two-tone ashlar brick 

and copper sheeting. 

The architects of the church were Virgil 

Nagy and Joseph Kamner, of Budapest. The 

interior observes the Byzantine tradition and it is 

dominated by the impressive size of the nave. 

The pendentives, with the Four Evangelists and 

the dome’s intrados, with Christ Pantocrator, 

surrounded by angels, as well as part of the altar 

screen sculpted in gilded wood, are the work of 

the celebrated artists Octavian Smighelschi and 

his assistant, Arthur Coulin. The other paintings 

in the interior are signed by I. Kober. 

Two other places of worship of somewhat 

52 


lesser importance for the city’s architecture were 

also erected in Mitropoliei Street: first, we have 

the Hungarian Reformed Church (1786) in 

baroque style and, then we have the St. John 

Lutheran Church built in 1912 in Secession style. 

The Hungarian Reformed Church (No. 9, 

Mitropoliei Street, Fig. 43) was built by Samuel 

Krempels and Johannes Schneider in 1786; it is a 

hall church with a semicircular apse and a tower 

in alignment with its street front. The church 

building has a narrow front with a simple portal 

and windows with stone framework. The façade is 

divided in four bays by four columns with Tuscan 

capitels and entablature. The sparse interior has 

walls with double columns bearing entablatures 

similar to those outside. The vault is a barrel vault 

supported by transverse ribs. A canopied pulpit is 

placed on the axis of the choir, decorated with 

golden drapes and rose wreaths. The organ is 

Fig. 40. The Roman Catholic Parish Church, Interior


Fig. 41. The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, Exterior 

53

placed in the west side of the church, mounted on 

a gallery supported by two massive pillars. 

The Synagogue completes the range of 

communal religious buildings. It is situated at 

No. 19, Constituţiei Street (Fig. 44), built by 

architect Ferencz Szalay in 1898. The 

synagogue is a single rectangular building. The 

façade exhibits neo-Gothic forms and it is 

surmounted by a neo-Romanesque frieze with 

triforia. The interior gives the impression of 

decorative abundance; it has the aspect of a hall 

church, with nave and two aisles, surmounted 

by galleries with triforium-shaped arches, and a 

coffered ceiling, in a vaguely neo-Renaissance 

style. Placed on the east side of the building, the 

Ark of the Covenant is in the shape of a 

semicircular apse, flanked by a column and 

overlooked by a circular window. The dais is 

placed centrally, surrounded by a railing whose 

corners are decorated with columns surmounted 

by composite capitels. 

54 


Fig. 42. The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, Interior 

Another Orthodox Jewish synagogue is to be 

found in Blănarilor Street, at a relatively short 

distance from the earlier mentioned monument. 

It is an extremely simple building, which was 

sold and rebuilt after the emigration of the Jews, 

under the Communist regime. 

Among the architectural highlights of the 

city, two other monuments are extremely 

interesting examples of superimposed 

architectural styles; in this case, initial Gothic 

structures were later rebuilt in baroque style. 

The Church of the Ursuline Sisters is today a 

Greek Catholic church (Magheru Street, Fig. 45); 

it is the second oldest church in Sibiu and, with 

its imposing size, it is one of the hallmarks of 

the Historic Centre. Initially it was the church of 

the Dominican Monastery, erected around the 

year 1475 and reconstructed for the Ursuline 

Sisters, beginning with the year 1728. The 

whole church has a polygonal choir that is 

barrel vaulted and the nave is ceilinged. The

church has massive buttresses, a Late Gothic 

doorway on its west façade and remains of 

windows in pointed arch. On the north side, 

there is a chapel with Gothic starred vaults and 

windows. The nave today has semi-engaged 

columns and the choir has double pilasters, 

surmounted by a Tuscan entablature. Mention 

should be made of the elegant wooden balcony 

with wrought-iron railing on the south wall of 

the choir, overlooking the doorway of the 

passage to the sacristy and from here to the 

former convent. 

Many similarities with the above described 

monument can be noticed in the Franciscan 

Church (Şelarilor Street, Fig. 46), much smaller 

and still used by Catholic worshipers. This was 

also initially a Gothic building of the hall type 

with a polygonal choir; it has preserved its 

massive buttresses, but after 1716 it was rebuilt 

in baroque style. The west façade is dominated 

by a tower with a baroque helmet; inside the 

church has a barrel vaulted nave with triangular 

penetrations, resting on transverse ribs. In the 

church we also notice a Gothic sculpture of the 

Virgin with the Infant, as well as a number of 

funerary monuments. 

Monasteries, Episcopal Residences, 

and Vicarages 

Monuments of this kind also have a certain 

influence upon the general aspect of the Historic 

Centre, especially through their size. Owing to its 

great antiquity, the Mediaeval Hospice (currently a 

home for the elderly, No. 4, Azilului Street, Fig. 

47) should be first mentioned. Initially it was an 

establishment of the Brethren of the Order of the 

Holy Spirit and was obtained by donation in 1292 

and was expanded and rebuilt over the centuries. 

The core is a hall for the inmates, supplemented 

by side cells, possibly for luminaries. It ended in a 

chapel, wide open to the hall, in turn flanked by 

two side chapels. Over time, other structures were 

added, some of them back-to-back and others as 

isolated units; one unit has a loggia, open at the 

level of the ground storey and first storey. Worth 

mentioning are a series of architectural features, 


such as: Gothic frameworks, buttresses and 

pilasters, cross vaults, etc. 

Two of the mediaeval monasteries have 

been preserved over time. The first is the 

Convent of the Ursuline Sisters, initially a 

Dominican Monastery from the 16 th century. At 

the time, it was erected to replace a similar 

monastery outside the city walls that had been 

abandoned. The structure became dilapidated 

after the Reformation and it was turned over to the 

Order of the Ursuline Sisters (first mentioned in 

Sibiu in 1718) who rebuilted the monastery 

starting with the year 1734 and expandit after 

1769. The building is situated at Nos. 34-36, 

General Magheru Street and is made up of three 

wings: a rectangular edifice with closed precincts, 

a right wing (the current entrance is through this 

wing) and a rectangular building reaching to the 

back boundary of the lot. The façade overlooks 

General Magheru Street, and it resulted from the 

incorporation of two wings; it is three-storeyed 

and belongs to the eclectic style of the late 19 th 

Fig. 43. The Hungarian Reformed Church 

55

56 


Fig. 44. The Synagogue

century. Inside, worth mentioning are the barrel 

vaults with penetrations. 

The second monastery, situated at No. 14, 

Şelarilor Street is known as the Franciscan 

Monastery and used to be a convent in the 

Middle Ages. Flanking the church, the building 

has a rectangular two-storey structure and a closed 

precinct. It has largely retained its mediaeval 

character with a running gallery open on two 

levels surrounding the inner courtyard; the rooms 

are cross-vaulted and there is a high roof. 

The Roman Catholic Presbytery (No. 2, 

Grand Square, Fig. 104), was originally built as 

a Jesuit Seminary. The three storey building is 

composed of four distinct wings, disposed in a 

closed rectangle and incorporates a courtyard, 

originally surrounded by open arcades. The 

building has plain façades, with windows 

mounted with stone frameworks. There are 

original elements highlighting the building. It 

had open arcades facing Lesser Square that are 

scheduled to be re-opened and, facing Grand 

Square, a main jutty with the doorway 

integrated in the front line of the neighbouring 

Roman Catholic Church, so that the two 

buildings are organically linked. The building is 

spare on the outside and it has baroque 

decorative elements in the interior. All the 

rooms are cross-vaulted and several walls are 

decorated with religious stuccowork, for 

example, in a spacious room on the ground 

storey, as well as in the stairwell. More 

sophisticated decorations include a mural 

painting of the Holy Virgin with the Infant in the 

entrance hall or the statue of St. Nepomuk 

(1736) in the inner courtyard. 

Since 1872, The Seat of the High Consistory 

of the Lutheran Church A.C. in Romania 

(Landeskonsistorium der Evangelischen Kirche 

A.B. in Rumänien, at No. 4, General Magheru 

Street, Fig. 31) has occupied the building of a 

former private residence, completed in 1802. 

The very heterogeneous ensemble surrounds an 

inner courtyard and is mainly three-storeyed. 

The narrow, main façade overlooking Magheru 


Fig. 45. The Greek-Catholic Church of the 

Former Convent of the Ursuline Sisters 

Street is richly decorated with horizontal stringcourse. 

The central bays form a protruding jutty; 

at ground level, there is a portal, fronted by two 

pillars on high pedestals, supporting a balcony; 

the rest is also decorated with baroque, 

ornamental motifs. There is a high, threestepped 

attic roof. The inner façade, overlooking 

the courtyard, has a symmetrical pattern: on the 

ground storey of the side wing there is a portico 

with large semicircular arches, which support 

the corridors, providing access to the rooms on 

the first and second storeys, delimited by slim 

Tuscan columns. Only the ground storey rooms 

are vaulted. 

The See of the Metropolitan of 

Transylvania, Crişana and Maramureş (No. 24, 

Mitropoliei Street) is a 19 th century building, 

purchased by Metropolitan Andrei Şaguna, who 

made it the See of the Metropolitan of 

Transylvania in 1858. The exterior of the 

building exhibits no outstanding architectural 

characteristics, but inside, both the entrance and 

the stairwell were decorated with Romanian 

Orthodox mural paintings, depicting biblical 

and historical scenes. 

57

58 

Fig. 46. The Church of the Order of the 

Franciscan Brothers 

The Lutheran Vicarage (No. 1, Huet Square, 

Fig. 48) is a four-wing edifice, surrounding a 

narrow inner courtyard, the long side of the lot 

facing the square. The main wing, of 

approximately square shape (basement + 

ground storey + upper storey) still has in its 

main front the Late Gothic portal, with crossed 

fillets on the access door, with a flight of stairs 

leading up to it. Attributed to the famous 

architect and stone mason Andreas Lapicida, the 

portal was built in 1502; on its upper part, it 

bears a rectangular tablet, displaying a coat of 

arms and in its four corners, the portraits of the 

patron who commissioned the building, his 

patron saint (St. John the Baptist), of Emperor 

Frederic and of Pope Alexander VI, Borgia (Fig. 

73). The inscription on the upper part is framed 

by a Renaissance cornice, decorated with a 

denticuled frieze. The two façades, overlooking 

the garden, situated in what was formerly a 

second precinct, have massive buttresses and 

incorporate an old defensive tower. On the 

ground storey, all the wings have cross vaults, 

with stuccoed ceilings and baroque woodwork. 

The cellars are generally barrel-vaulted, with 


transverse ribs, penetrations and mediaeval 

niches. The cellar retains the initial structure of 

the first house built on the site, with two rooms 

and an open hearth. 

Communal Civil Buildings 

The most important communal civil building in 

the city is the school in Huet Square, today 

housing “Samuel von Brukenthal” National 

College. The earliest record of the school dates 

from 1380; the school was repeatedly enlarged 

and eventually a completely new building with 

a compact ground plan and three storeys was 

raised on the site by Franz Burger. The general 

plan of the building offers the image of a 

classical building with its bays separated by 

giant pilasters and its ground storey decorated 

with horizontal string-course. The central door 

has a stone framing topped with garlands. In the 

interior, mention should be made of the 

monumental staircase in two flights of the hall 

and the ceremonial balcony at the level of the 

Fig. 47. The Hospice

second storey (Fig. 49). From the central hall 

one enters the Auditorium that has a large, 

central rostrum with two staggered pulpits and 

two side balconies. These remarkable inner 

spaces give the building a special significance as 

a representative example of the architecture of 

the southeast area of Central Europe. 

Another architecturally remarkable 

monument is the Art Lyceum (No. 2, Odobescu 

Street), built in neoclassical style in 1897 by 

architect Carl Heinrich Eder. It features a 

monumental central hall built in the form of an 

inner courtyard, covered by a skylight; it is 

flanked by arcades on the ground storey and 

Tuscan columns (Fig. 50) on the upper storey, 

with running corridors on both storeys. 

“Gheorghe Lazăr” National College (1899) in 

Georghe Lazăr Street is a vast, three storey 

building with a monumental entrance hall. 

A more significant building from an 

architectural point of view is the edifice 

accommodating the Romanian Orthodox 

Divinity School (Nos. 20-22, Mitropoliei Street, 

Fig. 51). The U-shaped building was erected 

between 1913 and 1914. The ample façade is 

decorated in neo-Romanian style, with the 

ground-storey windows topped by semicircular 

arches. On the upper storey, floral panels round 

off the trilobed framings. In the interior, there is 

a chapel reaching the height of two storeys, 

built in 1934, with a beautiful 18 th century 

Brâncoveanu-style altar screen. In the rear of the 

courtyard, there is a large 18 th century building, 

whose two-stepped mansard roof has dormer 

Fig. 48. The Lutheran Vicarage 


Fig. 49. The Samuel von Brukenthal 

National College (High School) 

windows, typical of late 18 th century buildings. 

Of the public buildings with cultural 

destination mention should be made of the Old 

Theatre of the city (Fig. 119) set up by Martin 

Hochmeister, a printer, on the premises of a 

disaffected rondel – the Thick Tower – and 

opened in 1788. Burned down twice, the 

building was rebuilt each time. It has an 

auditorium typical of the 19 th century, 

supplemented by ancillary spaces showcasing 

parts of the old fortifications. Currently, it 

accommodates the Philharmonic Orchestra of 

Sibiu, which formerly used an eclectic building, 

erected by order of the Musical Society of Sibiu, 

in Filarmonicii Street in 1878. 

Among other buildings with a cultural 

destination worth mentioning is the Museum of 

Natural History (Fig. 132), built in 1895 

(architect Friedrich Maetz), at the corner of 

Cetăţii Street and Gheorghe Lazăr Street, with a 

well-defined ground plan whose central element is 

the two-flight stairwell. The headquarters of the 

59

60 

Fig. 50. The Hall of the Art Lyceum 

Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature 

and Romanian Folk Culture, ASTRA, was built in 

1905 near Astra Park (Soldiş), after a project 

selected in an open architectural competition. 

Currently, it accommodates the County Library. 

Finally, we mention the building of the State 

Archives of Sibiu County, the former repository of 

the Archives of the Universitas Saxonum, built by 

architect Josef Bedeus von Scharberg in Arhivelor 

Street in 1914. 

Buildings of outstanding importance for the 

city are its administrative edifices. The city’s First 

purpose-built Town Hall (Fig. 52) – prior to 1326 

– was located in close proximity to the Town Hall 

Tower (No. 31, Lesser Square), which stood off 

from the defensive wall of the fortress, thereby 

protruding into the free area of the enclosure, a 

position that it still occupies in the square. The 

arches of the portico overlooking Lesser Square 

are now visible to the naked eye, after the recent 

removal of the 19 th century masonry covering it. 

New structures were later added back-to-back to 


the original building. 

Other administrative buildings were initially 

dwellings that were only later turned over to 

public use. A prime example is the building 

called the Old Town Hall that housed the city 

administration between 1545 and 1945 and that 

currently houses the History Museum (No. 2, 

Mitropoliei Street/Fig. 53). The building 

represents the most important Gothic civil 

building complex in Transylvania, erected on 

two adjoining lots and purchased by the 

municipality in 1545, following the death of a 

noted Patrician. It is made up of ten distinct 

units, disposed around a large, rectangular 

courtyard; access to the complex is through a 

gate in one of these units. The most important 

part of the complex is a four storey, rectangular 

dwelling tower (Fig. 54); the two lower storeys 

are vaulted and surround a central stone pillar. 

The building has many noteworthy decorative 

details, such as: flower-shaped ornaments, a 

bow-window, door framings, etc. The most 

important decorations are to be found in the 

loggia of the second courtyard, situated on the 

ground storey. These are represented by two 

arcades, marked off by Gothic arches with 

vaults, supported by three consoles, two shaped 

like human busts and the third, in the form of a 

human mask. The coats of arms of the founders 

Fig. 51. The Romanian Orthodox Divinity School

of the edifice reappear as keystones on the starshaped 

vault. The construction of the loggia is 

attributed to the well-known Sibiu stonemason, 

Andreas Lapicida, flourished cca. 1500. Another 

large structure (basement + ground storey + 

upper storey), dated between 1510 and 1520, 

also preserves a number of Gothic elements: 

cross and barrel vaults, an elegant bow-window 

on the northwest facade, in alignment with the 

defensive wall and rising from the ground storey 

to the first upper storey, doors with crossed 

fillets or bevelled-edged framings, and two- or 

three-part mullioned windows. In this wing, 

Gothic and Renaissance elements occasionally 

co-exist; an example is the framing of the front 

gate, bearing the coat of arms of a Patrician 

family. A large council-hall also dates from the 

time when the building was taken over by the 

city; its area was enlarged beyond the limits of 

the surrounding wall, so that the portion of 

building jutting out on the north side had to be 

propped up by a massive pile. The Old Town 

Hall was turned into an approximately 

rectangular edifice when two more 

constructions were added in more recent times. 

Another Patrician residence, the so-called 

Hecht House at No. 8, Grand Square (Fig. 55), 

was the headquarters of the most important 

political institution of the German community, 

the Universitas Saxonum (Sächsische 

Nationsuniversität) – the seat of the Saxon 

comes and of the representatives of the Saxon 

administrative regions and districts in 

Transylvania. The building is U-shaped, its main 

wing, overlooking the main square of the city, 

has a ground storey and two upper floors. The 

Gothic character of the building is plainly 

shown by the presence of star vaults, cross 

vaults, etc. A Gothic door with crossed fillets on 

the first storey is proof of the buildings antiquity, 

even if the vaulted passageway on the ground 

storey retains a Renaissance door frame. On the 

other hand, the present-day façade, decorated 

with neoclassical elements, is the result of 

successive transformations, undertaken after 

1821. However, initially it was in Gothic style, 


Fig. 52. The First Town Hall 

as illustrated by fragments of late Gothic square 

windows with crossed fillets. The side wings are 

more recent, partially rebuilt in the 20 th century. 

Worth mentioning is another building with a 

different destination, the Arsenal, today used as 

a barracks. The large mediaeval building that 

served this purpose is situated at No. 10, 

Armelor Square and it has three wings built 

around a courtyard. Its oldest section is the 

north wing, where the remains of a 15 th century, 

rectangular defensive tower are still preserved; 

in this period, the building situated west of the 

tower belonged to the family of a local count. 

After 1784, most of the building, i.e. the main 

wing overlooking the square, was rebuilt. The 

result was a massive construction with barrel 

vaults with penetrations. 

A totally different function was that of the 

numerous guildhalls and trading houses in the 

city, of various shapes and sizes. One such 

building, mentioned in the parish records of 

Sibiu in 1370, is the Butchers’ Warehouse, 

61

62 


Fig. 53. The Old Town Hall

today known under the name of the House of 

Arts (Fig. 56). This building was erected at some 

distance from the wall of the second enclosure 

and juts out into Lesser Square, where it is No. 

21. With its large size and its long side, 

overlooking the square, it dominates the north 

side of the square. The building is a compact, 

two storey construction. The external, probably 

wooden stairs are no longer extant. On the ground 

storey it has a portico supported by massive 

columns; its upper storey façade has relatively 

small windows and bears the coat of arms of Sibiu 

in the middle, which was probably put up during 

repair work in 1787. The building has a steep, 

two-sloped tile roof. Several rooms with barrel 

vaults, with or without penetrations, have been 

preserved on the ground storey, while the large 

hall upstairs served for different purposes over the 

centuries. Between 2004 and 2005, the edifice 

underwent major restoration work. 

Rural Type Dwellings 

It is known that many brickwork houses initially 

had wooden structures and subsequently 

underwent a number of construction phases 

(No. 11, Lesser Square, No. 11, Avram Iancu 

Street, No. 2, Mitropoliei Street, and No. 9, 

Felinarului Street). The oldest type of dwelling 

house, current up to the early 19 th century, is a 

rectangular building erected on one side of a 

long plot, its narrow end fronting the street. The 

annex buildings of the household were situated 

in the backyard and in some cases these were 

replaced with newer dwellings. The traditional 

house has two, at most three rooms placed in 

succession. Access is from the courtyard through a 

door in the long side of the building. The number 

of windows overlooking the courtyard may differ, 

but the main façade overlooking the street has two 

windows as a rule. The roof is in two slopes, with 

the ridge of the roof perpendicular to the street; in 

the 14 th -15 th centuries the gable was stepped, in 

the 15 th -18 th centuries the gable was an acute 

triangle, while in the 17 th -19 th centuries it was 


(iii) Dwelling Houses 

A much more recent edifice is the Hall of the 

Craftsmen’s Association at No. 11, Lesser Square, 

at present housing the ASTRA Museum (Fig. 132). 

It was built in neo-Gothic style, on the site of a 

former Patrician house, in 1867. The building is 

structured on a closely designed ground plan. The 

two façades, overlooking Lesser Square and Huet 

Square, are dominated by a central jutty, each 

surmounted by a stepped gable. 

Of various buildings housing banks and 

insurance companies, Banca de Credit Funciar 

(the Real Estate Mortgage Bank) has architectural 

merit. It was built in Grand Square, in 1906, 

placed midway between the Roman Catholic 

Church and the Brukenthal Museum. It is a 

richly decorated, eclectic building that 

dominates this part of the square. 

Of widely different shapes and sizes, 

communal buildings are an essential part of the 

cityscape of the Historic Centre. 

truncated (Fig. 57). 

One such dwelling house is Böbel House at 

No. 16, Avram Iancu Street, (Fig. 58), one of the 

oldest buildings in the city of Sibiu. Initially, its 

ground storey had two rooms (living room and 

kitchen); there is also a partial basement. The 

ground storey façade has three bays; there are 

now two rectangular windows to the left of the 

gate, each surmounted by a tile-covered 

fragment of cornice. It has a high roof in two 

slopes, with the ridge of the roof perpendicular 

to the street. Following restoration work in 1981 

and in 2004, the triangular Gothic gable 

regained its original stepped shape; also 

noticeable are narrow openings imitating 

battlements and niches with pointed and 

semicircular arches. The entrance is barrelvaulted 

and this part of the building, under a 

common roof with the house, is of a later date, 

probably the 17 th century. The partial basement 

is tunnel-vaulted, retaining a Gothic niche in 

pointed arch. The ground storey rooms have 

ceilings, those on the street side decorated with 

63

64 


Fig. 54. The Courtyard of the Old Town Hall, with the Dwelling Tower

18 th century stuccowork. Another room was 

added to the courtyard side, at an unknown 

date, possibly during the 18 th century; a bakery 

functioned in this room in the 19 th century. 

Another type of building is also present in 

the Historic Centre. It has its long side fronting 

the street, the ridge of the roof running parallel 

to the front line and the stepped gables flanking 

the building (for example, No. 6, Grand Square; 

Nos. 6, 7 and 14, Turnului Street; Nos. 12, 22, 

Ocnei Street; Nos. 4, 7, Mitropoliei Street; No. 

9, Avram Iancu Street). They are associated with 

wider building plots. 

Of this latter type, the house at No. 22, 

Ocnei Street (Fig. 59) has the long façade of its 

main wing fronting Ocnei Street. There are two 

superimposed stepped gables on the blank wall 

to the right side of the attic, dating from two 

different stages of construction in the Gothic 

period. A third construction phase occurred, 

when the building was enlarged in the direction 

of a neighbouring street and was provided with 

triangular gables. At the same time, the slope of 

the roof was also changed. Some of the ground 

storey rooms facing the street have rafter 

ceilings, and both storeys of the more recent 

wing in the inner courtyard have rooms with 

cross vaults or barrel vaults with penetrations 

(16 th and 17 th centuries). 

The Guildsmen’s House 

In the 15 th century, there is evidence of the 

appearance of a new type of house in the Upper 

Town (Lesser Square); its ground plan was either 

rectangular or L-shaped, the roof ridge running 

parallel to the front line. Initially, these houses 

only had a ground storey (Fig. 60); in order to 

provide added commercial space, in the late 

15 th century, a portico was added to the side 

overlooking the square (the houses at Nos. 14, 

16, 24, 25, 28, Lesser Square) (Fig. 61). 

From the 15 th century, guild members also 

built their houses in Lesser Square, on the 

foundations of Enclosure II. A remarkable 

example is the house at No. 24, Lesser Square 

(next to Aurarilor Stairway). It has a portico with 


Gothic arches on the ground storey, covered by 

a star vault and it was built around 1500. The 

stone Renaissance window frames on the upper 

storey date from around 1570. In the 18 th 

century, similar, slightly simplified window 

frames were made out of mortar on the second 

storey and in the attic; the roof also dates from 

this period. 

In the house next to it, No. 25, Lesser 

Square, i.e. in the direction of the Town Hall 

Tower, the open portico on the ground storey 

has also been preserved. Its semicircular arcades 

are unequal in width and height and are 

supported by brick and stone pillars. The 

construction is believed to have been the 

property of a master goldsmith and had been 

used as the guildhall of the goldsmiths. In one of 

the two large cross-vaulted rooms on the upper 

storey, there is a shield moulded in polychrome 

stucco, which bears the coat of arms of the guild 

of the goldsmiths on its upper part. On its lower 

part, supported by two putti, we find the coat of 

arms of a master goldsmith, the date 1745 and 

the monogram GK. 

The Patrician House 

To meet the growing needs of the Patrician class 

and its propensity for luxurious living, a new 

Fig. 55. The House of the “Universitas Saxonum” 

65

type of dwelling, the so-called Patrician house, 

appeared around the middle of the 15 th century. 

This new type of house must be seen in 

connection with the ethnic origin of the Saxon 

Patriciate, many of the major families of Sibiu 

originating in other parts of Europe. Buildings in 

this category were erected on plots located in 

Grand Square but also in other streets that start 

here (especially Avram Iancu, General Magheru 

and N. Bălcescu Streets). They have a 

characteristic L- or U-shaped ground plan, an 

increased number of rooms, the main façade in 

5-6 bays and the roof ridge running parallel to it. 

In certain cases, Patrician houses incorporate a 

dwelling tower (extant at Haller House at No. 

10, Grand Square, and the Old Town Hall at 

No. 2, Mitropoliei Street and no longer extant in 

the case of Lutsch House at No. 13, Grand 

Square). Such houses have often preserved 

various stone elements, such as framings of 

gates, doors and windows; in other cases stone 

elements are imitated in wood. 

Haller House (No. 10, Grand Square, Fig. 

62, Fig. 105) is one of the most important 

66 


Fig. 56. The Butchers Warehouse 

buildings of this type. It is the result of radical 

transformations suffered by the original house 

that occupied the site, in the second half of the 

15 th century. The main building has an L-shaped 

plan, with the shorter arm turned towards the 

square (basement + ground storey + first 

storey). The left wing of the house is older; its 

much broader part overlooking the square and 

the dwelling tower situated in the courtyard 

have retained Gothic elements. The right wing 

of the building overlooking the square and the 

construction that connects it with the tower, 

have preserved Renaissance elements. The 

façade of the building, overlooking the square, 

is structured in 5 bays; its central portal on the 

ground storey has a semicircular framing. The 

gate-posts are pilasters with Corinthic capitels 

and the tympani of the arch are decorated with 

trophies in relief and a coat of arms. Above it, 

there is a pediment, with a circular medallion 

representing the profile of a warrior, in its 

centre. The first storey has preserved its 

rectangular Renaissance windows with broken 

pediment and the steep roof is in two slopes,

with its ridge running parallel to the façade. The 

ground storey door frame has a rich and 

variegated ornamentation, its posts decorated 

with Renaissance motifs in relief. In the wing 

overlooking the square, mention should be 

made of the barrel-vaulted and the cross-vaulted 

rooms on the ground storey, as well as the cross 

vaults and baroque stuccoed ceilings on the first 

storey. The most important part of the building 

is the dwelling tower that is not part of the right 

wing. It has a rectangular ground plan with three 

storeys, topped by a triangular tympanon, with a 

very steep roof in two slopes. Like other wings 

of the house, the tower still preserves Gothic 

decorative elements. 

Haller House is today the most important 

Patrician house in Sibiu that is used as a 

dwelling; this type of large edifice is also 

illustrated by buildings that had over the time 

changed their destination: Hecht House, the 

Old Town Hall, etc. 


The Palace 

In the 18 th century, the urban palace appears 

which is different from the grand palaces built in 

the great outdoors, being limited by the size of 

the initial plots. 

The patron of this kind of constructions was 

Samuel von Brukenthal, Governor of 

Transylvania, who possessed a considerable 

fortune and who built his main residence, 

Brukenthal Palace at No. 4, Grand Square, 

between 1778-1786; the palace is the most 

important baroque civil building in the City of 

Sibiu (Fig. 63). 

The main structure of the palace proper has 

a rectangular ground plan with four wings 

enclosing an inner courtyard. A second unit – 

the former stables – erected on the rear area of 

the plot, lies behind the main structure. At an 

unknown date, the left side of the stables was 

connected to the back wing of the palace. The 

wings surrounding the first courtyard have a 

Fig. 57. House in Vasile Tordosan Street 

67

asement, ground storey and two upper storeys; 

the side wings flanking the second courtyard 

have ground storey and two upper storeys while 

the former stables has ground storey and only 

one upper storey. 

The main façade of the palace was built in 

the late baroque style, more restrained than high 

baroque. The ground storey is decorated with 

striking ornamental string-course, its ends 

treated with rustication. The central element of 

the ground storey is the stone framing of the 

gate, supported by Ionic columns and a 

projecting entablature. It is decorated with 

carved elements, such as the gilded coat of arms 

of Samuel von Brukenthal, as well as other 

baroque features: urns, rosettes, festoons. The 

oaken gate frames, are decorated with bas-reliefs 

illustrating symbols from the arts and music, as 

well as symbols of plenty. The sections of the 

first and second storey of the façade are 

vertically structured by pilaster-strips, with Ionic 

caps, balanced by the marked horizontal 

patterning. The central and lateral parts of the 

façade, as well as the third storey windows, are 

more lightly modulated. The hip roof with an 

attic in three steps has richly decorated dormer 

windows and is surmounted by pediments, 

volutes, pilaster strips, decorative urns, etc. 

The main portal leads to an entrance hall, 

with three cross-vaulted aisles. The hall narrows 

into a passageway that leads to the courtyard 

and that gives access to the main stairwell. A 

second portal with three gateways is located at 

the far end of the first courtyard; the portal is 

supported by atlantes, rather than columns (Fig. 

74). Access to the household courtyard is by 

means of a hall, divided by columns into three 

aisles of three bays. The former stables, which 

initially had only a ground storey, is in the form 

of a large hall, divided lengthways by two rows 

of exquisite Tuscan columns that delineate 

several cross-vaulted bays. 

The disposition of the rooms on all three 

storeys is linear, with one room opening onto 

the other. This disposition, typical for baroque 

architecture, serves the function of the palace, 

68 


i.e. to house art collections. Following the 

custom of the time, the first storey was reserved 

for ceremonial use; of the remarkable rooms on 

this storey, mention should be made of the two 

apartments flanking the salon (music room) 

situated centrally and overlooking the square. 

The north and the south lateral wings contain 

the guest rooms, while the large hall in the 

transversal wing was initially destined to serve 

as a “terrena room” typical for the palace 

architecture of the time. 

The walls of the music chamber are covered in 

fine oriental linen tapestry, with floral motifs 

(Fig. 64), while the walls of the flanking rooms 

are covered in red silk tapestry. The walls of the 

side cabinets are covered in Chinese paper 

tapestry, decorated with oriental motifs: exotic 

birds, trees and flower bushes in bloom. The 

walls of the next room to the left are decorated 

with camaieu-monochrome painting, 

representing 12 scenes from “The Labours of 

Hercules”, partly inspired by the engravings of 

Bernard Picart, illustrating Ovid’s work. While 

the ground storey is vaulted, the upper storeys 

Fig. 58. Böbel House in Avram Iancu Street

have stuccoed ceilings; some of these have 

artistic merit. The framings and the leaves of the 

doors, as well as the window sills and the 

shutters were decorated with borders, 

medallions, filets with pearls and rosettes, done 

in exquisite style. The most valuable pieces are 

the 12 decorative art works above the doors, 

executed in gilded lime wood, carved in relief. 

The source of inspiration for eight of these was 

also the work of Ovid. Other features, preserved 

unaltered on the first storey, are three stoves and 

a faience fireplace. The walls behind the stoves 

are covered in decorative mural painting. 

Furthermore, numerous windows in the palace 

have preserved their original division by lead 

sticks and their handmade window panes; most 

of the ironwork – door handles, locks and 

fittings – is also original. 

Among the many remarkable masters whose 

work went into this magnificent building, we 

mention Simon Hoffmeyer, sculptor, Johann 

Bauernfeind, cabinet-maker, Ludwig Christian 

Hezel, carpenter, Anton Hertzum, stone-mason 

and Franz Burger, master-mason and carpenter. 

Samuel von Brukenthal was not the only 

patron to build such palaces in Sibiu. Other 

members of his family, as well as Hungarian 

aristocrats, allowed to settle in the town after 

1781, also commissioned buildings of which we 

mention: the Michael and Carl von Brukenthal 

House (No. 8, Avram Iancu Street) and the 

Michael von Brukenthal House (No. 12, 

Nicolae Bălcescu Street), the House with 

Caryatids, built by the widow of Count 

Gregorius Bethlen (No. 13, Mitropoliei Street) or 

General Features 

Sibiu was situated in a highly dangerous area of 

Europe, of contact between the sphere of 

influence of West European culture and that of 

Southeastern Europe, between the Catholic 

world and the Eastern Orthodox, respectively 

the Muslim world; consequently, it had a 

permanent need for very strong fortifications. 


(iv) Defensive Architecture 

the Tholdalaghy Palace (built on the plot that 

later became the site of the Romanian Orthodox 

Divinity School, at No. 20, Mitropoliei Street). 

The style of these buildings is a more restrained 

baroque, with many classical elements that will 

become dominant in the next century. 

The Michael and Carl von Brukenthal 

House (No. 8, Avram Iancu Street) has a 

basement, ground storey and upper storey, 

erected around an inner courtyard. Access to the 

building is through a passageway with a 

stuccoed ceiling and the inner courtyard 

communicates through two symmetrical 

passageways with a second, very small 

household courtyard. The inner courtyard is 

surrounded by a loggia with Tuscan columns 

(Fig. 65) and the stone colonnade supports a 

running gallery that still preserves its original 

wrought-iron railing, executed in a style 

resembling Empire. The rooms and the staircase 

are richly decorated with baroque stuccowork. 

The main façade suffered partial rebuilding (late 

19 th century and early 20 th century); the first 

storey has six bays (windows with 2+2 window 

panes) arranged somewhat asymmetrically. The 

ground storey is decorated with horizontal 

string-course and its main portal is placed in a 

slightly off position; its tympani are decorated 

with floral motifs. The portal is surmounted by a 

sturdy cornice that supports a balcony. The 

Empire ironwork of the balcony is of remarkably 

high quality, bearing the monogram of the 

owners. The roof is in two slopes and the ridge 

running parallel to the street has three, eyebrowshaped 

dormer windows. 

Over many centuries, these fortifications 

were extended, amplified, reinforced and 

brought up-to-date. The result was the 

successive realization of four large enclosures: 

� The first enclosure, with a surface of 1 ha 

was made up of a fortress situated in the 

centre of the settlement. 

� The second enclosure, with an 

69

approximately similar surface was, in fact, 

the expanded original fort, with the fort 

retaining its characteristics. 

� The third enclosure, with an area of appr. 

35 ha is fundamentally the Upper Town, 

from the moment it was surrounded by 

defensive walls; we are dealing here with a 

fortified settlement. 

� The fourth enclosure, with an area of 32 ha 

is made up of the Lower Town, from the 

moment that it was also provided with 

defensive structures; in this case we also 

have a fortified settlement. 

All these enclosures were completed by 

secondary enclosures, long and narrow 

structures meant to reinforce the defence of the 

whole, comprising 8 km of defensive walls, 70 

towers, several rondels and bastions. Of these, 

20 towers (some turned into dwellings), 2 

rondels and 2 bastions (of which one partially 

preserved) are still extant. Also preserved are 

appr. 2 km of walls, of which only half retain 

their original height. All these still mark on the 

ground the defensive structures of the four 

70 

Fig. 59. House at No. 22, Ocnei Street 


successive enclosures. 

Enclosure I 

The initial fort in Sibiu was built at the end of 

the 12 th century, around the parish church that 

existed on the site of the current church (Huet 

Square). The fort was built of wood and 

earthwork, in two concentric lines; a coin dated 

1235-1270 was found in the external ditch. 

The Stairway Tower (No. 3, Huet Square, 

Fig. 100), part of these fortifications, is an 

important element in the defensive enclosure. 

Its current height is the result of numerous 

modifications; the tower was initially topped by 

crenels. The tower is a massive, one storey brick 

construction, with a vaulted passageway at 

ground storey level. Passing under the tower, 

you reach both the Tower Stairs and the 

Penance Corner (Fig. 21), which connect the 

Upper Town to the LowerTown. 

Initially a part of the fortifications adjoining 

enclosures I, II and III, the restraining wall 

running along the Stairway Passage 

(Pempflingerstiege) and reaching the Liars’ 

Bridge (Lügenbrücke), is also part of the first 

enclosure. The wall is partly reinforced by a 

second wall built contiguous to it and partly 

paralled by the wall of a secondary enclosure. 

Enclosure II 

In 1224, King Andrew II of Hungary confirmed 

the privileges of the Saxons in his Golden Bull. 

Afterwards, the city fortifications were extended 

and amplified in a northeastern direction, 

incorporating Lesser Square. A 13 th century coin 

found in the ditch of the enclosure is evidence 

of this stage. 

This enclosure was fortified with more 

massive defensive structures and that is 

probably why parts of it have been preserved in 

better condition. The wall was built of river 

stone and the rebuilt portions were brick. To 

this phase belong the two extant defensive 

towers, the Tower of the Aurarilor Stairway 

(No. 24, Lesser Square) and the Town Hall 

Tower (No. 1, Lesser Square).

The Town Hall Tower (No. 1, Lesser Square, 

Fig. 29, Fig. 66) has become a symbol of Sibiu, the 

subject of countless picture postcards. It was 

initially a gate tower and it also housed certain 

offices of the Town Hall next door. The tower 

underwent subsequent stages of transformations, 

during which it was raised and incorporated in a 

group of buildings. In its present form, the tower is 

an eight storey edifice. The façades of the first two 

upper storeys, overlooking the vast vaulted 

passageway linking Lesser Square and Grand 

Square, have small windows and are flanked by 

buttresses. Each buttress on the side overlooking 

Grand Square – i.e., those facing the exterior wall 

of the fort – is decorated with a bas-relief, 

representing a lion. The baroque pointed roof of 

the tower, covered with copper sheets, dates from 

the early 19 th century. Access into the tower is 

from Lesser Square, by a narrow door and up 

winding stairs. The stairs lead to a loggia on the 

first storey. From this level up, there is a turret with 

winding stairs, which ends in a small, pointed roof 

covered with glazed tiles. Upwards from this 

turret, only wooden stairs are available. 

Another interesting edifice in Enclosure II is 

the Tower of the Aurarilor Stairway (No. 24, 

Lesser Square, Fig. 83) that is part of the building 

at the same address. It is a three storey, rectangular 

construction, with a two-stepped attic roof. The 

tower has a passageway on the ground storey, 

with a round-headed arch at one end and a gothic 

arch at the other. The passageway is cross-vaulted 

and connects the tower with the stairs descending 

to Aurarilor Square. On each storey there is a 

dwelling room with large windows. The year 

carved on the front of the tower overlooking 

Aurarilor Square, 1567, most probably refers to 

the date when the tower was incorporated in the 

adjoining building. 

Extensive fragments of the defensive wall 

that formerly was part of the second enclosure 

have been preserved as portions of the houses at 

Nos. 24-31, Lesser Square. 

Enclosure III 

The initial defensive wall surrounding the Upper 

Town contains older, stone portions, erected 


Fig. 60. House in Vopsitorilor Street 

from about 1325, as well as more recent 

brickwork portions. The walls generally 

followed the slope of the terrain, with the 

exception of a southwestern portion at the 

juncture of Ioan Lupaş and Cetăţii Streets, where 

there is no such declivity. In the second half of 

the 15 th century, the walls of Enclosure III were 

doubled and supplemented by the erection of 

approximately 25 flanking towers. In certain 

areas, artillery rondels and spade-shaped 

bastions, connected to a brickwork curtain wall 

by earthwork, were also erected. The last 

bastion dates from 1627. 

Of these defensive structures, numerous 

segments of the enclosure wall of stone, mixed 

masonry or even brickwork have been 

preserved; their foundations were reinforced 

with wooden piles from spot to spot. They were 

usually doubled by a specially built defensive 

ditch, with river-stone bed and banks reinforced 

with wattle or wooden piles. 

• In addition to the walls of Enclosure I and 

II, incorporated in the fortifications of the 

Upper Town, we also have a segment of 

wall extending over hundreds of metres in 

the area of A. Odobescu and Centumvirilor 

Streets (Fig. 14, 53) constituting a 

restraining wall on the declivity between 

the Lower Town and the Upper Town. It is 

built in brick and has a height of 10 metres, 

topped by crenels, and it doubles an older 

71

iver-stone wall. 

• The best preserved portion is the wall in 

Cetăţii Street, between the Carpenters 

Tower and the Potters Tower, provided with 

large arches on the inside, meant to support 

the hoardings giving access to the ramparts, 

adapted to the use of harquebus. The 

defensive wall in Manejului Street was built 

in two stages. During the first stage, in the 

second half of the 14 th century, a wall made 

of river-stone was erected; this was later 

raised and consolidated with brick relieving 

arches, similar to those on the wall in 

Cetăţii Street. 

• The portion of wall that is extant in 

Funarilor Street is entirely made of 

brickwork and it is visible that is was 

doubled by a similar, more recent wall. 

• A portion of the old wall is preserved in the 

backyards in Avram Iancu Street, where 

houses were built over the wall. 

Portions of a second outer wall have been 

preserved in the area of Manejului and Movilei 

Streets (Fig. 67), as well as in the area of 

72 


Aurarilor Square (Fingerlingsplatz). 

A remarkable section of an old curtain wall 

in river-stone was preserved on Soldiş, running 

parallel to Ioan Lupas Street, less the earthwork 

rampart, which was removed in the 19 th 

century. However, a high curtain wall with the 

rampart behind it was preserved in the southeast 

part of the city, alongside Corneliu Coposu 

Boulevard. In fact, the entire system of 

fortifications is on display here: the inner wall 

and the outworks, the ditch in front of the inner 

wall and the rampart (Fig. 68). There is another, 

lower, early 18 th century earthwork rampart, 

with an external ditch behind it that lines the 

Promenade, bulging out in certain areas to 

accommodate gun emplacements. 

In several areas of the Upper Town, defensive 

towers or their remnants have been preserved. 

The Gate Tower, close to the Old Town 

Hall in Alexandru Odobescu Street has been 

relatively well preserved. The two-storey, 

austere building has the shape of a rectangular 

prism. The barrel-vaulted, transversal ground 

storey provided access inside the fortification. 

Fig. 61. Houses in Lesser Square

Fig. 62. Haller House in Grand Square 

The west façade of the tower still shows the 

guiding grooves of the portcullis. 

The Towers in Cetăţii Street (Carpenters 

Tower, Potters Tower, Felters Tower / Fig. 69) 

were built in the late 15 th century, 

complementing the defensive wall in the area. 

They have different ground plans, with the lower 

levels usually larger and the upper level jutting 

out and supported by consoles. The walls of this 

level are supported by consoles with embrasures. 

Highly decorative elements, in the form of a 

frieze of stepped gables hugging the wall, turn 

the towers into some of the most expressive 

features of the Historic Centre of Sibiu. 

The substruction of a fourth, neighbouring 

tower (the Tinkers Tower) was discovered 

during recent restoration work. 

Three defensive towers were built on top of 

the walls, now incorporated in the buildings at 

Nos. 9, 19, 31, Avram Iancu Street (Fig. 70). 

Two of the towers, with a polygonal foundation 

are now dwellings and they are also visible from 


Movilei Street. 

Another defensive tower is located at the 

back end of the plot at No. 23, Lesser Square on 

a slope, near the building at No. 5, Aurarilor 

Square. It protected a flight of stairs and most 

likely, a winding footpath that connected the 

Lower Town and the Upper Town. The tower 

has a square foundation and three storeys. 

Mention should also be made of more 

recent fortifications adapted to the use of fire 

arms, respectively artillery pieces. 

The Thick Tower (Fig. 71), which was built 

starting with the year 1540, accommodates the 

Philharmonic Society and Thalia Hall (in Cetăţii 

Street). It is a massive edifice, with a 

semicircular upper structure, built in brick and a 

lower structure in stone, with blockhouses 

imbedded in the wall, and casemates for guns, 

at three different levels. During the recent 

restoration, many original casemates and 

blockhouses were re-opened. Current diggings 

also uncovered two transversal, semi-cylindrical 

brick gutters, which probably served as a passage 

between the defenders on either side of the tower. 

The Haller Bastion can be reached from 

Maternităţii Street; it was erected starting with 

the year 1551, based on the plans of the Italian 

architect, Alessandro Clippa. Especially 

remarkable are the shield-like projections, 

Fig. 63. Brukenthal Palace in Grand Square 

73

74 

Fig. 64. Concert in the Music Chamber of 

Brukenthal Palace 

named “orecchione” (ears) in Italian, hiding the 

blockhouses, built with very large battlements, 

which enabled the directing of flanking fire from 

the sides of the bastion. The bastion is built of 

brick and filled with earth, its nine-metre-high 

walls running to a total length of 223 metres. To 

ensure better defence, the walls were provided 

with stone projections at approximately one metre 

from the top, to prevent the use of siege ladders. 

The Soldiş Bastion. In the area called Soldiş 

(in the area of today’s Ioan Lupaş Street), two 

different defensive structures, or rather, their 

remains have been preserved. Of the old rondel, 

the part facing the Lower Town was preserved; 

there is also an old artillery embrasure, with its 

oak wood shutting device. The wall of the 

rondel was included in the Soldiş Bastion (“of 

the Mercenaries”), erected off Alba Iulia Rd., 

between 1622 and 1629. Together with 

Cisnădia Gate Bastion, this edifice served the 

defence of the southeast flank of Sibiu, which was 

highly exposed to attack, because the terrace of 

the Upper Town had the same level further out. 

As far as its trace is concerned, it is only half- 


spade-shaped, with its shield-like projection 

(“orecchione”) overlooking the exposed terrace. 

The walls of both the older rondel and of the 

newer bastion are made of brick. 

The largest bastion in Sibiu was the Cisnădia 

Gate Bastion. From this bastion, only the 

substructure, with its shield-like projection, 

adjoining Coposu Bd. was preserved. 

Enclosure IV 

The fortifications in the Lower Town were 

erected starting in the late 14 th century, following 

the route of these streets: Funarilor, Blănarilor, 

Rotarilor, Pielarilor, Zidului, Pulberăriei, 

Croitorilor and Pânzarilor, joining the fortifications 

of the third enclosure at Bastionului Street. They 

were less impressive than the fortifications of The 

Upper Town and, at the same time, they were 

preserved to a lesser extent. 

The Curriers Tower (Fig. 72), in Zidului 

Street, is the most imposing of the existing 

towers, dating from the 16 th century and located 

in an area where the walls formed an outwardly 

directed angle; it was essentially a flanking 

tower. It is an octagonal, four storey building; 

the uppermost storey juts out in a console, with 

pitch holes on each side, above which there are 

square-shaped embrasures, meant for light 

artillery pieces. 

The only surviving part of the later 

fortifications around Ocna Gate (Burgertor) and 

the adjoining bastion is the Gunpowder Tower, 

located at No. 34, Ocnei Street. It is a massive, 

circular tower, built to withstand the fire of siege 

guns. As its name shows, it was used for the 

storing of gunpowder. 

Finally, the lower part of another tower, 

flanking the former Arsenal, has also been 

preserved. 

Later defensive structures. The plan of the 

Habsburg administration to build a citadel on 

the west side of the city was never brought to 

completion; nevertheless, certain remnants of this 

fortification have been preserved. Mention has 

already been made of an 18 th century earthwork 

rampart along C. Coposu Boulevard.

Sculpture 

Many buildings in the Historic Centre have 

preserved ornamental details, as well as heraldic 

elements in the decoration of gate and door 

framings, consoles or keystones of Gothic and 

Renaissance edifices. Thus, in the Lutheran 

Parish Church we have keystones from the 

workshop of two stone masons, at the Lutheran 

Vicarage there is a tablet above the 1502 portal, 

decorated with a coat of arms and four small 

portraits in relief (Fig. 73). More important are 

the decorative consoles of the loggia in the Old 

Town Hall, which can be considered the first 

attempts at portraiture in Transylvanian Late 

Gothic sculpture; two are in the shape of human 

busts and the third in that of a human mask. It is 

likely that the characters were modelled after 

the craftsmen who took part in the building of 

the edifice, all the more so since one of them is 


(v) Scuplture and Painting 

carrying a builder’s tool. Also in this building 

we find exquisitely carved coats of arms. Similar 

elements are found in the houses at Nos. 5, 8, 

10, Grand Square. 

Of great importance is a bas-relief of The 

Prayer on the Mount of Olives, mounted above 

a Gothic door in the Lutheran Parish Church, 

attributed to a local workshop, inspired from the 

Central European Gothic sculpture around the 

year 1500. The diagonally structured composition 

is placed in a schematic mountain landscape; 

there is a noteworthy attempt to individualize the 

figures of Christ and his apostles. 

Decorative artwork is also present in the 

baroque monuments of Sibiu. We mention coats 

of arms, decorating certain door framings, as 

well as the stucco reliefs of a number of vaults. 

The framing of the main portal of the house at 

No. 16, Grand Square bears the coat of arms of 

Fig. 65. Brukenthal House in Avram Iancu Street, Courtyard 

75

Mayor Johann Reussner Jr, dated 1652. Mention 

should also be made of the stuccowork with 

biblical subjects in the Roman Catholic 

Presbytery and the house at No. 14, Turnului 

Street, as well as a coat of arms dated 1704 at 

No. 6, Turnului Street. 

Of remarkable artistic merit are the 

sculptures that decorate two late 18 th century 

portals that are certainly the work of the same 

artist. These are the atlantes flanking the portal 

in the courtyard of Brukenthal Palace (Fig. 74), 

the work of Simon Hoffmaier, as well as the 

caryatids of the house at No. 13, Mitropoliei 

Street (the House with Caryatids). 

A special category is funeral sculpture. Most 

remarkable are the large epitaphs covering the 

entire north wall of the Lutheran Parish Church; 

they contribute substantially to the specific 

character of this monument of major importance 

for the City of Sibiu. 

Similarly, the Ferula houses the most 

76 


Fig. 66. The Town Hall Tower, Lower Section 

remarkable collection of funeral sculpture in 

Romania. Over 60 cenotaphs and epitaphs of 

priests, comites and mayors of Sibiu are 

preserved here. Of these, the 16 th century 

gravestones clearly illustrate the introduction of 

the new Renaissance style in architecture. Most 

of them are carved in red or grey marble, 

occasionally in stone, with the text on the 

borders and the centre embellished with coats 

of arms. Eight such funeral stones are the work 

of Elias Nicolai, the most important sculptor of 

the Transylvanian Renaissance, realized over 

two decades. Worth mentioning is the 

monument of comes Valentin Franck († 1648), a 

frontal representation of the comes from the 

knees up. Another significant artist in this part of 

Europe is Sigismund Möss, who is the author of 

two of the most beautiful epitaphs in the ferula. 

The full representations of the two Saxon comites 

Mathias Semriger († 1680) and Andreas Fleischer 

(† 1676) are masterpieces of the genre. Several

18 th century funeral stones are either in the ferula 

or in the nave of the church; we mention the 

cenotaph of the merchant Samuel von Dobosi († 

1759), bearing his portrait in its centre, or the 

polychrome epitaph of comes Simon von 

Baussnern († 1742), a full-size representation of 

the departed in ceremonial garb. 

There are baroque funeral monuments that 

have been preserved in two Roman Catholic 

churches. In the Franciscan Church we have the 

funeral monument of General Count Damian 

Hugo von Virmond (1666-1722), imperial 

commander of Transylvania. It is an altar-type 

composition, dated immediately after 1722, 

commemorating the general’s feats of arms in 

the Turkish wars. The church also houses a 

cenotaph, dedicated to Baroness Maria Anna 

Andlern, née Engelshoffer († 1700), and there 

are numerous gravestones in the crypt. In the 

Roman Catholic Parish Church there is the 

funerary monument of General Count Otto 


Ferdinand Traunn de Abensberg (1677-1747), 

military commander of Transylvania between 

1744-1747, the work of Anton Schuchbauer of 

Cluj (1719-1789). 

Over the years, the City of Sibiu was also 

endowed with a number of public monuments. 

In this category may be included the Crucifixion 

preserved in the Holy Cross Chapel. Initially it 

had been in the open air next to the Dominican 

Monastery (Fig. 75). The valuable Gothic 

sculpture represents the image of Jesus on the 

Cross, attended by Mary and John, and it is 

signed and dated by Master Petrus Lantregen of 

Austria (1417). 

At the middle of the 16 th century there was a 

pillory in Grand Square, placed in the east side 

of the square; it was a large Gothic pinnacle, 

crowned by a statue, representing the legendary 

hero Roland, brandishing a sword with both 

hands (Fig. 76); the 105 centimetre tall statue 

was executed between 1550-1551 by a certain 

Fig. 67. Movilei Street 

77

Onoforus. The statue is part of the collections of 

the Sibiu History Museum. 

The statue of St. Nepomouk (Fig. 77, 78) was 

erected in the same square, in 1736. The 3 m tall 

statue was placed on a baroque socle, surrounded 

by a wrought-iron railing. After the installment of 

the communist regime in 1948, the statue was 

removed and subsequently mounted in the 

courtyard of the Roman Catholic Presbytery. 

Of the more recent monuments we mention 

the bronze statue of the Lutheran Bishop Georg 

Daniel Teutsch (1817-1893), in front of the 

Lutheran Parish Church (the work of sculptor 

Adolf von Dondorf of Stuttgart, 1899) and a bust of 

the poet Friedrich Schiller, in the eponymous 

square, erected in 1905 by the sculptor Th. Khuen. 

Archbishop Nicolaus Olahus, an outstanding 

representative of Humanism is commemorated by 

a statue in front of the Church of the Ursuline 

Sisters (sculptor Imre Gyenge, 1982). 

The statue of an important figure of Romanian 

culture, Gheorghe Lazăr, was executed by the 

sculptor Radu Aftenie and displayed centrally in 

Grand Square; it will soon be replaced by a 

78 


Fig.68. The Inner Fortification Wall, Moat and Outer Earthwork Rampart 

smaller statue, mounted on a lower pedestal, 

positioned slightly off-centre, close to one of the 

corners of the square. 

Painting 

Compared to polychrome ornaments, altars and 

paintings, the fresco work that has been preserved 

is less extensive. 

Mention should be made, first of all, of The 

Crucifixion in the Lutheran Parish Church. It is a 

work of art of large dimensions that covers a 

whole bay of the choir, from the height of three 

metres up to the vault, the creation of the artist 

Johannes von Rosenau, 1445. 

The large central field depicts the main event 

of The Crucifixion. The large cross is flanked by 

the crosses of the robbers and under these crosses 

are placed to the left the saints and to the right the 

soldiers. The central scene is surrounded by an 

ample frame in which are inscribed, among 

others, two kings, the mayor, the parish priest and 

several coats of arms. Above it, we find three 

smaller compositions, representing The Nativity, 

The Lord’s Baptism and in the centre,


Fig. 69. Cetatii Street 

79

The Resurrection. Noteworthy is the general 

structuring of the composition, in the form of a 

cross, with The Crucifixion in the centre, flanked 

by two images of Jesus Humiliated and Jesus 

Glorified. Below, there is the image of The Saviour 

Entombed, after death, and above it all, The 

Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Topping the whole 

composition, initially there was a Madonna, as 

prior to the Reformation, the church was 

dedicated to the Virgin. 

It is interesting to survey the changes that 

this large mural underwent after the Reformation 

and the adoption of the Lutheran faith. Thus, the 

Madonna in the upper part was covered and a 

solar disk, bearing the Name of the Lord was 

painted over it. At the same time, two angels, 

who had originally flanked the Cross of the 

Lord, were also painted over. These signs of the 

Reformation were completed by other changes 

that took place in the 16 th century. Not only 

were the other murals and altars removed, but 

major changes were operated on the early 16 th 

century High Altar itself; in 1545, all the images of 

saints were erased and replaced with artistically 

inscribed biblical versets. A century later, these 

versets were overlaid with scenes from the life of 

Jesus, painted in a naïve manner. These are only a 

few significant artistic vestiges of the Reformation 

in the Sibiu Lutheran Parish Church. 

Remnants of mural paintings were preserved 

A perusal of the list of archaeological sites and 

finds of Sibiu County will immediately reveal the 

importance of the zone of the Cibin River terrace 

throughout the centuries; there is material 

evidence preserved as exceptional proof of the 

intense human habitation of the area. 

The oldest artifact, found within the confines 

of the city, is represented by the fragments of a 

stone axe, dating from the Neolithic. 

A much larger number of discoveries are 

recorded to have belonged to the Bronze Age, 

when in the area of the Old Town Hall, of 

Lesser Square and of Huet Square, a well 

80 


(vi) Archaeological Remains 

Fig. 70. No. 9, Avram Iancu Street, Courtyard of 

the House, with Tower Incorporated 

inside houses and on the façades of buildings. 

There is only one well-preserved example, in 

the house at No. 22, Lesser Square. On three 

walls of a room, there are mural paintings, 

disposed on two horizontal bands (1631). The 

upper band represents a vast hunting scene, as 

well as biblical and allegorical scenes. If the 

painting can be described as Late Renaissance, 

the vault is decorated with a large, baroque, 

stuccowork coat of arms, dated 1694. 

There is also another polychrome, stucco 

escutcheon, bearing the coat of arms of the 

guild of the Goldsmiths on its upper part. On its 

lower part, the escutcheon displays the 

monogram GK and the coat of arms of a Master 

Goldsmith, supported by two putti, dated 1745. 

structured human settlement emerged; it was 

characterized by half-burried dwellings, 

discovered in the course of construction work, 

as well as the result of systematic archaeological 

diggings. This settlement supplied rich 

archaeological finds: pottery and weights for a 

loom, as well as bronze pieces, based on which, 

the site was classified as belonging to the 

Coţofeni Culture. Occasionally, such artefacts 

were discovered in other areas of the city as 

well; next to the old Military Cemetery 

(Christian Street) two bronze axes with winglets 

were found in 1878 and two Late Bronze Age

pots, attributed to the Noua Culture, were found 

in the area of Henri Coandă Street. 

In 1834 and in 1870, large discoveries of 

bronze artefacts, dating from the late Bronze Age 

and the early Iron Age, were found in the Sibiu 

area, in what is today the Guşteriţa district. 

Macedonian coins were discovered in the same 

area, together with Roman republican and imperial 

coins. Along with other artefacts from the period of 

the Roman rule of Dacia, these discoveries could 

prove the existence of the ancient town of Cedonia 

in the district of Guşteriţa. 

In addition to the already mentioned Coţofenitype 

settlement, the most important archaeological 

remains, found within the area of the historic city, 

undoubtedly belong to the mediaeval period. 

Many traces of the old mediaeval city, lost over 

the centuries, have been investigated, on the 

occasion of the archaeological monitoring or 

emergency interventions, during various 

construction works, as well as systematic diggings 

(Fig. 79). Two chapels, part of the Huet Square 

complex, which did not survive into later periods, 

were investigated in this way, as well as a chapel, 

whose foundation was preserved in the area of 

Grand Square. The walls of the old priests’ tower, 

the trace of the enclosure walls in several points 

Early mediaeval settlements on this strategically 

important site. By around 1100, a borderer 

colonist settlement was probably in place in the 

Lower Town, and gave its name to the future city. 

The Slavic name of the Cibin River was probably 

at the origin of the Romanian and the Hungarian 

name of the city (Rom. Sibiu, Hung. Szeben). 

Around the year 1150, with the settling of 

western “hospites” (guests), a new stage began in 

the evolution of the city, that is reflected in its 

German name, Hermannstadt (the City of 

Hermann, the legendary founder of the settlement, 

said to have come here from Nürnberg). These 

“hospites” founded two, initially independent, 

2.b History and Development 


(i) History of the City 

and the fortifications of the Ocna Gate were also 

explored. Important evidence was also discovered 

by the archaeological diggings in the courtyards of 

the History Museum and of Brukenthal Palace, 

where remains of wood constructions were 

investigated; these constructions were probably 

the early homes of the first German settlers in the 

area. Recently, several provision pits have been 

discovered in Grand Square. The oldest burial 

grounds of the colonists were unearthed at the 

Hospice Church and at the Lutheran Parish 

Church, throwing light on the chronology of the 

construction of these important cultic places. A 

12 th century “rotunda” chapel, probably the oldest 

ecclesiastical monument in Sibiu, was discovered 

and systematically explored in Huet Square. 

The ample construction works recently 

undertaken in the historic city have uncovered 

numerous aspects of mediaeval and pre-modern 

daily life and long forgotten elements of town 

infrastructure, i.e. aqueducts and the wooden 

sewer pipes, the old fountain in Grand Square or 

traces of old urban furnishings (the plinths of the 

statues of Roland or St. Nepomouk). 

Important archaeological vestiges still lie 

buried under the ground in Sibiu, especially the 

early fortress area (Huet Square). 

settlements in the area of the Lower Town, and 

later, ca.1200, a third settlement, in the area of the 

future Upper Town. 

The “central place” emerges. The earliest 

settlers of the area were mainly craftsmen; they 

settled here, at the intersection of two important 

roads, close to the Turnu Roşu Pass, a strategic 

mountain pass across the Carpathians, and this 

proximity brought about a far-reaching change in 

the character of the city. For a long time, Sibiu had 

been no larger than important neighbouring 

villages; nevertheless, its strategically important 

location would eventually turn it into the focal 

point of the region. 

81

That the settlement was very important was 

already evident in 1191, when the Pope 

confirmed the establishment by the German 

colonists in Sibiu of the free provostry of St. 

Ladislas, “ecclesia Theutonicorum 

Vltrasiluanorum”. 

Moreover, in 1224, the county of Sibiu, 

“comitatus Chybiniensis,” was founded by 

Royal Charter of King Andrew II. Thereby, Sibiu 

also became the political centre of the initial 

settlement area of the German colonists in 

Southern Transylvania. From 1324, after the 

region was divided into “chairs” (county-like 

political and administrative units of the strategic 

border regions of Transylvania), Sibiu became 

the seat of the “Main Chair,” one of the “Seven 

Chairs” of the Germans (Sieben Stühle). 

By 1241, at the time of the first Mongol 

invasion, Sibiu was already a target of strategic 

importance and as such, it was taken by storm 

and destroyed by the invaders. When this event 

was described in the “Cibinium” Chronicles, the 

place was called “civitas dictur villa Hermani”; 

it was for the first time that Sibiu was 

documented, as yet unofficially, as a town, 

while this status of “civitas” was attributed 

officially in 1326. 

The urban character became more pregnant 

after the successive establishment of several 

monasteries, which were initially erected in the 

Lower Town. Based on the available records, 

these were: in 1235, a convent of the Order of 

the Premonstrant nuns (later disappeared, its 

82 


Fig. 71. The Thick Tower 

location unknown), a monastery of the 

Dominican Order, attested in 1241 (on the site 

of the Chapel of the Cross, in the square of the 

present day railway station, later relocated to a 

spot inside the 3 rd enclosure, in the Upper 

Town), a hospice (documented in 1292, the 

future Hospice), a monastery of the Minorite 

Order (located on the corner of present day 9 

Mai Street and Constituţiei Street), a convent of 

nuns of the Order of Poor Clares (across the 

street from the above-mentioned monastery) and 

a convent of the Dominican nuns (in Oraşul de 

Sus, on the site of the future monastery of the 

Franciscan Brethren). 

The political importance of Sibiu increased so 

much that in the 15 th century, the delegations of 

all the “Saxons,” one of the three accepted estates 

or “Nationes” in Transylvania, established their 

permanent seats here. By 1486 the “Universitas of 

the Saxon Nation” (Sächsische Nationsuniversität) 

was established, as supreme representative and 

administrative organism of the German 

community, with its seat in Sibiu, which became 

the court of appeal for Saxons outside the 

province of Sibiu (for example, Bistriţa/Bistritz and 

Cluj/Klausenburg). The Mayor (occasionally, the 

royal judge) of Sibiu, was simultaneously the Chief 

Magistrate of the Saxon Universitas. Between 

general meetings, this dignitary also presided over 

the delegations of the Saxon estate. Thus, Sibiu 

was acknowledged and accepted as the Saxon 

“capital city” (Haupt-Hermannstadt) for a long 

period of time. 

Although Sibiu was becoming a centrally 

important city, in the 13 th century it still disputed 

its status in rivalry with the neighbouring 

settlement of Cisnădie (Heltau) that was slightly 

larger at the time. 

As early as the year 1224, however, Sibiu was 

using its own local unit of weight, and this was 

proof of its ever increasing economic importance. 

Later, the numerous privileges (almost as many as 

for all the other Transylvanian towns taken 

together) were evidence that by the 14 th century, 

Sibiu had acquired a paramount position in the 

transit trade with Wallachia and the Levant, but


Fig. 72. The Curriers Tower 

83

84 


Fig. 73. The Portal of the Lutheran Vicarage

especially in the trade with regions and towns to 

the West: Dalmatia, Bohemia, Buda, and 

Vienna. By ca. 1400, the economic progress in 

Wallachia and Moldavia brought about an 

increased importance of the city of Braşov 

(Kronstadt). Thus a rivalry appeared between the 

two cities, which was to last for several 

centuries. From the second half of the 14 th 

century to the 16 th century, the two cities were 

the only Transylvanian localities to hold 

warehousing rights. Only later were the towns 

of Bistriţa, Cluj and Caransebeş (Karansebesch) 

gradually granted the same right. 

In terms of the importance of its crafts, Sibiu 

maintained a preeminent position. In 1376, an 

important regulation for guilds (that speaks of 25 

crafts, respectively 19 guilds) lists Sibiu among 

the four handicraft towns of the province of 

Sibiu. The economic progress of Transylvania, but 

especially of Wallachia and Moldavia, reflected 

favourably on the crafts in the area, so that the 

number of 50 crafts on record in Sibiu by the end 

of the 16 th century was much larger than the crafts 

in other centres in the area (41 in Braşov, 38 in 

Cluj, 36 in Bistriţa etc.). Even if guilds also appear 

in other towns (for example, in the Szeklerlands), 

their manufacturing output never reached 

comparable figures, until the 19 th century. 

After King Charles Robert I granted minting 

rights to the city, the Chamber for Mining and 

Minting of the Western Carpathians was gradually 

established in Sibiu, ca. 1400. A quarter of the 

gold coins in Europe were minted here, especially 

in the 15 th century―this being one of the sources 

of the wealth of the Sibiu Patriciate. 

This great wealth created the possibility, and 

at the same time, stimulated the municipality to 

carry out fortification works, which played an 

important part in the anti-Ottoman defensive 

wars. Thanks to its magnificent fortifications, 

Sibiu was the most important fortified city 

between Constantinople/Istanbul and Vienna. 

The first half of the 16 th century brought 

about a significant reduction in the income of 

the craftsmen. Traditional trade routes changed, 

as a consequence of the great geographical 


Fig. 74. Atlantes in the First Courtyard of 

Brukenthal Palace 

discoveries. Ottoman rule spread to 

southeastern Europe and Braşov acquired a 

dominant position in the trade with the 

Romanian principalities. Later on, strong 

competition by foreign merchants appeared 

(especially Armenians and the “Greek Trading 

Companies”). In the 16 th and 17 th centuries, the 

price of gold took a significant fall on world 

markets. Throughout, Sibiu was affected by 

many armed conflicts and sieges. All these 

events and factors had an adverse effect on the 

city and eventually, caused the loss of its 

economic and even cultural importance. 

The considerable estates, whose benefit the 

city enjoyed from the early 15 th century: i. e. the 

provost estates (abolished in 1424, by King 

Sigismund), the estates of the Abbey of 

Cârţa/Kerzer Abtei (abolished in 1474) and the 

estates of the branch chairs of 

Tălmaciu/Talmesch (1453), Sălişte (1472) and, 

between 1469-1528 and 1765-1871, also the 

estates of the district of Făgăraş/Fogarasch could 

85

not reestablish a positive trend for Sibiu. By the 

way, the situation was similar for other cities 

with important estates: Braşov and Bistriţa. 

In the region, the Reformation and 

Humanism spread mostly from Braşov, a city 

that by this time had become as powerful as 

Sibiu. In 1572, the see of the new Lutheran 

Bishop was established in Biertan/Birthälm, a 

relatively isolated place, halfway between Sibiu 

and Braşov. 

Throughout the modern period, Sibiu 

nevertheless remained a centre for education 

and science: its first school was documented in 

1380 and was transformed into a lyceum in the 

16 th century (today it is the Samuel von 

Brukenthal National College/Brukenthalschule); 

also the city had always had numerous public 

and private book collections (Biblioteca Capelei 

/ Kapellenbibliothek). 

During the Habsburg-Ottoman wars, Sibiu 

often found itself in an isolated position, 

because of its traditional pro-German and pro- 

Imperial orientation. Temporarily, especially 

86 


after 1526 (the battle of Mohács and the 

separate Principality of Transylvania), it placed 

itself in opposition to the Prince and, 

sometimes, even to the other Saxon towns. This 

opposition was further reinforced when, in 

1611, Prince Gabriel Báthory occupied the city 

and temporarily drove away part of its citizens. 

Nevertheless, being the capital city of 

Saxons, it represented the interests of the Saxon 

Nation versus the other two estates. Thus, Sibiu 

was able to maintain its position as the most 

important city of Transylvania, a position that it 

shared with Alba Iulia, a city that had become 

the seat of the Prince of the separate Principality 

of Transylvania and implicitly, a sort of capital 

of the country. 

After Transylvania was incorporated in the 

Habsburg monarchy (in 1688 the Transylvanian 

estates swore loyalty to Emperor Leopold I), 

because of its proximity to the border, Sibiu 

became not only a garrison town, seat of the 

Commanding General of Transylvania, but also 

the headquarters of the Principality’s Governor 

Fig. 75. Crucifix (by Petrus Lantregen)

(1703-1790) and the seat of the Treasury. 

Frequently, Sessions of the Transylvanian Diet 

also took place here. 

Sibiu lived its heydays towards the end of 

the 18 th century, under Governor Baron Samuel 

von Brukenthal (1774-1787) when it was a 

political centre that also enjoyed a cultural 

revival. Brukenthal’s art collections, antiquities 

as well as his library (opened to the public in 

1817) enriched the city considerably. 

After the defeat of the 1848-1849 Hungarian 

Revolution and until 1860, the civil and military 

government (the Imperial and Royal 

Lieutenancy) was moved from Cluj, a Hungarian 

national centre, back to Sibiu again, a city that 

from the viewpoint of Vienna was considered 

more reliable. In 1863-1864, as the venue of the 

last session of the Transylvanian Diet, before the 

union with Hungary, Sibiu once again became a 

political stage, where Romanians participated 

for the first time and were recognized as the 

fourth estate in Transylvania. 

Gradually, especially after the Edict of 

Emperor Joseph II (“De Concivilitate”), Saxons 

lost their exclusive civil rights on Terra Regius 

(land granted exclusively to German settlers by 

the King) and thus the legal framework was 

established to allow the settling of an ever more 

numerous non-German population in the city. 

Hungarians were only a small part of this 

population. 

Romanians especially generated a new 

dimension for Sibiu, bringing their own culture. 

Around the year 1700, a Greek trading company 

was established here. At the end of the 18 th 

century, this company built Romanian churches in 

the suburbs, and also an Orthodox church in the 

heart of the inner city, on Mitropoliei Street. 

Together with the military staff and the 

Habsburg authorities, many newcomers also 

arrived in the city, mostly Catholic Germans from 

the Empire. As a result of Austria’s policy of 

(re)conversion to Catholicism, many Catholics 

reappeared, implicitly reenforcing the multiconfessional 

character of the city. Thus, Sibiu 

became less homogenous, facilitating the 


Fig. 76. The Statue of Roland 

acceptance of Romanians, who belonged partly to 

the Eastern-Orthodox faith and partly to the Greek- 

Catholic (Uniate) faith. 

Sibiu was a city of great overall importance 

that also happened to have a relatively high 

number of ethnic Romanians living next to 

Germans. It was also situated not far from very 

important Romanian inhabited areas (especially 

the region around Sibiu, called Mặrginimea 

Sibiului). Due to all these circumstances, by the 

second half of the 19 th century, Sibiu was well 

established as the most important spiritual centre 

of Transylvanian Romanians (even though 

87

Germans remained the majority group until after 

W.W.II). Sibiu was the seat of the Romanian 

Orthodox Theological Seminary (established in 

1850), the headquarters of ASTRA, the most 

important Romanian cultural association 

(established in 1861) and the see of the Romanian 

Orthodox Bishop, who was raised to the rank of 

Metropolitan of Transylvania, Banat, Crişana and 

Maramureş in 1864. The most important 

Romanian periodicals and books were also 

published in Sibiu. 

By the early 19 th century, Sibiu once again had 

a Jewish population that increased until the mid- 

20 th century, forming two communities. 

Nevertheless, the Germans maintained an 

important position in the life of Sibiu, through 

their numbers and their long tradition. The see of 

the Lutheran Bishop was moved from Biertan to 

Sibiu, and even though, after the Austro- 

Hungarian dualist monarchy was established in 

88 


1867, the Saxon Universitas was dismantled as a 

territorial unit, the foundation that was set up in its 

place administered its considerable properties, 

whose income was directed towards German 

cultural, especially educational purposes, up to 

1923 (the Land Reform Act of the same year). 

Sibiu also maintained its position as the most 

important German cultural centre of Transylvania, 

through the various cultural associations: The 

Association for Transylvanian Ethnography (Verein 

für Siebenbürgische Landeskunde) and The 

Association for Natural Science (Siebenbürgischer 

Verein für Naturwissenschaften) that had their 

headquarters here, as well as through the many 

periodicals and publications that were published 

in the city. Between 1844 and 1887, there was 

even a Law School in Sibiu, training lawyers in 

German for the community. 

After the Administrative Reform of 1876, 

Sibiu retained only part of its central functions, 

Fig. 77. The Statue of St. Nepomuk in Grand Square


Fig. 78. The Statue of St. Nepomuk, the Roman Catholik Presbytery 

89

as seat of the newly created County of Sibiu. 

Although the economy of Sibiu flourished to 

some extent, during the Austro-Hungarian dualism 

the development of the city fell behind that of Cluj, 

the main Hungarian city. After the union of 

Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania in 

1918, Sibiu still trailed Cluj and Braşov, even 

though between 1918 and 1919, Sibiu was the seat 

of Consiliul Dirigent, the provisional government of 

the territories detached from Hungary. 

Later on, between 1940 and 1944, the city 

accommodated the Romanian University of Cluj 

that had been evacuated here. All the same, Sibiu 

remained a genuine provincial city, still the capital 

of Transylvanian Germans and the centre of all 

Germans in the new state, as well as a Romanian 

spiritual centre. 

After World War II, the economic 

development of the city was eclipsed by that of 

Braşov (renamed Stalin City), to which it was 

subordinated administratively until 1968, being a 

mere district capital, within the Region of Stalin 

(respectively Braşov Region). 

Similarly to all the other localities in the area, 

the ethnic and demographic structure of Sibiu 

underwent long-term changes, brought about by 

forced industrialisation. Furthermore, following 

World War II and the opening of borders in 1989, 

a large number of Transylvanian Germans left 

their city. The Romany population is increasing 

and Sibiu has become their centre in Romania, 

especially after the election of a “King” and of an 

“Emperor,” who both have their residences here. If 

in the year 1910, out of 38,061 inhabitants 20,015 

were Germans, 10,125 Romanians, 7,297 

Hungarians and 1,307 Jews, in the year 1992, out 

of 169,610 inhabitants 158,863 were Romanians, 

5,605 Germans, 4,167 Hungarians, 688 Romany 

and 49 Jews. 

In 1968, Sibiu was granted the status of 

municipality and its neighbouring villages, 

Turnişor and Guşteriţa, were incorporated within 

the city limits. Progress was achieved primarily in 

education and culture. After the Lutheran 

Seminary of the Protestant Divinity School in Cluj 

moved here in the 1950s, a Sibiu campus of 

90 


“Babes-Bolyai” University of Cluj was established 

in 1969. In 1976, it became the Sibiu Institute of 

Higher Education and in 1990 it was granted 

university status and was renamed “Lucian Blaga” 

University of Sibiu in 1995. The network of 

museums was expanded and a theatre and a 

philharmonic orchestra were established, building 

on the city’s earlier cultural traditions. 

The election in 2004, of an ethnic German 

mayor and of a City Council with an ethnic 

German majority in the first round, by a majority 

of 89% of votes (the German population 

representing about 1%) and the reintroduction in 

usage of the German name of the town 

(Hermannstadt) are all echoes of the German 

history of the city. 

A certain economic stagnation that partially 

also continued under the communist regime, 

meant that the historic city and its remains did not 

suffer major changes. Marked changes appeared 

only at the turn of the new millennium, when 

major restoration projects of the historic city of 

Sibiu were developed. 

Of the many famous personalities that have 

their origins in Sibiu, mention should be made of 

the rocket scientist Hermann Oberth and the 

ethnologist Emil Sigerus. The following luminaries 

also lived and worked in Sibiu: the scholar Israel 

Hübner, Conrad Haas―one of the first European 

builders of rockets, Samuel Hahnemann―the 

founder of homoeopathy, the Romanian Orthodox 

Metropolitan Andrei Şaguna, the historians and 

Fig. 79. Mediaeval Jars

Lutheran Bishops Georg Daniel Teutsch and 

Friedrich Teutsch, the politician Hans Otto 


Roth and the writers and philosophers Emil 

Cioran and Constantin Noica. 

(ii) The Development of the Historic Centre, its Component Ensembles 

and Architectural Monuments 

Stages in the Expansion of the City 

In terms of the allotment pattern of the city 

(Fig. 20), the earliest signs of habitation were 

found within the confines of the Lower Town, 

in the area of Aurarilor Square (Fig. 80), 

consisting of a number of isolated small 

allotments that were later linked by narrow 

streets. 

Around the mid-12 th century, two more 

inhabited areas appeared that developed in an 

organized way, also in the Lower Town; 

initially these were independent settlements – 

one located close to Faurului Street and the 

other to 9 Mai Street. Unlike the earlier group 

of allotments, these were formed of much 

longer allotments, arranged in single file, with 

free space in front of them – a kind of village 

green (Anger). 

During the 12 th century, these three 

settlements expanded further, along the same 

organizing principles. The one situated 

opposite Aurarilor Square was in the form of a 

cluster-settlement, while the other two were in 

the shape of extended rows, following the 

outline of Ocnei Street and 9 Mai Street. The 

earliest graveyard and possibly, a small chapel 

were built in front of one of them. 

Shortly after the year 1200, a pentagonal 

fortress and a new graveyard were built on the 

upper terrace of the city; across from the 

graveyard, the core of a new settlement, the 

Upper Town, was taking shape. 

The Lower Town developed by applying the 

old pattern of lengthening the existing rows of 

allotments. For the first time, however, new 

town-planning trends appeared in the first half 

of the 13 th century. In the Lower Town, a new 

pattern is introduced, i.e. the creation of a 

straight row of new allotments, facing the 

earlier row and thereby forming a small, two- 

fronted street (Ocnei Street). On the other 

hand, there was a new development in the 

Upper Town, involving the fortress that had 

been enlarged by a second enclosure, covering 

what is now Lesser Square. A second front 

appeared here, placed at a fair distance, facing 

the old one, stretching out so that it led to the 

creation of a village green (Anger), between the 

two rows of allotments. At about the same time, 

the first major public buildings were raised in 

their initial form: a church within the confines of 

the fortress, another church that later became 

the Parish-church and a church, built downhill 

from the fortress, which may have been used as 

a convent for the Premonstratensien Nuns. 

Before the first Mongol invasion in 1241 and 

1242, population growth and the considerable 

expansion of the Upper Town called for a 

morecompact development, without large free 

spaces between quarters of allotments. This was 

the way things evolved in the Upper Town, 

when the village green was divided into 

allotments: two “parallel streets” appeared, 

connected by a “cross square.” The Lower Town 

was not yet subjected to such tightly organized 

development, but the lengthening of the row of 

allotments was curtailed, by raising a 

Dominican Monastery at its end. 

After the Mongol invasion, the lower district 

was restructured and the excessive lengthening 

of the early row was abandoned, as a defensive 

liability. Instead, a second front of 9 Mai Street 

was built. As a result, the fortified Dominican 

monastery was left in an isolated position. The 

Upper Town suffered only a minor, lateral 

extension that was kept compact. 

Such compact extension also characterises 

the subsequent period. As a result, by the end of 

the 13 th century, the upper district had covered 

the whole east area, up to the limit of the later 

91

Historic Centre. By the mid-14 th century, the 

whole area was built up in other directions as 

well. Ca. 1300, the open land in the Lower 

Town was built up in the direction of the Upper 

Town and until well into the first half of the 14 th 

century, extension was undertaken on 

favourable terrain, more closely connected to 

the upper district. By the second half of the 14 th 

century, a lake that was situated between 

Alexandru Odobescu Street and Turnului Street, 

close to the centre of the city, had been 

gradually drained and filled in. 

In the same period, monastic settlements were 

built, first on the lower terrace of the river and 

then on the upper terrace; the defensive works of 

the fortress were also reinforced. In the 14 th 

century, the whole city was fortified, first the 

upper city area, followed by the lower city area. 

In the following period up to the 16 th 

century, intermittent construction of defensive 

lines was pursued and, among other things, a 

belt of lakes and bogs was created around the 

whole city. The built-up area was not extended 

beyond city limits, as suburbs were practically 

92 


Fig. 80A. Stages in the Evolution of the historic centre 

nonexistent in that period. However, the land 

within the confines of the defensive walls was 

further sub-divided into plots. 

Outlying districts appeared only in the 17 th 

and 18 th centuries. The lakes and bogs 

surrounding the inner city were gradually 

drained and filled in during the same period. 

Nevertheless, construction of defensive works 

did not cease; last to be undertaken was the 

construction of earthen ramparts in front of the 

defensive and curtain walls and around an 

outlying district. The building of a citadel, 

begun at the same time, was later abandoned. 

The construction of dwellings as well as of 

public buildings continued within the historic 

centre. In the 18 th and 19 th centuries, the most 

important architectural undertakings in the city 

centre were the building and furnishing of several 

Catholic churches, a Jesuit seminary, a Greek 

church and a Hungarian Reformed church. Two 

Romanian Orthodox churches and a Greek- 

Catholic church were also built in the suburbs. 

Closer to our times, while more and more 

residential districts were built outside the limits of

the inner city, the construction of large-scale 

public buildings was also continued in the centre. 

The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral and the 

Orthodox Divinity School, situated across the 

street from the cathedral, are of great importance. 

The extension of the city brought about the 

following changes in the 19 th century: 

• A number of mediaeval fortifications, such 

as bastions, gates, towers and walls were 

pulled down. 

• In isolated places new, larger buildings 

replaced older ones. 

• Breakthroughs were made in certain critical 

sectors of the street network, such as 

General Magheru Street, Papiu Ilarian Street 

and Mitropoliei Street, which were thereby 

extended. 

• A notable change was the walling up of the 

arcades surrounding the city market (situated 

in Lesser Square); however, some of these 

arcades were re-opened at later dates. 

• A row of buildings, standing in the middle 

of Lesser Square, was pulled down in the 


Fig. 80B. Stages in the Evolution of the historic centre 

mid-19 th century. 

Drastic changes over larger areas were only 

undertaken in the 20 th century, especially under 

the communist regime: 

• During the 1930s, a front of Alexandru 

Odobescu Street in the historic city was 

demolished, to allow the widening of a 

street, linking the Upper Town and the 

LowerTown. 

• Under the communist regime, when most 

Romanian historic centres were pulled 

down, part of Constituţiei Street, in an 

outlying area of the historic centre, was 

rebuilt, while another section of the street, 

in the same area, was left unchanged. 

• A factory was extended in the suburbs of 

the Lower Town. 

Fortunately, these changes have not damaged 

the cityscape of the historic centre. On the other 

hand, the general outlook of the town is spoiled 

by tall buildings that were put up beyond the 

limits of the historic centre. 

Fig. 80D. Stages in the Evolution of the historic centre 

93

94 

Evolution of the Main Components 

of the City Architecture 

Of major importance for the general layout of 

the city is the group of central squares which 

were shaped as compact architectural spaces 

during the first half of the 13 th century, reaching 

their current configuration at a much later date. 

The oldest of these spaces is Huet Square, 

which lies on the grounds of the pentagon-shaped 

enclosure I of the fortress, now occupied by the 

present-day Lutheran Parish Church. During the 

first half of the 13 th century, inadequate wooden 

and earthen fortifications were built around it; 

much stronger materials were used for its 

rebuilding, after the Mongol invasion in 1241 and 

1242. Apart from the central church, built and 

enlarged in successive stages, there were several 

chapels in the square, among them a Romanesque 

rotunda (pulled down in the 17 th century) and two 


Fig. 82A. The Evolution of the Lutheran Parish Church 

or three Gothic chapels (remnants of one of these 

chapels are still extant today). To this group also 

belong: the building that houses “Samuel von 

Brukenthal” National College (built in the second 

half of the 18 th century) fitted with an interior 

staircase and an impressive auditorium, the 

Lutheran Vicarage (whose main wing was 

constructed in the late 14 th century and finished in 

1502) as well as other, less important buildings. 

All these edifices were built on the perimeter of 

Huet Square. A late-19 th -century statue, 

representing the bishop and historian Georg 

Daniel Teutsch, is placed in the approximate 

middle of the courtyard, between the school and 

the church, facing the church main portal. A cast 

iron fence surrounding the church, built shortly 

afterwards, now encircles the courtyard, 

separating it from the rest of the square. 

Shortly after the initial church grounds had 

taken shape, they were enlarged by the addition of 

Fig. 81. Stages in the Evolution of Lesser Square

a second precinct―the present-day Lesser Square 

(Fig. 81). The purpose was the enlargement of the 

built-up space, while keeping a coherent pattern 

with defensive function; as a result, the precinct 

ended up in the form of a crescent. In the 12 th 

century, defensive walls and towers were built 

round this precinct. In the early 13 th century, a 

second line of walls was raised, to reinforce the 

initial defensive walls, thereby creating “Zwingers.” 

In the same period, the first public building―the 

First Town Hall―was erected within the initial 

precinct. In the 14 th century, more buildings, 

especially guildhalls, were raised in the precinct. 

Since the precinct served as the city’s main 

marketplace and architectural space, there arose the 

problem of structuring this architectural space. To 

suit this purpose, a main wing was built in the 15 th 

century, dividing the square into two distinct 

spaces. A fountain further divided one of these 

spaces into two parts. Eventually, these two parts 

were re-united in the 19 th century, by demolishing 

both the main wing and the fountain. 

Grand Square is the third monumental public 

space in the Historic Centre of Sibiu. It emerged as 

a “transversal square,” after a portion of the village 

green (Anger), adjacent to the defensive works of 

the fortress (Enclosure II), was divided up to form 

allotments. For a long time, these fortifications 

made up one side of the square, to a large extent 

determining its very outline. Initially, in the first half 

of the 13 th century, only the opposite front line was 

made up of houses; however, lateral front lines 


Fig. 82B. The Evolution of the Lutheran Parish Church 

were also built in the following 100 years. A major 

change in the square’s disposition took place in the 

15 th century, when new, mostly public buildings 

were raised, in line with the fortifications facing 

them. On the former site of some of these public 

buildings, the construction of a Catholic church, 

with a Jesuit Seminary adjoining it, began in 1727. 

This changed the balance between the various front 

lines of the square. The whole square acquired 

baroque overtones as a result of the demolition of 

several temporary buildings, the removal of a 

mediaeval statue representing Roland, the erection 

of the baroque statue of St. Nepomouk, the 

construction of a baroque metal railing around a 

relocated older fountain and the building of the 

rococo Brukenthal Palace. 

Squarelets. Apart from the large squares, a 

number of smaller ones also took shape at street 

intersections, one of the most remarkable such 

squares being Aurarilor Square (Fingerlingplatz). 

Formed at nodal points of the urban structure, these 

small squares underwent changes during the 

process of gradual building up of the area inside the 

city. Such changes occurred in the space across 

from the old hospital, where the square at the 

intersection of Turnului Street (Weinanger) and 

Dragoons Watch (Dragonerwacht) took shape, but 

also occasioned by the building, respectively the 

demolishing of the defensive fortifications between 

the upper city and the lower city. This was the way 

that Aurarilor Square and the square in front of the 

Convent of the Ursuline Sisters (Salztor) gradually 

95

came into being. 

Ramps and Stairs. To improve traffic flow and 

meet defensive needs, the links between the 

Upper Town and the Lower Town underwent a 

number of changes, new ramps and stairs being 

96 


built and others demolished over the years. 

However, the various changes did not diminish 

their aesthetic value. Here is the list of ramps and 

stairs and their current state: 

No. Site Initial state Current state 

1 Armelor Square Condition unknown Linking street 

2 Poştei Street (Baiergasse) Stairs Stairs 

3 Centumvirilor Street Initial link no longer 

extant 

Linking street 

4 Al. Odobescu Street Street passes under a Street leading to a 

tower 

tower 

5 Stairway Passage Ramp under a tower Ramp and stairway 

leading to a tower 

6 The Tower Stairs Stairs and ramp leading Stairs leading to a 

to a tower 

tower 

7 Penance Corner in the direction of Ramp leading to a Blocked ramp 

the Tower Stairs 

tower 

leading to a tower 

8 Penance Corner in the direction of Ramp leading to a Ramp, blocked 

the Liars’ Bridge 

tower 

9 Ocna Stairs, left side Covered stairs leading Stairs no longer 

to a tower 

extant 

10 Ocnei Street Street under a tower Street under the 

Liars’ Bridge 

11 Ocna Stairs, right side Covered stairs leading 

to a tower 

Open stairs 

12 Ramp Aurarilor Square – Lesser 

Square 

Condition uncertain Ramp, blocked 

13 Ramp shortened by stairs Stairs, covered Stairs, blocked 

14 Aurarilor Stairway Stairs leading to a Stairs leading to a 

tower 

tower 

15 Ramp Aurarilor Square – Grand Passageway with a Passageway no 

Square 

culvert 

longer extant 

16 Şcolii Passageway Side street leading to a Side street leading 

passageway 

to a passageway 

17 Street leading to the Salt Tower Street leading to a tower Linking street 

Evolution of Architectural Monuments 

Surveys of the architecture of the historic city have 

revealed that most buildings have undergone 

several stages of construction, this being the case of 

public but also of private buildings. The most 

important edifices presented below can also be 

viewed as paradigmatic cases: 

The Lutheran Parish Church (Fig. 82). Its 

construction began shortly after the year 1200. As 

14 th -century documents attest, the building was the 

result of the joint work of the Provostry and the 

local parish of Sibiu. The edifice was a 

Romanesque basilica, whose nave had five bays 

and an almost square transept. At the west end of 

the nave there was a massive tower, while the east 

end had a square choir with apse. All that remains 

today of this original building is the nether part of 

the tower―currently inaccessible―and the 

connection between the walls of the tower and 

those of the Romanesque nave. 

However, the building soon proved 

insufficiently roomy. For this reason, in the late

Fig. 83. House at No. 25, Lesser Square 

13 th century, the addition of a transept began at 

the east end of the aisles. Construction started on 

the North side, in early Gothic style and, towards 

the mid-14 th century, was continued on the south 

side, in a style that marked the transition from 

High to Late Gothic. 

The next stage of construction, in the late 14 th 

century, included the rebuilding of the choir and 

the adjoining sacristy, followed by the addition of 

a new, initially unvaulted nave. The division into 

bays, that is the old arrangement of pillars, was not 

modified during this phase. There is also evidence 

that the tower was also raised. 

The following stage of construction, in the 

early 15 th century, replaced the Romanesque aisles 

with Gothic ones and these aisles were widened 

on this occasion. Two entrance halls and a turret, 

with winding stairs were also added to the aisles. 

The building of wider, vaulted aisles also allowed 

the heightening of the nave, which was covered 

by cross vaults. At the same time, the old tracery 


was dismantled and installed higher up. The 

building of a small mortuary chapel (ferula), 

erected west of the steeple, also dates from this 

period. Shortly after the mid-15 th century, the 

chapel was extended with a basilica-like structure, 

similar to the main wing and the sacristy was also 

enlarged. 

The building of a gallery, overlooking the 

south aisle, began in the second half of the 15 th 

century, covering two bays at a time. The gallery 

was covered with a fan vault. In about the same 

period, the entrance halls were rebuilt and a 

chapel with ribbed vault (Schlingengewölbe) was 

raised on top of the south hall. Further adjustments 

were made to the north wing of the transept, as 

well as to the sacristy, the steeple and the turret of 

the staircase. 

At a still unknown date, there was a plan to 

replace the 14 th -century choir with a hall choir, 

but the plan was never realized. Considerable 

sums were contributed in the 17 th century for the 

purpose of a gallery over the north aisle; this 

construction was also never executed. 

The ultimate outcome of all this construction 

effort devoted to a major edifice of the historic city 

was an architectural complex, whose parts, 

though erected over various periods, make up a 

coherent structure. 

Dwelling houses also underwent changes, 

especially in terms of building materials and 

techniques. 

Wooden houses were the rule until the mid- 

15 th century. Even brick houses had inner walls 

made of beams with only the outer walls made 

of bricks. Nevertheless, by the late 16 th century, 

half of the city’s buildings were made of brick. 

Early gables were stepped and buildings were 

usually covered with thatched roofs. In the 15 th 

century, steeply pitched gables and shingle or 

tile roofs prevailed. Towards the end of the 18 th 

century, mansard roofs appeared, while roofs 

covered with plain tiles and sporting wide, low, 

“eye-brow”-dormer windows (Fledermausaugen) 

were not widely used before the 19 th century. 

At the same time, the types of ground-plan 

used in construction went through successive 

97

changes. Initially, houses were disposed, as a 

rule, with their ridge at right angles to the street. 

Only in a few selected areas, where allotments 

were exceptionally wide, were certain houses 

erected with the roof-ridge disposed parallel 

with the street. As buildings became larger and 

L and U-shaped ground-plans became the rule, 

thereby changing the open type building system 

to a closed type, perpendicular ridges, ending in 

gables, were gradually abandoned, to a larger 

extent in the central area of the inner city, and 

we have documentary evidence that this 

process, of redirecting the ridges, continued 

until the second half of the 19 th century. 

The height of the buildings of the city also 

changed frequently. Two or three-storey houses 

were built and old ones were heightened. A 

typical example is the house at No 25, Lesser 

98 


Fig. 84A. The southeast side of Lesser Square 

Square, close to Aurarilor Stairway (Fig. 83). The 

house has a Gothic portico on the ground storey 

that can be dated ca. 1500; the first storey has 

Renaissance window framings, built ca. 1570, 

and the second storey and mansard roof gable 

have similar window framings done in mortar. 

Judging by the roof, the upper part of the 

building was probably erected after 1700. 

The record of the modifications and 

reconstructions of houses on the southeast side 

of Grand Square (Fig. 84) is significant in terms 

of the general picture of the changes suffered by 

buildings in the historic city over time. 

Another characteristic example is that 

offered by the evolution of the construction of 

the largest house in the city, built on two joined, 

but previously distinct plots, taken into custody 

by the city at the middle of the 16 th century and 

Fig. 84B. The southeast side of Lesser Square

known today as the Old Town Hall (Fig. 85). 

In all probability, wooden structures were 

initially erected on the two plots, but there is late 

15 th century evidence of a 14 th century stone 

structure erected on one of the plots. As for the 

second plot, documents record the existence here 

of a 15 th century Gothic structure, with a triangular 

gable crowned by a fleuron. Behind this structure, 

there was a large dwelling tower with ground 

storey and three upper storeys, and another stone 

structure, placed perpendicularly, with two loggias 

facing the garden. 

After the two plots were joined at the 

beginning of the 16 th century, a single, large 

courtyard resulted. Two new buildings were 

erected on the site of the courtyard at different 

dates, and one of them (built on top of the wall 

of the Upper Town, in the corner opposite the 


Fig. 85. The Evolution of the Old Town Hall 

dwelling tower) was quite impressive in size. 

The buildings became city property in the 

mid-16 th century and underwent only minor 

changes after that. The larger wing of the earlier 

structure was further extended and a 

monumental outer staircase was added to it, 

leading to the Council Hall upstairs. 

The last phase of the enlargement only took 

place in the late 19 th century, when the 

courtyard was closed off completely. 

Fortifications. The fortifications of the city 

also underwent significant changes over the 

years; not only was the enclosure wall fortified, 

heightened, doubled and later tripled in width, 

but additional towers, rondels and bastions were 

also added. Thus, the various constitutive 

elements of the fortification system also 

underwent changes. 

Fig. 86. The Evolution of the Town Hall Tower 

99

The Town Hall Tower, located in Lesser 

Square (Fig. 86), is an extreme example in this 

respect. Most probably, only the lower part of 

the original tower has been preserved to this 

day. The tower probably dates from the period 

between 1224 and 1241, when the second 

fortified enclosure was built (an archaeological 

probe of the moat unearthed a coin, dating from 

the reign of King Andrew II, and the tower was 

erected shortly after the moat was built). 

At an early stage, before the 14 th century, the 

gate tower probably accomodated the Town 

Hall. At some point, a turret, meant to provide 

access to the upper storeys of the Town Hall, 

was built on the wall overlooking the enclosure. 

The turret was outfitted with winding stairs, 

which started in a loggia on the first storey. 

Buttresses supported the main body of the 

tower, both on the side overlooking the 

enclosure and on the front side. 

Most probably in the 15 th century, the tower 

100 


was heightened by several storeys and outfitted 

with four decorative turrets; the main roof was 

later provided with a skylight turret. 

Between 1586 and 1588, ample 

reconstruction work was done on the tower, 

most probably after the tunnel vault had 

collapsed. Later, two side wings were added, to 

provide an architecturally pleasing, organic 

connection between the tower and the adjacent 

buildings. A temporary shortening of the roof 

became necessary in the 18 th century, so a 

mansard roof was built and the four flanking 

turrets were maintained. 

In 1824, a final heightening of the tower 

was undertaken, and the present baroque bell 

roof was added to it. 

Every building in Sibiu has its own history, 

and future investigations will undoubtedly 

reveal valuable details, hidden underneath 

layers of plaster for so many centuries.

3 JUSTIFICATION 

FOR INSCRIPTION 

99

3.a Criteria under which Inscription is Proposed 

3.a Criteria under which Inscription is Proposed 

(and Justification for Inscription under these Criteria) 

The Historic Centre of Sibiu satisfies directly 

criteria (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) for inscription on the 

World Heritage List. 

Criterion (ii) according to which, “the site should 

exhibit an important interchange of human 

values, over a span of time or within a cultural 

area of the world, on developments in 

architecture or technology, monumental arts, 

town-planning or landscape design,” is 

satisfied by the role of Sibiu as a major centre 

on the southeastern boundary of Central 

Europe. Given its position on the border 

between an area of Central, and West- 

European culture, and one influenced by 

Byzantium and later, partially, by the 

Ottomans, the town had an essential contribution 

in the spreading of urbanistic and 

architectural principles, from Western Europe 

to areas to the south and east of Transylvania 

(i.e. beyond the Carpathians) and, later on, by 

assimilating Neo-Byzantine features in 

Transylvania, features that originated in 

Southeastern Europe). 

Criterion (iii) according to which, “the site should 

bear a unique, or at least exceptional, 

testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation, 

which is living or which has disappeared,” is 

satisfied completely by the role that Sibiu 

played in the lives of West-European settlers in 

the eastern and southeastern areas of Central 

Europe: the city was the main German centre 

in Transylvania, and one of the most important 

centres of settlers in the area between Eastern 

and Western Europe. Post-war migration 

following WW II led to the alteration of 

cultural characteristics in most of these towns; 

Sibiu is now the most important such centre. 

Criterion (iv) according to which, “the site 

should be an outstanding example of a type 

of building or architectural or technological 

ensemble or landscape, which illustrates a 

significant stage in human history,” provides 

a very good argument for the case of Sibiu, 

as it satisfies one of the two basic criteria of 

application for inscription on the World 

Heritage List: the harmonious forms of the 

central squares – a direct result of the 

planimetry of the fortress –, as well as the 

links between these squares that, despite the 

sharp declivities of the terrain, make up an 

exceptionally coherent site and offer a 

paradigm of the evolution of mediaeval 

urban development in this southeastern 

corner of Central Europe. 

Criterion (v) best meets the spirit of the city: 

Sibiu “is an outstanding example of a 

traditional human settlement or land-use 

which is representative of a culture (or 

cultures) especially when it has become 

vulnerable under the impact of irreversible 

change.” Sibiu, with its low density of 

buildings, provides an outstanding example 

of a traditional city in the southeast of 

Central Europe. It is representative of the 

regional culture, which has grown extremely 

vulnerable as a result of the massive 

immigration of its original German settlers. 

In view of the fact that the above-mentioned 

criteria are met and a connection with Criteria (i) 

and (vi) being also possible, it is our belief that the 

nomination for the inscription of the city of Sibiu 

on the World Heritage List is fully justified. 

3.b Proposed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value 

Exceptional World Value 

The Historic Centre of the City of Sibiu is exceptionally 

valuable for many reasons. Of major 

importance are the outstanding architectural and 

urbanistic qualities of a heritage area that has 

resulted from the very successful adaptation, 

103

over a long evolutionary period, of a large and 

reasonably wealthy city, responding to the 

challenges of a particular terrain. The city 

endured because it relied on its earlier 

architectural and town-planning abilities and 

this resulted in organic growth and original 

features. These features have been preserved 

virtually unspoiled over time (Fig. 87). 

104 

General Features 

Sibiu’s geographic position was essential in 

moulding its character. Situated half-way between 

Vienna and Byzantium (today’s Istanbul), the city 

was from its earliest days placed at a major 

crossroads of Europe and this was a crucial factor 

in generating its remarkable prosperity. (Fig. 88) 

The city developed excellent commercial 

ties prior to the year 1400. At that time, Sibiu by 

itself enjoyed trade privileges that amounted to 

all the privileges granted to the rest of 

Transylvanian cities. These concerned especially 

the trade routes. Sibiu Patricians invested in 

mines in Transylvania and Oltenia (southwestern 

3 Justification for Inscription 

Fig. 87. The Historic Centre 

Romania). Subsequently, the Chamber for Mining 

and Minting that had been established in the 

walled city of Sibiu produced a quarter of all the 

gold coins circulating in Europe. The privilege had 

to be leased by the Royal Treasury to local 

Patricians, as the king had no possessions within 

the walls of this secure city. Occasionally, the 

Patricians could also lease the toll house of the 

Turnu Roşu Pass. 

But the city’s geographic position was also a 

Fig. 88. Southeastern Europe in the 15 th Century


source of perils, as it was constantly threatened 

by foreign foes, the expanding Ottoman Empire 

chief among them. Such a threat is explicit, for 

instance, in a letter dated 1453, signed by 

Bishop Samile of Constantinople, immediately 

after the city was conquered by the Turks: 

“Whereas your city of Sibiu or Hermannstadt is 

renowned among them [the Turks] everywhere 

and they keep saying that Sibiu is a stumbling 

block and an obstacle in their way, they are 

eager to take up arms and conquer your city. 

This is why we advise you to fortify your city, to 

guard it, that you might not lose it.” A year later, 

in 1454, it is said: “The Turk hopes that if he 

conquers this city, he can harm and wreak 

havoc so much easier not only on this kingdom 

to which Sibiu is a shield and a defence, but on 

the entire Christendom.” 

An important city, lying in a conflict area, 

Sibiu – unlike Belgrade – benefited from the 

protection of the strategic natural position 

represented by the mountain range of the 

Carpathians. The city had to build an extended 

defensive system (consisting of over 8.5 km of 

walls, 70 towers, 5 rondels and 5 spade-shaped 

bastions), which was further reinforced with a 

broad band of moats, lakes and marshes. No other 

Transylvanian city was as heavily fortified: Braşov, 

for instance, had almost 5 km of defensive walls 

and 41 towers, Bistriţa had 5.8 km of walls and 24 

towers, while Cluj was surrounded by 4.1 km of 

such walls and 29 towers. Defended by such a 

complex and impressive system of fortifications, 

the city was never conquered by the Turks. 

Consequently, one should view Sibiu’s 

political role in close connection with its strategic 

importance. As early as the year 1224, Sibiu 

became the centre of a county (an administrativepolitical 

unit of considerable size) called 

“Provincia Cibiniensis.” Over the 14 th and 15 th 

centuries, all Transylvanian lands inhabited by 

German colonists were brought together in an 

administrative unit, the so-called “Universitas 

Saxonum”; Sibiu soon became its centre. In the 

18 th and 19 th centuries, Sibiu was also, for shorter 

or longer periods, the seat of the Gubernium of 

Fig. 89. Open-air Market in Front 

of the Town Hall Tower 

the Principality of Transylvania. All these 

developments left their mark on the city (Fig. 89). 

While obviously part of the Central- 

European economic and cultural sphere, Sibiu 

was also connected to the world of the Balkans. 

Its position in a contact zone between cultures left 

its imprint on the city itself: the centre has a 

multiethnic, multicultural and multi-confessional 

character. To a large extent, this has influenced 

Sibiu’s history and specificity. (Fig. 90) 

Nevertheless, it was the Transylvanian 

Germans (calling themselves Saxons), i.e. the 

Flemish, Walloon and German immigrants that 

settled here in the 12 th and 13 th centuries and 

represented for a long time the majority 

population, who had a major influence on the 

city’s ethnic and confessional character. Only in 

the aftermath of World War II and the massive 

emigration of the German population after the fall 

of the Iron Curtain, did their number decrease to 

approximately one percent; they have remained, 

however, an active presence in the life of the city. 

The Romanian population, documented in this 

area in the year 1210, represented from the 18 th 

105

century, an ever-increasing percentage of the city’s 

inhabitants. Sibiu’s population also comprised 

Hungarians, Jews, etc., giving it a multiethnic 

character specific to this transitional zone between 

Central Europe and the Balkans. 

Remarkably, this multi-ethnic character never 

resulted in major conflicts among the different 

ethnic groups (a reality which is reinforced 

nowadays by voting patterns that are not 

ethnically biased). 

Catholicism was dominant until the 

Reformation in the 16 th century. By the end of the 

12 th century, the city was the ecclesiastical centre 

of a privileged area in southern Transylvania – the 

residence of a Provost and home to an unusually 

great number of monasteries, belonging to various 

monastic orders. More recently, in the 19 th 

century, Sibiu became the see of the Lutheran 

Bishop (Evangelical Diocese of Augustan 

106 


Fig. 90. An Open-air Market in Sibiu 

Confession) transferred here from Biertan. Eastern 

Orthodox Christianity also played an important 

role in the city: after a period during which several 

churches functioned in this area (worth 

mentioning is the “Church-in-the-Hollow”) the 

Orthodox Metropolitan See of Ardeal, Banat, 

Crişana and Maramureş was founded in Sibiu, 

underlining the religious importance of the city. As 

far as other religions are concerned, research has 

proved the existence of a synagogue in the 15 th 

century and of a Hungarian Reformed community 

starting with the 18 th century. 

This multi-confessional character is 

fundamentally based upon the tradition of 

Transylvanian tolerance and is manifest in the 

Historic Centre in the multitude of churches 

belonging to different confessions (Fig. 91). Similar 

to a string of pearls, they form a chain in the inner 

city: starting from west to east, we have first a


small Lutheran Church, then the great Romanian 

Orthodox Cathedral, the Hungarian Reformed 

Church, the imposing Lutheran Parish Church, 

then the Roman Catholic Church, followed by 

the Church of the Ursuline Sisters, currently 

serving as a Greek-Catholic Church; next comes 

another Catholic Church and a synagogue; then 

a second synagogue of the Orthodox Jewish 

community that has been used for other 

purposes following the emigration of the 

overwhelming majority of the community. 

The features of these houses of worship are 

widely different: one can notice the Gothic 

profile of the Lutheran Church, the Byzantine 

elements of the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, 

the baroque lines of the Catholic churches, as 

well as the Oriental features of the synagogue. 

The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, in 

particular, gave Transylvania a prototype for the 

spread of Neo-Byzantine architectural style in 

this area. 

With such treasures, the cultural importance 

and the multi-cultural character of the city are 

self-evident. A first Latin school is documented 

in the 14 th century and a college is founded in 

the 16 th century. Sibiu was the city in which the 

first books were printed in Transylvania and it 

also had an exceptionally fine library, as befitted 

a centre of Humanism and later, of the 

Enlightenment in this part of Europe. 

The high cultural refinement of the city, also 

noticeable in architecture, resulted in the opening 

of schools and museums in the 18 th and 19 th 

century (special mention should be made of the 

Brukenthal Museum, which opened to the public 

in 1817, being the first public museum in Europe). 

Theatres in Romanian and in German, as well as 

other cultural and scientific bodies also flourished 

(“Verein für Siebenbürgische Landes-kunde”, 

“ASTRA”, “Siebenbürgischer Verein für 

Naturwissenschaften”); newspapers and journals 

were published in various languages. 

Fig. 92. The City of Sibiu in the 17 th Century 

107

108 

Defining Features of the Old City 

The remarkable historic importance of the city 

itself, as well as its regional import, is fully 

borne out by the exceptional diversity of its 

architecture. Beautiful in itself, this architecture 

is also paramount in defining Sibiu’s personality. 

Following the disposition of districts and 

settlements, defensive systems and major groups 

of buildings, it is clear that Sibiu is made up of 

two distinct parts: the older Lower Town 

(Unterstadt) situated on the floodplain of the 

Cibin River and the more recent Upper Town 

(Oberstadt) lying on the embanked terrace 

above the flood plain (Fig. 92). Initially, the 

Lowern Town was constituted of three distinct 

settlements. Land tenure maps show that at first, 

there was a small, probably strategically 

determined, settlement. Not much later, 

colonists formed two further settlements. A 

fourth, distinct, settlement was then established 

in the Upper Town (Fig. 93). 

On the terrace of the Upper Town, on what is 

today Huet Square (Huet Platz), a fortress was 

erected, overlooking the Lower Town and 

probably linked to the establishment of the 

Provost’s Office. 

Shortly afterwards, the Province of Sibiu was 

set up as an administrative and political unit and 


Fig. 91A. Multiconfessionalism in Sibiu 

1. The Orthodox Cathedral; 2. The Reformed Church; 3. The Lutheran Parish Church 

the fortress could no longer accommodate its 

increased needs. Consequently, it was expanded 

by the addition of Lesser Square (Kleiner Ring): 

we have here, in fact, two overlapping 

fortifications. These were not meant primarily to 

protect the city; this function had been taken 

over by the defensive system built, first, around 

the Upper Town and, later, extended also 

around the Lower Town. 

Finally, mention should be made of religious 

buildings such as the Church of the Provost and of 

the Parish, as well as other monastic buildings that 

added character to the cityscape of the Historic 

Centre. 

Urbanistic Values 

of the Nominated World Heritage Site 

Given its complex structure, the general 

layout of the city is marked by several 

elements; the first of these is an Easteuropean, 

and thus a Transylvanian feature, i.e. low 

population density. 

This led to the considerable size of 

household plots within the city, a fact which 

can be noticed quite often in colonial 

settlements –especially in southeastern Central 

Europe. Although population density increased 

over time, the city preserved its open spaces 

for a long time. This also meant a certain


4. The Roman Catholic Church; 5. The Greek Catholic Church; 6. The Synagogue 

arrangement of buildings and the distance 

between them, as well as a policy of open 

development in certain areas in the Lower Town 

(Fig. 94). 

Typical of descriptions of 16 th and 17 th 

century Sibiu is a text by Johannes Tröster: “In 

size, greatness and beauty, the city can be 

compared to Vienna in Austria; its population is 

nevertheless, smaller, for very often, a princely 

house that could accommodate up to six 

households, is inhabited but by one.” 

This feature has been preserved to our days: 

witness the relatively large size of the historic 

centre, the predominance of single-storied houses 

or houses with ground storey only, as well as the 

many gardens that still grace the historic city. It 

also determines the defining characteristics of the 

site: the ratio between street-width and façade 

height and the resulting sunny and luminous 

character of public spaces, as well as the ranking 

of streets in order of their distance from the centre. 

Certain quarters of the city suggest a very ancient 

quality, which, at times, is combined with a semirural 

touch (Fig. 95). 

The land-use pattern of the city makes it 

clear that the early settlements were initially 

very small, consisting of only 10–20 allotments; 

but the population increased rapidly. This 

process led to the expansion of the inhabited 

area in several distinct stages, which are 

reflected in the city’s planimetry and density of 

allotments. Since each expansion stage 

originated in a distinct, more or less conscious, 

urbanistic vision, the result was a great diversity 

in outlook. Although these are based on the 

same town-planning principles and pursue the 

common goal of organic expansion of inhabited 

space, the constant concern with the necessity 

of adjusting property boundaries, of improving 

on already existing arrangements, etc. meant 

that successive visions brought about minor 

discrepancies between planimetric elements. 

Such discrepancies are noticeable in very many 

mediaeval settlements but they are very frequent 

in Sibiu, particularly in the Lower Town: it is on 

account of them that, quite frequently, one can 

trace disparities in the alignments of fronts and 

the odd curvature of their pattern. However, the 

total effect is often refreshing, for instance along 

Ocnei Street. 

Sibiu’s historic beauty is also a function of its 

adaptation to physical features of the land on 

which it was built (Fig. 96). (The great urbanistic 

value of the historic centre is also related, to a 

large extent, to certain characteristics of the land, 

which required an adaptation of the inner city’s 

planimetric scheme.) The different elevations of 

the two terraces on which the city was built called 

109

Fig. 93. Constitutive elements of the city 

1 – Early settlement in the city area; 

2 – Core areas of the Upper Town; 3 – Core of the 

Upper Town; 4 – The initial fortress; 

5 – Extension of the initial fortress; 

6 – Monasteries; 7 – Hospice; 

8 – Churches and synagogues 

110 


for unusual solutions for the strip of land running 

mid-way through the city and connecting Sibiu’s 

two parts. The ingenious solution of building 

reinforcing walls, doubling as defensive walls of 

the central fortress or of the Upper Town, was 

used under extraordinary circumstances, such as 

the incline varying from spot to spot, along with 

other peculiarities of the planimetric structure. 

In the nature of things, the older inner wall 

of the Upper Town follows the ridge of the 

terrace; consequently, it was built in areas 

where the incline was steeper, its function as a 

reinforcing wall being extremely important – in 

the area of Stairway Passage (Pempflingergasse) 

it was even necessary to further strengthen it by 

using abutments (Fig. 97). A second wall of 

slightly reduced size, which reinforced the main 

wall along its full extent, was built, as a rule, in 

areas where the incline was less steep. 

The highly irregular terrain had a direct 

Fig. 94. Nouă Street


impact on town-planning. Good connections 

between the Upper Town and the Lower Town 

were assured by building stairways and passages 

at various locations. Passages were, as a rule, 

built on a rising slope along the wall, ending in 

a gate that allowed access to the Upper Town, 

as is the case of the Stairway Passage or the 

passages through the Penance Corner 

(Bußwinkel). Stairs were built, as a rule, on the 

slope with the steepest incline (Aurarilor 

Stairway/Fingerlingsstiege, the Tower 

Stairs/Sagstiege, etc.). Over time, this resulted in 

interesting architectural features; we can still 

find abandoned or replaced portions of 

passages. That is to say, through these changes, 

stairs gradually became highly important parts in 

the planimetric structure of the city. 

The cityscape of Sibiu and especially the 

proposed Site, with its unique cultural and 

aesthetic value are, beyond any doubt, the 

Fig. 95. Luxembourg House 

consequence of its two-tier disposition and the 

urbanistic features that naturally resulted from this: 

� many spots in the city offer views of stairs 

going up or down, as well as very 

picturesque and eye-catching linking 

passages, such as the Stairway Passage 

and the Aurarilor Stairway (Fig. 96, 97); 

� certain public buildings in the Upper 

Town are at the vantage point of 

wonderfully expressive streets, such as the 

Lutheran Parish Church, along the vista of 

Turnului Street (Saggasse/ Fig. 98) or 

Ocnei Street; 

� there are various look-out points in the 

Upper Town offering an interesting and 

picturesque view of the Lower Town, 

especially its roof panorama; 

� the superior position of the public 

buildings in the Upper Town, overlooking 

the Lower Town, highlights the cityscape 

111

112 


Fig. 96. Târgului Street


Fig. 97. The Stairway Passage 

113

114 


Fig. 98. Turnului Street, with the Lutheran Church


most felicitously (Fig. 99). 

It has to be mentioned that the specific 

planimetric features of Sibiu were not 

exclusively the result of solutions adopted to 

match the characteristics of the terrain. Another 

extremely important element was the 

adjustment of the planimetric structure to preexisting 

buildings and dispositions. This is also 

evident in the case of squares. 

The outlines of the primeval space, i.e. of 

the fortress in the church square (Huet Square) 

were traced taking into account only the relief 

and the church to be built in the middle of the 

precinct (Fig. 100). 

Lesser Square (Kleiner Ring), an extension of 

the initial fortress, was adjusted to fit the shape 

of the Roman castrum nearby, without any 

special attention being paid to a spatial concept 

all of its own. Later it was mainly used as a 

commercial market-place and was treated as an 

organic and unitary space, albeit it had been the 

result of considerations of an initially different 

character. Different solutions of structuring and 

Fig. 99. The City of Sibiu, view from Ocnei Street 

unifying the area of the square were attempted 

successively – for example by building porticoes 

around it. The result is still one of the most 

picturesque spaces in the area (Fig. 101). 

The third square, Grand Square (Großer 

Ring), has always been a representative civic 

space of the city at the foot of the fortress; its 

shape had always followed this abiding civic 

function. From the beginning, city planners 

were intent on applying a specifically urban 

planimetric scheme, i.e. the placing of a 

“transversal square” between two “parallel 

streets,” so that only the longer side of Grand 

Square could continue the line of important 

streets, such as Nicolae Bălcescu Street 

(Heltauergasse) and General Magheru Street 

(Sporergasse). On the opposite side, the 

fortifications of the fortress formed the limit of 

the square, giving it a curved outline favouring 

defence. On this side, the two “parallel” streets 

could not continue the front of the square 

directly; there is only one continuation of the 

traffic toward these streets, i.e. toward 

115

Mitropoliei Street (Fleischergasse) and, 

respectively, toward Avram Iancu Street 

(Reispergasse), which actually start from former 

gates of the fortress. This disposition ultimately 

determines the general layout of the square 

itself: the opening of the space of the square to 

the corresponding streets at the two corners 

situated in front of the former fortifications and 

the closing, in mediaeval fashion, of the other 

two corners only. 

The central area was planimetrically adapted 

to the present general city plan; nevertheless, 

certain important streets maintained their initial, 

slightly curved route, as is the case of Nicolae 

Bălcescu Street. 

More often in the Lower Town, we 

encounter residential areas that back against 

curved convex spaces, favourable to defensive 

purposes. When new residential areas were 

built in the back of already existing ones, their 

disposition had to be adjusted to the limits of 

the already plotted built area. The result was 

that curved streets appeared, connecting the 

new residential areas, and this gave the 

116 


cityscape its unmistakable look (viz. Nouă 

Street/Neugasse [Fig. 94] or Pielarilor 

Street/Lederergasse). 

Aesthetically, the urbanistic solutions 

adopted by the builders of Sibiu show a clear 

sense of the different values of built-up spaces. 

The dominant feature of the urban 

landscape is given by the harmonious unity of 

the three central squares. They constitute the 

starting point of the four wide central “parallel” 

streets of the Upper Town; two of these streets 

end in a small square (in front of the Church of 

the Ursuline Sisters). Also in the Upper Town, 

we mention the existence of a second, small 

square (Schiller Square/Schillerplatz) that is the 

focus for a number of side streets, in an off-zone 

of the inner-town. All the other side streets and 

lanes are narrow and devoid of such special 

foci; thus they are implicitly marginal elements 

of the street network. 

In the Lower Town, the structure of the 

street network is completely different. Owing to 

the initial semi-rural character and the history of 

its build-up, a single, important longitudinal 

Fig. 100. Huet Square, with the Lutheran Parish Church


Fig. 101. The Lesser Square, view from the steeple of the Lutheran Parish Church 

street resulted here (9 Mai Street), crossed by 

two main transversal streets (Ocnei and Turnului 

Streets). This basic scheme is emphasized by the 

presence of a small square placed at their 

crossing-point. The rest of the streets also follow 

the general disposition; according to their width 

and route we distinguish: side streets and 

connecting streets. 

In spite of the large size of the historic city, 

its architecturally shaped hierarchy will gently 

lead the visitor toward the city centre. The route 

of Avram Iancu Street (Fig. 102) is characteristic; 

it is slightly curved and as you start walking in 

the direction of Grand Square, the high steeple 

of the Lutheran Parish Church rises above the 

concave front; when it disappears behind the 

roofs, it is now the Town Hall Tower’s turn to 

rise at the end of the street, giving a new 

vantage point and, finally, when you approach it 

and can no longer see it entirely, the space of 

the street is momentarily obstructed by a 

building out of alignment with the front, after 

which the vista of the square opens up. 

Given the city’s size, mediaeval patterns of 

structuring public space were decisive in 

shaping its general outlook. The curved fronts, 

the irregular front lines – now jutting out, now 

stepped back –, the passages that were built 

through or around houses and towers, all result 

in coherent, artistically impressive outlines, 

even when these structural details were not 

initially employed for strictly aesthetic reasons. 

The Significance of Sibiu’s Architecture 

Partly, the significance of Sibiu’s architectural 

heritage lies in the importance of the public 

institutions that resided here: the existence of 

the Provost’s office and of the Comitatus made 

the erection of appropriate buildings necessary. 

This refers, first of all, to the buildings inside 

the fortress, i.e. the former precinct of the 

church. From the initial defensive works, the 

pentagonal planimetry, as well as certain other 

fortified elements, i.e. the tower overlooking the 

Tower Stairs, called “Priests’ Chamber” 

(Pfarrerstübel), were preserved. These form part 

117

of the outline of the walls flanking the Stairway 

Passage and the Penance Corner. 

The Lutheran Parish Church is situated in the 

middle of the precinct. It was built in 

Romanesque style and initially dedicated to the 

Virgin Mary. Over a period of 300 years it was 

expanded and rebuilt in Gothic style (Fig. 103), 

becoming a complex architectural monument 

that illustrates a good part of Southeast European 

architectural history. Of the four chapels that 

had surrounded the church initially, all we have 

left today are a few architectural and artistic 

vestiges, witnesses to the outstanding qualities 

of the building. 

The remains of the second precinct, Lesser 

Square, are equally important, as its building is 

linked to the setting up of the county of Sibiu. 

The shape of the precinct, with its entry ways 

disposed in the corners of the area, is also 

specific. The remains of the thick walls of this 

fort are still extant; five centuries ago, buildings, 

built back to back against these walls, were 

erected, surrounding the square. Among these, 

we mention the large, gated Town Hall Tower. 

Over the past eight centuries, this structure was 

modified and built-over, to attain its current 

imposing size and characteristic silhouette, that 

determines the outlook not only of the adjacent 

buildings but of the cityscape as a whole as 

well. Eventually, it became the symbol of the 

1 2 

118 


city itself. 

We have no evidence regarding buildings 

dependent on the residence of the comitatus or 

the Province of Sibiu. In the future, 

archaeological exploration will probably throw 

more light on things in this respect. “Universitas 

Saxonum” replaced the comitatus, taking over 

its functions; its seat was no longer inside the 

fort, but outside its limits, in what is now Grand 

Square. We have knowledge of a large-size 

building used for this purpose as early as the 

15 th century, whose main structure was threestoreyed. 

Mention should also be made of the city 

outside the original fort, because architecturally 

and in terms of the significance of its remains it 

is equally important. First, we have to mention 

the city fortifications, which are of vital 

importance in this peripheral area of Central 

Europe. These fortifications were initially simple 

in design and were built only around the Upper 

Town; later they were extended to also surround 

the Lower Town. Step by step, they were 

reinforced, elevated and fitted out with towers 

and bastions. Ultimately, the brick walls that 

gave Sibiu the name by which it was known, 

especially in the Ottoman Empire and its 

surrounding territories, i.e. the “Red City,” 

surrounded the inhabited areas of the mediaeval 

city in the form of two-three concentric 

Fig. 102. Vantage points in Avram Iancu Street


Fig. 103. The Lutheran Parish Church 

119

defensive lines; they were also reinforced by 

wooden and earthen-work fortifications. Of 

these defensive structures, ample portions are 

still preserved. 

These surviving remnants pertain, first of all, 

to the south-east defensive line of the city (in 

Cetăţii Street/Harteneckgasse), where we still 

have three very decorative towers, dating from 

around 1500; two of these towers are still linked 

by a surviving segment of wall, with buttresses 

on the city side and hoardings running along its 

top. On the outer perimetre of the wall there is a 

moat, reinforced over a considerable distance 

by a rampart topped by a curtain wall. Also part 

of this defensive line is a well-preserved rondel 

(the Thick Tower) and a spade-shaped bastion 

(Haller), as well as a second rampart, of more 

recent construction; the whole is a perfect 

illustration of mediaeval and early modern 

defensive systems. 

Other sections of the mediaeval walls were 

120 


preserved on the east side of the Upper Town. 

The inner wall is preserved almost in its total 

length on the north side, overlooking the Lower 

Town; also preserved are a defensive tower, a 

gate tower and a spade-shaped bastion, Soldiş, 

incorporating remnants of an earlier rondel. 

Finally, there is also a section of wall still 

standing in the south-west side of the Upper 

Town. In addition, two more towers with 

sections of adjacent walls were preserved in the 

Lower Town, facing the Upper Town (the 

Curriers Tower and the Blacksmiths Tower). 

Even though most of the old fortifications were 

demolished in the 19 th century, the parts 

preserved remind us of the huge scope of the 

defenses of a mediaeval city on the margins of 

Central Europe. 

The public buildings of the city that were 

later erected outside the premises of the old fort, 

are living testimony to the importance of 

Fig. 104. The Roman Catholic Parish Church and the Old Hall Tower


Fig. 105. Haller House – the Dwelling Tower 

121

architecture in this area of Europe, where the 

Western and the Byzantine cultures – to which, 

later on, we can also add the Ottoman culture – 

met and mingled. 

Principally, these buildings are churches; 

some of them we have mentioned supra. 

To these should be added the Roman 

Catholic Parish Church from the early 18 th 

century, which follows the tradition of Jesuit 

baroque architecture; it is an outstandingly 

monumental hall church with side niches and 

rostrums and a choir decorated with a 

remarkable painting, exhibiting a unique 

illusionist effect. Placed between Grand Square 

and Lesser Square, this church fits organically 

into the texture created by the flat façades of the 

two squares. The upper part of the church 

building is ingeniously constructed: it has a 

richly decorated tower topped by a helmet-like, 

baroque structure; the problem that needed a 

solution here was how to harmonize this tower 

and the neighbouring, massive Town Hall 

Tower. This was done by inserting between the 

two massive towers a turret on the opposite end 

of the church roof (Fig. 104). 

The architecture of the Hungarian Reformed 

Church, that is also part of the unfolding fronts 

that shape the outlook of the street, is simpler 

and dates from the first half of the 18 th century. 

The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, erected 

in the early 20 th century, is particularly 

interesting (Fig. 41, 42, 91). Its architecture 

bears traces of the Byzantine tradition of 

Constantinople, as well as the hallmarks of the 

architecture of the north-western Balkans. The 

central, dominant dome, similar to the Hagia 

Sophia of Constantinople, today’s Istanbul, is 

harmonized with a gentle emphasis on the 

longitudinal axis of the building, achieved by 

the non-uniform dimensioning of the supporting 

half-shells, the one situated along the axis being 

larger. Over the main entrance, we have an 

additional stand for the choir, expressed in the 

spatial composition of the interior. The main 

façade is completed by a portico, flanked by 

two side-towers, which further brings out this 

122 


directional element; combined with a placement 

that is spatially pulled back from the street front 

line, the general plan realizes a harmony 

between Greek Orthodox monastic tradition 

and the representative functions of a 

Metropolitan see that belongs to the highest 

ecclesiastical authority of the Romanian 

Orthodox Church in Transylvania. 

With the Synagogue, built during the same 

period, a combination of forms from different 

geographical areas was also attempted. There is 

a space around it, separating it from the other 

buildings of the town, as is also the case of the 

Romanian Greek Orthodox Cathedral. This 

gives added loftiness to both buildings. 

Compared to these symmetrically designed 

houses of worship, the 20 th century Lutheran 

Church in Mitropoliei Street has a free, 

asymmetrical volumetric plan that fits into the 

irregular green areas around it. 

To conclude, it seems fair to say that the 

importance of the religious architecture of Sibiu 

goes beyond its local significance. It also 

contributes to the creation of a unique cityscape 

and thus it becomes an important part of 

Europe’s cultural heritage. 

The former Jesuit Monastery, situated next to 

the Catholic Church, between Grand Square 

and Lesser Square, built in the first half of the 

18 th century in a central position in the inner 

city, has a completely different architectural 

outlook. Although its constituting elements are 

placed around a large inner courtyard, its 

façades blend into the neighbouring front lines, 

thus being organically integrated into the 

cityscape. 

Finally, things are totally different in the case 

of the former town hospice, nowadays used as 

an old people’s home. Documented in 1292, 

with its oldest parts built in Early Gothic Style, 

and others, more recent, dating from different 

periods, the building situated in one of the city’s 

oldest parts, is a medley of architectonic styles. 

Its value lies primarily in the historic events 

which marked its evolution. 

Other public buildings are important


because their typology illustrates the 

architectural history of the city and of this area. 

It is the case of the oldest Town Hall of Sibiu, 

near the Town Hall Tower – dating as early as 

the beginning of the 14 th century –, as well as 

the many guildhalls, dating from the same 

period. Customarily, they have a portico and 

commercial spaces on the ground storey and 

other rooms (meeting halls, warehouses etc.) 

upstairs. Aligned along the fronts of Lesser 

Square – they are part and parcel of its 

architectural space, to which they contribute 

their austere façades and planimetry. 

Nevertheless, here and there, we find buildings 

with interesting decorative elements (coats of 

arms, cartouches, frescoes etc.). 

Of major importance to the city are its private 

buildings. These show most pregnantly a 

fundamental feature of Southeastern European 

architecture: formal austerity. The huge sums of 

money constantly needed for the defence of this 

area against the Turks, spent on fortifications and 

arms, restricted the area’s possibilities to pursue 

other architectural aims. Doubtless, future 

research will unearth many valuable details, and 

yet, large forms and proportions dominate. 

The existence of a substantial segregation of 

buildings by size and shape is equally obvious. 

The largest buildings are concentrated in the 

Upper Town. Most of them are to be found 

lining Grand Square (Haller House/Fig. 105, 

Zekelius House, Brukenthal Palace etc.) and at 

the beginning of the four streets originating in 

the central squares. Mention should be made of 

those in Avram Iancu Street (Weidner House, 

Brukenthal House). We have evidence of the 

existence, in the early 19 th century, of houses of 

exceptional value, situated at the beginning of 

Nicolae Bălcescu Street and General Magheru 

Street. And, at the north end of Mitropoliei 

Street, we still have the extant Old Town Hall 

complex (with a large dwelling tower, open 

loggias and a bow-window etc.), which was the 

largest private residence in Transylvania during 

the Middle Ages. As a rule, private dwellings are 

two-storeyed houses, with a U- or L-shaped 

plan, with numerous details built of carved 

stone (door and window frames, vault consoles 

etc.). But apart from these types of buildings 

well represented in the city, there are others 

with a special planimetry. We mention the 

Vicarage, built between the 14 th century and the 

16 th century, with a quite compact, bastion-like 

plan, Brukenthal House in Avram Iancu Street, 

dating from around the year 1800 (with an inner 

courtyard surrounded by a Tuscan-style 

colonnade bearing a running gallery with a 

wrought iron railing, in lieu of a stronger 

cornice) or Brukenthal Palace in Grand Square, 

built at the end of the 18 th century (with two 

inner courtyards, richly decorated with details; 

take, for example, the “Baroque Salons,” on the 

second storey, decorated with variegated 

tapestries, stuccoed ceilings and highly 

sophisticated terracotta hearths). 

In the old part of Sibiu, the Lower Town, 

especially in the area of Ocnei Street, important 

architectural remains have been preserved, such 

as a house with two pediments, in overlapping 

levels. However, it is not the only area with 

such buildings. 

As the allotment pattern of the old town was 

not entirely unitary, differences in the dominant 

building systems of various streets were also 

evident – differences that had a certain temporal 

component. Thus, an open system of building 

was temporarily maintained in areas where the 

lots were quite wide, for example, along Avram 

Iancu Street. This also meant that initially, there 

were houses built sideways, with the roof ridges 

parallel to the street. Buildings were thus 

frequently placed longitudinally along the lot, 

with a pediment facing the street. Such 

structures have been preserved particularly in 

many side streets of the Lower Town, where 

poorer craftsmen lived. These areas, with open 

building practices, favoured one-storeyed 

houses with a pediment facing the street. This 

simple, vernacular architecture is closely related 

to what we find in the rural part of the area (Fig. 

94). Its historic and architectural significance lies 

in the fact that it is a proof of the basically 

123

unitary nature of the whole architectural stock of 

the zone. 

By including the simple, vernacular 

buildings in the overall picture, the significance 

and the importance of the other, monumental 

buildings is asserted, and their value is 

enhanced. The particular architectural styles of 

the various parts of the city come together and 

make up the unique cityscape of this important 

Transylvanian locality, whose main 

characteristic as a whole is variation. It is a place 

that is very much alive today, whose centre has 

almost always occupied the same area, from the 

13 th century to our days. As was the case in 

long-established urban centres, certain buildings 

124 


were partially replaced along the way, so that, 

next to mediaeval buildings, there are also 

others, from modern or contemporary times. 

At the same time, the importance of the city 

explains the amazing variety and range of its 

buildings. Yet, they all follow the same model, 

that of the architecture of the southeastern 

Central European area, fundamentally 

determined by the geography of a transition area 

and thereby having an outlook that is all its 

own. The paramount need for efficient common 

defence of the community and its multicultural 

character are the two defining features of this 

area, which adds to the complex image of a 

multifaceted Europe. 

3.c Comparative Analysis (Including State of Conservation of Similar Properties) 

From the 13 th century on, Sibiu was for 

centuries the most important urban centre 

linking Vienna and Constantinople, today’s 

Istanbul, a large proportion of their trade 

passing through the city. It served as a bridge, 

but it also marked the boundaries between 

Central Europe and the Balkans, between 

Europe and Asia Minor and it also functioned 

as a line of defence against Turkish expansion. 

Moreover, Sibiu owed its prosperity not 

only to the flourishing trade developed in the 

area, but also to its own production of goods. 

Sibiu’s Patricians regularly held the lease of 

the nearby Turnu-Roşu customs check, 

situated at an important mountain pass in the 

Carpathians. In addition, an institution called 

the Chamber for Mining and Minting also 

functioned here, with a significant impact on 

the money circulation in Europe. 

As a consequence of the city’s early 

development, its buildings, i.e. churches and 

monasteries, dwelling houses, and especially 

large-scale fortifications, necessary for the 

defence against the Ottomans, were more 

substantial than those of other urban centres 

in the region. 

Comparison 

with the Historic Centre of Sighişoara 

(Already Part of the World Heritage List) 

Sighişoara’s Historic Centre (Fig. 106) is 

inscribed on the World Heritage List and it has 

special features due to the nature of its 

architectural complex. Unlike Sibiu, Sighişoara 

was originally a strategic city. Gradually, the 

civilian population expanded both within and 

outside the city walls, but the fortress, with a 

rather limited active area of approximately 5 ha, 

always maintained its dominant character. The 

Lower Town, situated at the foothill of the 

fortress, was always in a subordinate position 

compared to the Upper Town. 

The provincial town of Sighişoara was 

inhabited by merchants and craftsmen from the 

second half of the 14 th century on. The 

inhabitants also engaged in farming. However, 

the area did not become a first-rank economic 

centre – perhaps because it is located too close 

to another urban centre, Mediaş. Due to its 

semi-rural character, the largest part of 

Sighişoara, the Lower Town, was not 

surrounded by a defensive wall, but by 

bulwarks, made of wood and earthen work, 

which were supplemented at the gates with

stretches of walled fortifications. On the other 

hand, there were several defensive lines, 

crossing the inside of the town and delimiting, 

for example, the main square with its 

neighbouring rows of houses. These lines were 

preserved until the18 th century, influencing the 

planimetric structure of the town up to the 

present time. 

From a planimetric point of view, this 

lower part of the town is quite similar to other 

mediaeval Transylvanian localities, being a 

settlement constituted by rows of large, fairly 

elongated allotments. Most of the properties 

3.c Comparative Analysis 

Fig. 106. The historic centre of the City of Sighişoara 

within the town walls are small, irregularly 

positioned and, presumably, they appeared 

around the first defensive precinct. The plots in 

other areas of the town are well organised, 

rectangular and had been grouped in small 

sectors from the beginning. Thus, the 

arrangement is compact, well structured and 

rather different from that of other, more 

spaciously proportioned Transylvanian cities. 

As a consequence, Sighişoara is organised in 

terms of small spaces and narrow, slightly bent 

streets; the total outlook is highly picturesque 

and of great value. 

125

Fig. 107. A 16 th century map of Transylvania 

The defensive walls and towers of the town 

are almost completely preserved. There are 

fewer significant architectural monuments than 

in Sibiu, especially in terms of religious edifices. 

In Sibiu’s Historic Centre, there is a large Gothic 

church, two former Gothic monasteries, later 

rebuilt in baroque style, two baroque churches, 

a Romanian Greek Orthodox Cathedral, a 

synagogue, etc. Comparatively, the monuments 

preserved in Sighişoara are: a Gothic church, a 

monastery with baroque elements, a 19 th 

century church rebuilt during the 20 th century 

and a Romanian Greek Orthodox church, 

situated at a considerable distance from the 

Heritage Site. 

Far be it from us to set up a hierarchy of 

values. Nevertheless, all the above mentioned 

features point to the fundamentally different 

nature of the two Heritage Sites in question. In 

the case of Sighişoara, we have a provincial 

town with outstanding picturesque features, 

whereas Sibiu is a city of European rank, whose 

worth is to be measured according to a different 

set of values. The character of the two localities 

is complementary, and they both contribute to 

our image of southeast European urban 

civilization. 

Sighişoara is the only Romanian, i.e. 

Transylvanian, urban site representing this part 

of Europe on the World Heritage List. Six 

fortified churches from Transylvania are also 

inscribed on the list, in part including the 

126 


settlements where they are situated. Yet all these 

represent individual, specific buildings that 

cannot be compared with the very complex 

structure of an urban site like Sibiu, with its 

unique architectural treasure. Even in those 

cases where the list also includes the 

surrounding settlement, we deal with simple 

structures, which bear no comparison with 

Sibiu. 

Sibiu Compared 

with Other Transylvanian Cities 

Given the circumstances described above, a 

comprehensive comparative analysis of all the 

other Historic Centres in the surrounding region 

becomes imperative. Thus, there are both 

similarities and distinctions between Sibiu and 

the most prominent Transylvaniam cities: 

Braşov, Cluj (currently, Cluj-Napoca), Bistriţa, 

and Mediaş (Fig. 107). Nonetheless: 

� Sibiu was one of the most important early 

ecclesiastical and political centres in the 

region. From the late 13 th century, it was the 

seat of a provost, subordinating the 

prosperous settlement area in southern 

Transylvania. Also here was set up the 

administration of the Province of Sibiu – an 

administrative, territorial and political unit. 

Only the city of Alba-Iulia, see of a bishop, 

but otherwise a minor economic centre, 

had similar functions in the entire 

Principality of Transylvania. The old 

fortified city of Cluj was only for a short 

time the administrative centre of a county. 

� Sibiu has been a multicultural, multiethnic 

and multi-confessional centre for the past 

two centuries. The above-mentioned 

administrative and political functions 

concerned mainly the Transylvanian 

Germans, as Sibiu became their political 

and spiritual centre (“Comitatus Saxonum” 

and the Lutheran Bishopric of Romania 

were based in Sibiu). Later, in the 19 th 

century, Sibiu became the see of the 

Romanian Metropolitan of Transylvania; it 

was also the headquarters of the Romanian

cultural association “Astra.” As such, it was 

an important cultural and religious centre 

for the Romanian population and its 

importance was also underlined by 

architectural developments. 

� In comparison with other Transylvanian 

cities, Sibiu had complex economic 

functions: together with Braşov, it was the 

most important commercial centre of 

Transylvania. Nevertheless, Sibiu’s trade 

developed somewhat earlier and its main 

thrust was Western oriented. The city had 

the largest number of guilds and crafts in 

Transylvania; just like the Patricians of 

Bistriţa, those of Sibiu were engaged in 

various business ventures specific for 

mountainous areas; similarly to Baia Mare 

and Kremniča (Slovakia) it also had a 

Chamber for Mining and Minting. In 

addition, like Braşov, Sibiu also derived 

income from the lease of a customs check 

in the Carpathians. 

� Even if the mediaeval cities of Braşov or 

Cluj had fairly large populations, most 

inhabitants were farmers and thus preferred 

the suburbs; therefore, the profile of these 

two cities is significantly different from that 

of Sibiu. 

� Like other Transylvanian urban centres, 

Sibiu had a large inner city surrounded by 

an impressive defensive structure: 

City Total area Allotments Streets, Squares 

Sibiu 86 ha 61 ha 20 ha 

Cluj 51 ha 33 ha 14 ha 

Braşov 43 ha 32 ha 11 ha 

Bistriţa 39 ha 25 ha 13 ha 

Mediaş 39 ha 26 ha 12 ha 

� From a planimetric point of view, Sibiu 

exhibits the earliest and undeveloped forms 

of urban planning. In the Lower Town, this 

took the form of rows, at first isolated, that 

were extended in length without a very 

well-defined plan for the whole. Such welldefined 

plans were much more evident in 

the case of other Transylvanian cities, such 

3.c Comparative Analysis 

Fig. 108. Map of locations in 

the Republic of Slovakia 

as Bistriţa, Braşov and even Mediaş. 

Especially in the case of Cluj, such a master 

plan or composition is very obvious: it 

represents a transition towards development 

that is based on the idea of clearly defined 

quarters and not on linearly disposed plots. 

� Although the architecture of the abovementioned 

cities is similar to a considerable 

extent, the buildings in Sibiu are much older: 

Braşov burnt down almost completely at the 

end of the 17 th century, Cluj underwent major 

transformations during the second half of the 

19 th century and during the 20 th century, and 

Mediaş is a much more recent centre. One is 

inclined to compare Sibiu with Bistriţa, 

which, nevertheless, is a significantly smaller 

settlement. 


with Other Central European Cities 

Albeit with distinctly marked differences when 

compared to other cities, Sibiu is firmly 

anchored in the Central-European tradition and 

especially its southeastern variety; this variety 

also bears the unmistakable signs of its ties to 

areas influenced by post-Byzantine culture. 

When comparison is made with cities to the 

north and west of Transylvania, it should be 

mentioned that in the whole Pannonian Plain, 

no mediaeval city survived the destructions 

caused by the Turkish occupation, followed by 

radical rebuilding. The only exception is Buda; 

this, however, is a somewhat more recent town 

127

in comparison with the older Transylvanian 

settlements. It is also a town that underwent 

major and multiple transformations, especially 

after the destructions of World War II. 

On the other hand, several Slovakian 

centres, such as Košice, Prešov, Bardejov, 

Kežmarok are much more similar to the 

mediaeval cities of Transylvania. Although they 

are organized in elongated allotments, they are 

also very different from the ones in 

Transylvania, especially Sibiu. In general, their 

evolution was determined by the epoch in 

which they were built; thus they developed a 

planimetric delineation characterised by a 

fusiform village green in the centre and rarely a 

central square. While the Transylvanian cities 

were forced to build strong defensive structures 

against the Turkish invasions, these cities 

undertook extensive building activities. 

However, no mediaeval city in Slovakia is 

comparable to Sibiu in terms of size, which 

makes the city in southern Transylvania stand 

out in this context. 

The most interesting resemblance between 

Sibiu and another group of mediaeval 

settlements in Slovakia is to be found at Spišský 

Podhradie Levoča and its origin is in a 

functional similitude between the two. As was 

the case with Sibiu, Spišský Podhradie had been 

a rural settlement before it became a county 

seat. When the county seat was established 

here, a large fortress, Spišský Hrad, was built on 

a hill next to the village. When a provostry was 

also established in the area, a new fortification 

was built on another neighbouring hill, a 

fortified area containing a cathedral and a 

cloister, called Spišský Kapitula, Eventually, a 

manufacturing centre developed 15 km away, 

called Levoča. These four settlements all served 

the same functions as those in Sibiu; however, 

while the ones in Spiš are set apart, scattered 

over a wide area (Fig. 108), in Sibiu they are 

grouped together and placed in close proximity. 

This basic difference is significant from an 

architectural and urbanistic point of view and it 

is further underscored by Sibiu’s positioning on 

128 


the terrain. 

Within the same context, one may draw 

certain comparisons between Sibiu and several 

cities in western Hungary, western Slovakia and 

eastern Austria. However, a direct analogy 

seems uncalled for in a historical perspective. 

Vienna has always been an exceptional city; 

beyond the destructions she suffered during 

World War II, she also, as capital of an empire, 

had to undergo many transformations. On the 

other hand, cities such as Sopron, Kőszeg or 

Bratislava have quite small Historic Centres, and 

thus they should be approached from a totally 

different perspective. The cities of “Waldviertel” 

in Austria, as well as those in the Czech and 

Polish kingdoms belong to a different space and 

to a different phase of urban development. 


with Other Southeast European Cities 

Sibiu is located in Southeastern Europe, but its 

main features are totally different from those of 

other urban centres in Wallachia and Moldavia, 

as well as from those in the Balkan Peninsula, 

the Ukraine, and Russia – despite the relatively 

small distance separating them. 

Unlike towns in these areas, more to the 

south and the east of the continent, Sibiu does 

not have a loose initial settlement area, resulting 

from the drawing together of an initially 

scattered settlement that had for a long period 

preserved many large gardens and orchards (as 

was the case of certain settlements in Wallachia) 

neither does it follow the model of highly 

irregular dense agglomerations (as do certain 

Greek centres). Rather, the street network of 

Sibiu bears the hallmark of a regulated 

development, based on pre-established 

principles. We will not encounter here the 

winding lanes and highly irregular outlines of 

settlements that appeared on the site of 

farmsteads (such as settlements of the Zadrugatype 

in Bulgaria). Sibiu is likewise, different 

from the densely populated, gardenless and 

sometimes even yardless agglomerations, typical 

for certain mountainous Greek areas.

The monasteries of the mendicant monks in 

Sibiu were built at the outer rim of the inner city, 

rounding off its area. They did not constitute 

independently important sites, in counter-position 

to the dwellings that sprang up around them, as 

was the case in Oriental Christendom. Churches 

in Sibiu belong to various denominations; the 

central cathedral of the city, built between the 13 th 

and the 16 th centuries, rebuilt and transformed by 

successive generations, is a uniquely dominant 

feature of the whole cityscape. What is missing in 

Sibiu is the presence of small parish churches of 

the same confession, built as part of a single effort 

and unchanged to these days, which give the 

Sibiu’s unique character derives from the 

irregular but continuous pattern of its 

development over various epochs: its 

planimetric outline goes back to the 12 th –14 th 

centuries; there are many Gothic, Renaissance 

and baroque elements, along with others 

belonging to architectural styles of the 19 th and 

20 th centuries. This is typical of a living city that 

has developed for centuries on the same 

location. 

We have here a city that fundamentally was 

untouched by external factors. It never suffered 

major natural disasters since it is not situated in 

a major earthquake area and it rarely suffered 

from major floods of its river, the Cibin. There 

were fires, but since these did not take place in 

an environment built of wood but one of stone 

masonry, the destruction, though remarkable at 

times, never went beyond certain limits and 

even in burnt-out areas the stone masonry was 

left standing. 

Furthermore, Sibiu was never affected by war. 

In the Middle Ages and the modern era it was 

protected by its favourable natural environment, 

i.e. the range of the Carpathians and the city’s 

massive fortifications. It never had to undergo 

cycles of destruction-reconstruction caused by 

Ottoman expansion, Habsburg imperial 

ambitions, as well as later revolts and rebellions. 

3.d Integrity and/or Authenticity 

3.d Integrity and/or Authenticity 

towns and settlements of Greek Orthodox 

southeastern Europe their specific unitary outlook. 

Finally, the built-in area of Sibiu is marked 

by the existence of large numbers of masonwork 

houses that were built from the 15 th 

century on. We cannot talk of a truly ancient 

built-in area, as is the case in southern Europe; 

nor can we speak of replacement mason-work 

structures that only started in the 18 th century. 

What we have here is an old architectural 

heritage that follows Central European models. 

We hope that these comparisons will prove 

helpful in bringing out the features that make Sibiu 

unique among other European cities. 

The two world wars also bypassed Sibiu. The 

major population dislocation following World 

War II did not affect the city’s urban and 

architectonic essence or its multiethnic, multiconfessional 

and multicultural character. 

Changes suffered during the Communist 

period, which during the Ceauşescu dictatorship 

resulted in the destruction of the majority of the 

Historic Centres of Romania, only affected Sibiu 

to a minor extent and did not go beyond the 

renewal processes that characterise any historic 

period. These changes are concentrated in two 

well-delimited areas in the city. The Historic 

Centre suffered few interventions and this also 

meant that the city’s architecture had to do 

without any significant restoration. 

The Preservation of the Planimetric Structure 

and the Allotment Pattern 

The planimetric structure and the allotment 

pattern developed during the early and late 

Middle Ages have been preserved almost 

unaltered. The final outcome was a uniquely 

expressive cityscape that managed to retain its 

mediaeval character. There is only one recorded 

street width adjustment that occurred probably 

in the 17 th century, when a single street situated 

in the Lower Town – 9 Mai Street – was 

narrowed. During the 19 th and 20 th centuries, 

129

130 

Fig. 109. Blocks of flats in Constituţiei Street 

three streets were considerably widened: 

Alexandru Odobescu Street (Pemflingergasse), at 

the intersection with Brukenthal Street (Grand 

Square) and Mitropoliei Street, as well as 

Constituţiei Street (Fig. 109). Also, three new 

breakthroughs were opened up. All these 

changes are well documented; they concern 

certain precisely delimited areas and did in no 

way affect the general planimetric structure of 

the old city. 

Similarly important is the fact that only a very 

limited number of changes occurred in the 

alignment of street fronts and squares; the 

positioning and execution of stepped-back, juttingout 

or curved lines were scrupulously respected, 

as a rule. All in all, four such changes are known. 

The mediaeval planimetric structure was 

preserved in an almost intact state at the level of 

the allotment pattern (Fig. 20). During the early 

modern period, several new plots were created 

behind the large gardens, which are now 

accessible through earlier side streets. 

As regards the allotment pattern, we also 

have an almost intact preservation of the 

mediaeval planimetric structure of the city. In 

the early modern period, a certain thickening of 

the pattern took place, caused by the 

appearance of new plots, in back of large 

gardens or orchards; these plots communicated 


with earlier established side streets. All these 

point to a remarkably consistent evolution of the 

city’s planimetry, of great historical interest for 

anyone concerned with the chronology of the 

planimetry of Historic Centres. A much more 

rarely encountered feature of this development 

was the merging of neighbouring plots or their 

division lengthways. This painstaking 

preservation of the detailed old planimetry of 

the city is of exceptional scientific importance 

for the study of the fundamental genesis of 

cities. Exemplary studies of the evolution of 

Transylvanian cities and the underlying 

urbanistic principles illustrating this evolution 

have been undertaken, highlighting the 

importance of this phenomenon for the whole 

of the Central European area. 

The Preservation of Architectural Vestiges 

As already shown, from an architectural point of 

view, the specific outlook of the town is the 

result of the slow development of Sibiu on the 

very site of the mediaeval town. Consequently, 

what we have in Sibiu is an inhabited and living 

town that, in the terms of the 1994 Navarre 

Conference on Authenticity, has developed and 

is still developing under the influence of social, 

economic and cultural changes. An alternation 

of buildings and façades that belong to quite 

different periods is noticeable, superimposed on 

Fig. 110. The Lutheran Parish Church, 

a view from the north

3.d Integrity and / or Authenticity 

Fig. 111. Gate restored by GTZ 

131

the initial mediaeval structure. The general plan 

of the present-day city mirrors accurately and 

homogenously the specifics of its evolution, i.e. 

an alternation between houses that were built 

all the way from the 15 th to the 20 th century with 

buildings erected in certain periods 

predominating in some areas. There have been no 

attempts to re-establish any specific image of any 

given period in the history of the city centre; also, 

there are no striking alterations made in a 

historizing Romantic spirit, likely to alter the 

original outlook of the buildings – the single 

exception here, being the Lutheran Parish Church, 

with its outer painting, windows and roof. 

The overall effect of all these is not only the 

preservation of the original character of the 

buildings, but also the impression of authenticity 

given by the architecture and the outlook of the 

city. The natural alternation of buildings with 

different characteristics – some older and some 

more recent, some built in vernacular style and 

132 


Fig. 112. Building site in Lesser Square 

others following classical models –brings out the 

expressive quality of the streets and the squares of 

the Historic Centre, at the same time showcasing 

the intrinsic value of its architectural heritage (Fig. 

110). 

Even if certain areas of the old centre have 

been reconstructed, e.g. the already mentioned 

areas in the old city centre and a factory was 

implanted in the outskirts of the Lower Town, 

these developments only affected limited areas 

with specific features (e.g. some parts of the 

Lower Town, where the vernacular style is 

dominant). 

Old public buildings also fit into the general 

picture, playing an essential part in the unitary 

image of the old centre. It is important for the 

authenticity of the nominated site that the 

buildings erected during the first half of the 20 th 

century and the communist regime underwent 

little repair or restoration work. Furthermore, 

when such work was executed, it was done

using traditional materials and techniques. This 

is why the historic substance of architectural 

monuments has been preserved in a noticeably 

unaltered state; the prospects are good for 

restoration according to present-day norms and 

principles, preserving traditional materials and 

techniques, with the ultimate goal of enhancing 

the historic substance of the constructions. 

Recent Rehabilitation and 

Restoration Efforts 

Ample rehabilitation work is required, 

especially as regards dwelling houses. Action 

has been initiated by undertaking the scientific 

restoration of specific items (such as doors / Fig. 

111, and windows), as well as by launching a 

citizens information effort. 

3.d Integrity and / or Authenticity 

At the same time, emergency repair work 

has been executed on roofs, coverings, eaves, 

drain pipes, or to eradicate wall dampness. 

Major repair works are under way to rebuild 

the infrastructure of the site and retaining walls are 

also the object of reconstruction work (Fig. 112). 

More and more importance is given to the 

Buffer Zone of the nominated site and its buildings 

that affect the cityscape (Fig. 113). 

Similarly, increased attention is given to the 

numerous archaeological remains in the 

underground that are affected by the laying or 

replacement of water and sewage pipes, as well 

as power and telecommunication cables; an 

archaeologist is in charge of the permanent 

monitoring of these works. 

Fig. 113. The cityscape in the area around the Sibiu Central Railway Station 

133

4 STATE OF CONSERVATION 

AND FACTORS AFFECTING 

THE PROPERTY 

13 

3

Urbanistic structure 

and pattern of allotments 

The planimetric structure has been preserved 

unaltered to a large extent since the mediaeval 

period. The most important elements preserved 

are the layout and the width of the streets, the 

alignment of the frontages as well as the division 

of the quarters into allotments. 

Between 1850 and 1950 only three locations 

underwent significant changes (Fig. 114): 

• Lesser Square, where the central group of 

buildings on the site of the present-day Liars’ 

Bridge was pulled down; 

• The intersection of Alexandru Odobescu 

Street, Huet Square, Samuel von Brukenthal 

Street and Mitropoliei Street, where the old 

tower, allowing passage in all directions, was 

pulled down and the streets leading to the 

tower were widened; 

• Alexandru Odobescu Street was widened and 

the Stairway Passage was restored and brought 

to its present form. 

Breakthroughs were executed around the same 

period, creating three linking passages between 

the Historic Centre and the neighbouring areas: 

o General Magheru Street was extended and 

linked up with Railway Square; 

o Mitropoliei Street was extended and linked up 

with Andrei Şaguna Street; 

o Papiu Ilarian Street was extended and linked 

up with Cetăţii Street. 

On the other hand, the alterations that were 

made during the Communist rule had little 

impact upon the city and centered mainly on 

two well-defined areas: 

� one of the peripheral areas of the Historic 

Centre, where the section corresponding to 

Constituţiei Street and Ampère Street was 

redesigned and blocks of flats were erected; 

� another peripheral area of the Historic 

Centre between Pulberăriei Street 

(Pulvergasse) and Valea Mare Street, where a 

4.a Present State of Conservation 


leather factory was extended; 

� also, a small park was set up in Grand 

Square (Fig. 115). 

Of similar importance is the fact that very few 

alterations were made to the alignment of the 

façades and to the position of the offsets and 

curvatures. 

The almost complete preservation of the 

mediaeval planimetry is noticeable at the level of 

the pattern of allotments. On very rare occasions 

over the last 150 years have lots been divided or 

merged. The changes are documented; they are 

restricted to well-circumscribed locations and do 

not interfere with the general planimetry of the 

inner town (Fig. 116). 

There are no trends that might possibly 

endanger the current planimetric structure and 

texture of the Historic Centre. In the past 15 years 

no building activity of this nature has been 

undertaken, no permits have been applied for, nor 

have any been granted or are likely to be granted 

in the future by the relevant authorities i.e. the 

Municipality of Sibiu, the Regional Committee for 

Historic Monuments No.7 and the National 

Committee for Historic Monuments. 

More problematic is the current situation of 

the Buffer Zone around the Historic Centre 

where larger buildings were erected. These 

buildings are centered around Nicolae Teclu 

Street, where a number of factories were 

extended and around Unirii Square, where work 

was undertaken to create a new Civic Centre – 

aimed at relieving the pressure on the Historic 

Centre. Other, more consistent but isolated 

developments are: the extension of the City 

Hospital (Corneliu Coposu Bd. /Promenade) and 

construction work in Cibin Market (Holzplatz). 

It is hoped that the inscription of the City of 

Sibiu on the World Heritage List will also result 

in a much more careful monitoring of this area. 

The state of the infrastructure 

The water supply system and the sewerage 

137

138 

4 State of Conservation and Factors Affecting the Property 

system of the Historic Centre were built at the 

beginning of the 20 th century and they have 

undergone few alterations since. As a result, 

Fig. 114. J. Böbel's Plan of the City 

testing equipment has been purchased to assess 

the damage. This equipment will provide the 

necessary information to replace inadequate

systems; work on this has already started. 

Gas pipes, electric cables and telephone cables 

have been replaced in certain parts of the historic 

city, and underground TV cables have also been 

installed. 

The defensive and restraining walls between 

The Upper Town and The LowerTown have 

raised more serious problems. As no 

conservational restoration work on these walls 

had been done for decades, they were found to 

be in a precarious condition at the end of the 

90s. Consequently, large- scale restoration work 

has been initiated on the Stairway Passage (Fig. 

117), the Penance Corner and on the street 

running underneath the Liars’ Bridge. The 

restraining walls of the Tower Stairs and Ocna 

Stairway have also been restored. 

Moreover, the pavement of the central 

squares is to be rehabilitated. All this restoration 

work has turned the central part of the city into 

one large construction site (Fig. 112). 

The state of preservation of the buildings 

Little work was done on the buildings in the 


Historic Centre during the communist rule: the 

façades were repainted and some maintenance 

work was done mainly on the roofs, gutters and 

drain pipes. 

More consistent development work was 

undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s; this was 

centered around two locations: 

� The fortification structures. The towers of the 

Carpenters, the Potters and of the 

Harquebusiers in Cetătii Street, as well as the 

enclosure wall between them were restored. 

Restoration was also undertaken on the wall 

in Blănarilor Street while the curtain wall on 

Corneliu Coposu Bd./Promenade, the Haller 

and Soldisch Bastions underwent less 

extensive restoration work. 

� The restraining walls underwent maintenance 

and restoration work on the sections 

including the Stairway Passage and the Liars’ 

Bridge. 

� The porticoes of the buildings at Nos. 14, 15, 

16, 21, 24, 25, 26, and 30, Lesser Square, 

dating from the 15 th –16 th centuries, were 

Fig. 115. Grand Square in the 1930s 

139

140 


opened and restored. More extensive 

restoration work was undertaken on the 

buildings at no. 21 (the former Butchers 

Warehouse) and no. 26 (the former building 

of the apothecary “To the Black Bear”) as 

well as on the Town Hall Tower, where 

several museum halls were opened. 

� The building of the Old Town Hall 

underwent general restoration (continued 

Buildings demolished 

New buildings 

Fig. 116. Plan of Rebuilding Work undertaken in the 19 th and 20 th Centuries 

even after the Directorate for Historic 

Monuments was closed down in 1977); the 

building would later house the History 

Museum. 

The state of the architectural ensemble after 

1990. Given the insufficient restoration work 

undertaken during the Communist rule, many of 

the buildings were found in 1990 to be in a 

dilapidated state, which endangered their

stability as well as the preservation of certain 

decorative elements and traditional trimming. 

Their precarious condition was mainly due 

to the lack of any maintenance work over the 

years, at the level of the roof sheathing and of 

the drainage system. It was also due to 

improvised interior work that was required by 

the excessive subdivision of certain apartments 

after the 1948 Law for Nationalization. 

Substantial leakage at the level of the water 

supply system and the sewerage system was the 

main cause of dampness that affected about 

70% of the buildings. 

Problems of building stability mainly 

involved the uneven ground areas at the 

boundary between the Upper Town and the 

Lower Town and they affected several buildings 

(some of them very significant) in Lesser Square, 

Huet Square and the neighbouring streets. The 

same area was affected by even more serious 

problems, sometimes involving partial 

crumbling of certain sections of the inner 

fortifications, in places like: the Stairway 

Passage, the Liars’ Bridge, the wall between 

Movilei Street and Avram Iancu Street, as well 

as the wall on Centumvirilor Street. 

After 1990, restoration started with some 

delay due mainly to insufficient funding and to 

the lack of adequate legislation in the field. The 

restoration process was further hindered by the 

fact that the buildings in the historic city had a 

large inhabitant population that would have had 

to be evacuated before any large-scale 

restoration work could begin. 

The first measure taken by the recently 

reinstated Directorate for Historic Monuments 

was to order all demolition work in Constitutiei 

Street stopped, thus sparing the buildings at 

Nos. 1, 3 and 5, Constitutiei Street, as well as 

Nos. 79, 81 and No. 83, 9 Mai Street. All these 

buildings were included in the protected list. 

Furthermore, small scale work involving the 

restoration of roof sheaths and drainage systems 

has been undertaken and has proved essential 

for the preservation of the buildings. The 

restoration work is currently in progress and it 


involves approximately 45% of the 1050 

buildings (or plots on which buildings are 

erected) in the Historic Centre, playing an 

important part in reducing the effects of 

dampness. 

Interest in such developments has increased 

after 1999 when the publication of the Charter 

for the Rehabilitation of the Historic Centre of 

Sibiu marked the beginning of a partnership 

between the Municipality and the GTZ 

Consultancy Office. The restoration work done 

by this partnership, partly subsidized by GTZ, 

includes (Fig. 118): 

� Shoring up buildings through local structural 

provisions and (or) the rehabilitation of 

frameworks and roof sheaths. Work on 35 

buildings has been completed or is now in 

progress. 

� Dampness control and the rehabilitation of 

façades. Work on 29 buildings has been 

completed or is in progress. 

� Rehabilitation of façades (4 buildings) 

� Rehabilitation of interiors and of sanitary 

facilities (8 buildings) 

� Restoration of historic gates (58 gates). 

Given the fact that some of the buildings 

have benefited simultaneously from two or 

Fig. 117. Rehabilitation work of the Stairway 

Passage, from upper end to lower end 

141

142 


more types of restoration, it can be estimated 

that approximately 10% of the buildings have 

undergone some form of restoration as part of 

the GTZ co-operation project. 

Other restoration initiatives have been 

supported by private funding; the buildings at 

Nos. 25 and 28, Nicolae Bălcescu Street, Nos. 

3-5, Ocnei Street, Nos. 2, 5, 16, Grand Square 

and Nos. 1, 3, 6, Avram Iancu Street have had 

restoration of the façades executed, meant to 

diminish the size of openings and thereby 

restore the original outlook of the façade. 

Starting with the year 2000, major 

development of the infrastructure has been 

undertaken, especially in the three squares of 

the Historic Centre. A major cause of dampness 

will be eliminated once the current water supply 

and sewerage systems are replaced. The 

pavement will also be restored by using 

traditional materials and certain public 

monuments will be reinstalled, based on 

findings of archaeological excavations. Such 

infrastructure restoration is also in progress in 

Alexandru Odobescu, Ocnei and Rimski 

Korsakov Streets. 

Restoration of churches. The Church of the 

Hospice has undergone extensive work of 

consolidation, dampness control and 

restoration, subsidized by the Ministry of 

Culture and Religious Affairs and, more 

recently, by GTZ. At the Lutheran Parish 

Church, the Roman Catholic Parish Church in 

Grand Square, as well as at the Church of the 

Ursuline Sisters the façades and the roofing 

were restored. The ground storey of the Roman 

Catholic Presbytery at No. 2, Grand Square was 

Fig. 118. Record of the GTZ-Consulting Activity (the GTZ Office in Sibiu)

enovated and the initial systems of openings, as 

well as the baroque decorative elements of the 

stairwell were restored. 

The Franciscan Church has been 

recommended for a consolidation project on the 

basis of a technical survey and the project is 

about to be implemented. 

Fortifications. The most consistent funds 

have been allotted to the restoration of such 

monuments, given their dilapidated condition; 

the funds were used in two areas: 

� The Liars’ Bridge (in Ocnei Street), where the 

consolidation and restoration of the two 

restraining walls and of the stairs that connect 

the Upper Town and the Lower Town is soon 

to be completed. The water supply and 

sewerage, and public illumination systems, 

as well as the pavement in the neighbouring 

areas have also been restored. 

� Stairway Passage, where work of consolidation 

and restoration, as well as of rehabilitation of 


Fig. 119. The Rebuilt Theatre, View from Cetăţii Street 

the Tower Stairs is under way. 

Other repair work is less extensive: 

� the wall behind the Lutheran Vicarage; 

� the wall at No. 6, Movilei Street. 

The walls and towers in Cetăţii Street have 

also undergone maintenance work. 

The restoration of public buildings. Progress 

was made in the restoration of a number of 

buildings in 2004, such as: 

� The Thalia Hall – the Old Theatre of the 

city/Altes Stadttheater - built on a former 

rondel (the Thick Tower), where the 

restoration process is to be completed this 

year (Fig. 71, 119); 

� The building at Nos. 11, 12, Lesser Square 

has been restored and given a new 

destination (formerly a dwelling house, it 

has been turned into a museum). 

� The building at No.16, Lesser Square – 

Luxembourg House/Schaaser Haus – 

143

144 


formerly a dwelling house, has been 

consolidated and restored. 

Further general restoration work is in progress at: 

� the building at No. 21 (House of Arts) 

� the building at No. 22, which is currently 

being fitted out for future use as a School of 

Architecture and Restoration. 

Fig. 120. Archaeological Plan of the Central Area of the City 

Technical surveys of the buildings at Nos. 24, 

25, 26, Lesser Square, Nos. 5, 7, Avram Iancu 

Street and No. 6, Aurarilor Square have been 

made, serving for future restoration work. For 

the buildings at No. 13, Vopsitorilor Street and 

No. 10, Grand Square (Haller House), plans are 

in progress; in the case of the latter, provisional

consolidation work has also been undertaken. 

Archaeological Vestiges 

The City of Sibiu is also the site of many valuable 

vestiges located underground (Fig. 120). Most of 

these vestiges have not been affected by recent 

restoration work which is mostly restricted to 

certain well-circumscribed areas and, as a rule, is 

accompanied by the necessary archaeological 

investigations. 

Such archaeological investigations were 

lacking only in the case of interventions executed 

in the 19 th century. A major intervention aimed at 

the vertical systematization of Huet Square was 

executed in this period; on this occasion the 

northeastern side of the churchyard of the 

Lutheran Parish Church was impacted. 

4.b Factors Affecting the Property 


In the 20 th century, archaeological vestiges 

were affected mostly by the digging of ditches 

for various urban projects (water, sewerage, 

electricity, phone and TV cables). The finds 

occasioned by these works were published at 

the time and gave important clues to the 

understanding of the birth and growth of the 

mediaeval city. 

Other recent interventions are connected to 

the current project, under execution, of 

complete renewal and replacement of the 

pavement of the central squares; the involved 

areas are thoroughly investigated and cleared by 

teams of archaeologists. Results of these 

ongoing investigations are not yet available, but 

will, no doubt, be published in due time. 

(i) Development Pressures (e.g., Encroachment, Adaptation, Agriculture, Mining) 

Ownership 

Private ownership of buildings in the Historic 

Centre is a factor which limits the direct 

involvement of local authorities in the process of 

rehabilitation. This also concerns occupancy for 

office use, by a variety of businesses (e.g. banks, 

mobile phone companies, etc.) with significant 

financial resources. Clear and firm policies are 

necessary to protect and encourage development 

of traditional commercial activities in the Historic 

Centre. A list of activities that are allowed, as well 

as those that are prohibited in the Historic Centre 

should be clearly defined, with a view to 

achieving a balance of activities that are 

compatible with the specific nature of the area, 

and also to ensure its all-round economic viability. 

Pressure from investors 

A source of serious difficulties is represented by 

the desire of business to modify openings, in order 

to obtain direct access from the street to shopping 

spaces, to enlarge shop-windows, to put up large 

and aggressive advertisements that clash with the 

character of the Historic Centre (Fig. 121). There is 

also pressure to install air-conditioning systems 

and ventilation ducts directly on the main facades. 

Lately, there has also been a growing tendency to 

add mansard attics to buildings. 

Demolition work was carried out in the 

Historic Centre, as early as the 19 th century. In 

the 1980s, two barracks situated on the limits of 

the Historic Centre (i.e. on the foundations of 

the Cisnădia Gate Bastion, respectively in the 

neighbourhood of Cibin Market) were pulled 

down. The central building in Dragoner Square 

was also demolished, as well as buildings in 

Constituţiei and Ampère Streets. 

However, there are only few houses that have 

been abandoned or have fallen into ruin. Mention 

should be made, in this respect, of one house in 

Maternităţii Street and another in General 

Magheru Street. A similar situation is that of a 

building at No. 6 Felinarului Street; the building is 

abandoned and is in an advanced state of 

dilapidation (as a result of faulty repair work in the 

courtyard) and there is real danger of its collapse. 

The building at No. 16 in the same street was also 

abandoned, and is now in an advanced state of 

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degradation. We also mention a building in 

Aurarilor Square, where unauthorized and 

improperly executed construction work was 

suspended by the local authorities. 

Demolition work has resulted in empty lots; 

to occupy these sites, building competitions 

have been organized, under local regulations for 

town-planning in the Historic Centre. 

Traffic and Parking 

At present, motor vehicle traffic is allowed in 

the Historic Centre; parking is allowed in the 

street, and traffic is controlled by a system of 

“one-way” streets. Parking lots at the limits of 

the Historic Centre are far from being 

satisfactory. The detour route round the Historic 

Centre is incomplete and inefficient, because of 

overlapping heavy traffic, public transportation 

and private motor vehicles. 

The traffic study, which is in progress, 

proposes more fluid motor vehicle traffic and 

the building of more parking lots at the limits of 

the Historic Centre. 

(ii) Environmental Pressures (e.g., Pollution, Climate Change, Desertification) 

At present, there are no extreme pressures of 

environmental factors on the Site; however, 

certain aspects will be permanently monitored. 

Air pollution 

The Regional Agency for Environmental 

Protection is in charge of monitoring 

environmental quality in Sibiu. Monthly 

measurements, taken between 2002 and 2004 

by the Regional Agency for Environmental 

Protection, placed Sibiu among cities with a low 

level of air pollution. 

Reports of the Agency show that monthly 

and yearly average values of the concentration 

of nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide do not 

exceed normal values or produce acid rains. 

There are occasional increases in the 

concentration of carbon monoxide. 

High-concentration gas emission is caused 

by heavy traffic at the south-western limit of the 

Site (Andrei Şaguna Street – Route 1) and the 

north-eastern limit (Constituţiei Street). This 

situation is caused by transit traffic passing 

directly through the city—150 m away from the 

Historic Centre—and through the recently 

rebuilt area at its limits. As of 2007, transit traffic 

will no longer be a problem, once the ring road, 

whose construction began in 2004, is opened. 

In conclusion, Sibiu enjoys good air quality, 

which does not jeopardize the preservation of 

building materials. There is one exception, 

though, i.e. several sculptures, made of natural 

stone (e.g. caryatids, atlantes, etc.), have 

deteriorated through the centuries. 

In the year 2000, the Local Council of the 

City of Sibiu adopted Decision no. 191, which 

prohibits investments that produce waste and 

industrial residues, soil- and air-polluting 

substances; also prohibited are industrial 

activities that generate pollution (phonic 

Fig. 121. Shop Windows in Nicolae Bălcescu Street

pollution included), in the field of wood 

processing, ferrous metallurgy, metallurgical 

engineering, and cement industry, in the 

western Industrial Zone of Sibiu. 

Nevertheless, in view of the evolution of 

economic activities over the past three years, the 

Local Environmental Action Plan for Sibiu 

proposes to keep air quality under strict and 

permanent monitoring. 

Water pollution 

The River Cibin, flowing close by the 

northwestern limit of the Historic Centre, has a 

slight upstream pollution, placing it in category II, 

while downstream the water is category III, as a 

result of collecting partially-treated waters from the 

city’s industrial activity. The water stream turns 

normal only downstream of the Mohu watertreatment 

station, 10 km from Sibiu. In conclusion, 

surface-water pollution has no visible impact on 

the general condition of buildings in the 

Nominated World Heritage Site. 

Rain water infiltration 

During the second half of the 20 th century, the 

substructure of the Historic Centre was neglected 

by the Communist regime, with visible 

consequences in the 1990s, such as: deterioration 


of the retaining walls in the Liars’ Bridge area, of 

the retaining walls and flying buttresses between 

the Lutheran Parish Church and the Stairway 

Passage, as well as of certain buildings on the 

north side of Lesser Square. 

Initially, landslides were considered to be the 

cause of such deterioration, but a number of geotechnical 

studies, as well as diggings executed 

between 2001 and 2003, on the occasion of the 

restoration of Luxembourg House (No. 16, Lesser 

Square), prove that damage was caused by rain 

water infiltration, from the surface ground of 

Lesser Square and Huet Square, towards the 

Lower Town. 

Between 2002 and 2003, the Municipality 

rehabilitated the drainage and sewerage systems in 

Huet Square, in order to eliminate these causes; 

work will continue in Lesser Square only after the 

ground has been reinforced on both sides of the 

passageway to Ocnei Street. At the moment, 

several state-owned buildings, situated on the 

north side of Lesser Square, are being restored. As 

part of the Romanian-German Project 

“Rehabilitating the Historic Centre of Sibiu- 

Hermannstadt,” private owners can also get advice 

and financial assistance for the consolidation of 

endangered buildings. 

(iii) Natural Disasters and Risk Preparedness (Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, etc.) 

Earthquakes 

Sibiu is situated in a minimal seismic danger 

area. Earthquakes originating in the nearest 

seismic area, i.e. the East of Romania, have very 

low intensity in Sibiu. Therefore, the site is not 

considered to be endangered by major 

earthquakes. 

However, because of the venerable age of 

the buildings that are part of the Site, the 

Municipality has initiated a survey of the state of 

the buildings; wherever necessary, this will be 

followed by consolidation work, in cooperation 

with the owners. 

Fire 

Wood, as the traditional building material of 

most buildings in the Historic Centre, makes the 

Site highly exposed to fire hazard. Risk-reducing 

measures, aimed at preventing and extinguishing 

fires, have been taken. All public and 

commercial activities taking place within the 

Historic Centre of Sibiu, are subject to national 

legislation in the field and require permits 

issued by the Sibiu Fire Brigade. The granting of 

such permits depends on the existence and 

functionality of fire-preventing and extinguishing 

plans and equipment. The Sibiu Fire Brigade 

checks these plans and equipment on a regular 

basis. Sibiu possesses the technical and human 

resources to locate and extinguish fires. 

The Sibiu Fire Brigade has qualified 

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personnel and is located within short distance 

from the site (900 metres) and, in case of fire, 

can act promptly. The Fire Brigade is endowed 

with the equipment necessary for locating and 

extinguishing fires: water trucks, water cannons, 

utility vehicles with special ladders. 

In 2003, the Municipality initiated a program 

to replace fire cocks in the pavement (less visible 

and easily blocked by parked vehicles) with fire 

cocks above the pavement, thus facilitating 

firemen’s access to the water network. 

Flood 

Although the bed of the Cibin River is at the northwestern 

limit of the Historic Centre, Romanian 

National Waters Company does not consider the 

Site endangered by surface water floods. 

Sibiu municipal grounds are protected by 

partial damming and the existence of a reservoir 

on the Cibin River, situated at Gura Râului that 

takes up rainy-season surplus water and drains it 

under control. The water-flow of Trinkbach, an 

affluent of the Cibin River is also regulated. 

Abundant rainfall sometimes causes isolated 

cases of flooded basements in the northwest of 

Currently available data show that there are no 

major or potential risks for the site, in spite of 

the increasing number of tourists in recent years. 

Capacity 

The Historic Centre of Sibiu is a relatively robust 

urban area, with a good capacity to welcome 

visitors. The streets are narrow—a hallmark of all 

mediaeval cities— yet public squares are wide, 

allowing access for large numbers of visitors. 

On the whole, the Heritage Site is a large and 

spacious compound, with a good capacity to 

accommodate tourists. 

In terms of accommodation facilities, Sibiu 

has a total of 1,374 places in hotels, both within 

and outside the Historic Centre, as two hotels 

are situated within the Historic Centre and two 

outside it. Motels and boarding-houses can 

(iv) Visitor/Tourism Pressures 

The LowerTown. These are caused, on the one 

hand, by the ground-water sheet that is too close 

to the surface and, on the other, by pipe 

blockage and insufficient drainage capacity. 

The municipality-owned water company 

S.C. Apă-Canal S.A. offers emergency services 

(pumping and draining excess water) to limit the 

impact of water on basements and walls. 

The Municipality has also initiated two 

flood-prevention programmes. The mediumterm 

programme, started in 2004, is for 

checking and unsilting pipe sewerage, with 

water jet under pressure, using remotecontrolled 

minirobots. The long-term 

programme, initiated in 2002, is mainly aimed 

at the rehabilitation and modernization of the 

sewerage system in the Historic Centre. 

Two other programmes have also been 

initiated, as part of the Romanian-German Project 

“Rehabilitating the Historic Centre of Sibiu- 

Hermannstadt,” to offer advice and financial 

assistance to private owners, for the use of efficient 

waterproofing and dampness prevention 

technologies in the maintenance of walls. 

accommodate 500 more tourists. 

The nomination of Sibiu as European Cultural 

Capital for the year 2007 will attract an increased 

number of tourists. Even though the Sibiu Tourism 

Association has not yet provided any estimated 

figures, Sibiu will probably not be confronted 

with any accommodation problems, even if the 

number of visitors doubles. Considering 

monthly occupancy figures, hotel rooms in Sibiu 

have never been fully occupied, since according 

to information provided by the Department of 

Statistics of Sibiu County, the occupancy rate in 

the peak months (July-August) of 2003 was 

40.5% and 45.6% and, for the year 2004 the 

rate was 43.6% and 52.8%, respectively. 

Taking into account the fact that three 

more hotels will be opened in close proximity 

to the Historic Centre, thereby doubling the

capacity of accommodation of the city, no 

major problems are envisaged, even if the 

number of tourists triples. 

A culture of welcoming visitors 

The Strategy for Durable Development, part of 

Local Agenda 21, and the Guide for the 

Development of Sibiu place great emphasis on 

the role of tourism in local economic 

development. The concept of tourism 

development, as outlined in the Charter for the 

Rehabilitation of the Historic Centre of Sibiu 

and detailed in the Guide for the Development 

of Sibiu and the Urban Action Plan for 2005- 

2008 lays stress on the need to develop a type 

of cultural tourism that is acceptable to the 

community and would not endanger the natural 

and architectural environment of the city. 

Increased numbers of visitors will have a 

positive effect on the hotel and restaurant 

industries, and will encourage the diversifying 

of services and retail and consumer goods 

production. This will be reflected in increased 

financial benefits for the population and the 

municipality alike. 

Consequently, tourism is an important 

opportunity to increase cash flows that might 

substantially help the financing of public 

works, i.e. restoring and rehabilitating 

buildings of the Historic Centre. 

Wear and tear and material deterioration 

In the past fifteen years, none of the public 

buildings of the Historic Centre has had visitors 

in sufficiently large numbers to cause wearing 

out of building materials. The phenomenon is, 

nevertheless, noticeable in some edifices of the 

Historic Centre (especially the Lutheran Parish 

Church and the Town Hall Tower) where 

erosion of the stairs and flagstones of the interior 

pavement was caused by constant use over 

several centuries, rather than the temporary 

influx of visitors over the past few years. 

In extreme situations, simultaneous access 

of great numbers of tourists at peak times might 


become a potential source of overloading and 

accidents, or damage to the structures of some 

buildings. Nevertheless, there is only a slight 

danger in this respect, since the edifices most 

exposed to overloading were reinforced in the 

20th century: 

• In the Brukenthal Museum, the main rooms 

with maximum opening between the walls 

have boards with wooden beams between 

the first and the second storeys. In the 1950s, 

they were reinforced with metal structures in 

the area of corbels; 

• In the Town Hall Tower, open to the public 

since the 1960s, there are massive wooden 

stairs, connecting the upper storeys; 

moreover, the winding stairs can also be used 

for one-way traffic, up to the third storey; 

• At the beginning of the 20 th century, the 

steeple of the Lutheran Parish Church was 

also reinforced, with a massive plinth and an 

internal iron frame, on which the bells and 

the access stairs were mounted. The frame is 

relatively flexible and there is some swinging 

motion when the bells are rung. 

Nevertheless, the Municipality, the Brukenthal 

Museum and the Lutheran Parish Church are 

contemplating the introduction of restrictions 

to the number of visitors with simultaneous 

access to these sites. 

Car traffic influenced by tourism 

Twelve streets in the nominated World 

Heritage Site are subject to heavy traffic, while 

the majority of the other streets are less heavily 

used. Over the next five years, future trends in 

tourism will also bring about an increase in car 

traffic within the Historic Centre and this might 

intensify gas emission, unless specific measures 

are taken. 

Another risk factor that might endanger the 

structural integrity of buildings, albeit in isolated 

cases, is represented by heavy motor-vehicles. In 

the past fifteen years, there has been a single case, 

when the plaster and even the masonry of the 

arcades of the passage under The Town Hall 

Tower were damaged by tourist buses, in spite of 

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clearly posted signs of weight-limit. 

A first measure was taken in December 

2003, when the Traffic Commission suspended 

car traffic under the arcades of The Town Hall 

Tower; the interdiction was maintained in the 

Traffic Management Plan for the Historic Centre. 

This Management Plan, adopted in January 

2005, is part of the long-term measures, aimed 

at reducing motor-vehicle traffic within the 

nominated Heritage Site, and at discouraging 

transit traffic and parking in the Historic Centre 

of Sibiu. The Plan proposes the following: 

• setting up pedestrian precincts (Nicolae 

Bălcescu Street, Grand Square, Lesser Square); 

• speed limits; 

• introducing more “one-way” streets; 

• parking restrictions for non-residents; 

• building new parking areas, at the limits of 

the Heritage Site. 

The Implementation of the Traffic 

Management Plan for the Historic Centre, along 

with the elimination of transit traffic, once the 

new highway is open to traffic in 2007, will 

significantly reduce pollution and the risk 

paused by motor vehicle traffic to the buildings 

in the nominated Heritage Site. 

(v) Number of Inhabitants within the Property and the Buffer Zone 

Data published by the Department of 

Statistics of Sibiu County (part of the 2002 

census) give the following population 

figures: 

Physical and chemical factors 

with impact on buildings 

The state of utilities: up to the present, these 

installations have been replaced in Grand 

Square, Lesser Square, Huet Square, and 

Alexandru Odobescu Street. 

Phreatic-water level: there is a higher level in 

the Lower Town and there is a “lens of water” in 

the Upper Town, in the area of Grand Square. 

Dampness: frequent in buildings in the 

Historic Centre, caused by: damaged water 

pipes inside walls, uncontrolled water leakage 

and neglected repair work, lack of horizontal 

isolation at the basis of walls, wall coating done 

with unsuitable materials (e.g. tiles, sandstone), 

plastering with modern materials that prevent 

walls from breathing, asphalt pavement 

extending to the walls, clogged-up gutters not 

connected to street sewage. Various 

interventions will be necessary in this respect. 

The state of basements: in the Upper Town 

(vi) Miscellanea 

• number of residents within the Heritage 

Site – 13,958 inhabitants; 

• number of residents in the Buffer Zone – 

11,044 inhabitants. 

they are in good condition, since there is no water 

infiltration. On the other hand, in rainy periods, 

there are recurring problems in the Lower Town. 

The state of foundations: there is no survey 

of the entire area. Case to case technical surveys 

can provide information on specific buildings. 

Physical and chemical factors 

Although there is no acid rain in Sibiu, some 

elements of the buildings in the Historic Centre 

(e.g. masonry, sculpted elements and stone 

frames, tile roofing) are affected by a number of 

atmospheric factors, such as: temperature 

variations, wind, and humidity. Atmospheric 

humidity and pluvial water have the most 

noticeable effect, especially in the context of 

successive cycles of frosting-defrosting (Fig. 122). 

As part of the programme “Rehabilitating the 

Historic Centre of Sibiu” a number of projects, 

in the form of demonstrations but also of cofinancing 

of works, have been initiated, to


Fig. 122. The The Stairway Passage in winter 

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152 


prevent or stop deterioration caused by these 

factors. These programmes focus on emergency 

roof repair work, meant to eliminate pluvial 

water infiltration and redirect rainfall, away from 

vulnerable elements. 

The Office for Planning and Survey of the 

Historic Centre provides consultancy and 

assures that materials specific to the site – same 

dimension, colour, shape, and granulation – are 

used for repair and restoration work. 

Biological factors 

The widespread use of wood as a construction 

element in most buildings of the Historic Centre 

entails the action of biological factors (e.g. 

microorganisms, insects, fungi) in the Heritage Site. 

The most serious danger is represented by 

Merulis Lacrymans, a fungus which destroys 

cellulose, causing brittleness in wooden 

structures (e.g. frameworks, floors/platforms, 

loggias, sculpted ornaments). Fortunately this 

fungus appears only in a few isolated cases. 

Historic frameworks are in relatively good 

condition and so far, there has been no largescale 

deterioration. The reason for this is that, 

for many decades, unlike other European 

Historic Centres, the Sibiu Site has been lived in 

uninterruptedly. Almost without exception, 

buildings in the Heritage Site have been 

permanently lived in or used, thus ensuring a 

modicum of maintenance and ventilation of the 

attics, and helping the preservation of the 

wooden elements of roofs. 

The Municipality is responsible for the 

prevention and control of this risk factor. Any 

intervention on buildings that are part of the Site 

requires permits from the Municipality of Sibiu 

and, among other things, these are conditional 

on biological surveys. 

Current regulations in constructions 

mandate the replacement of damaged wooden 

parts. The Office for Planning and Survey of the 

Historic Centre of the Municipality of Sibiu 

provides advice and checks repair work done in 

the Heritage Site; preservation and 

consolidation work should follow the 

regulations for construction security, and these 

interventions should remove as little material as 

possible from wooden structures. 

Sibiu has specialized laboratories (e.g. the 

Restoration Laboratory of the Brukenthal 

National Museum and the Regional Laboratory 

for Preservation and Restoration of the ASTRA 

Museum), as well as companies that specialize 

in undertaking surveys, providing consultancy 

for repair work on buildings in the Historic 

Centre, and implementing pest control.

5 PROTECTION 

AND MANAGEMENT 


151

The buildings in the Historic Centre are: 

- the public or private property of the state 

or of the City of Sibiu, 

- the private property of individuals or 

legal entities, 

- mixed property. 

1. According to the data of the 2002 census, 

published by the Statistics Office of the 

County of Sibiu, the ownership of apartments 

in the protected area is broken down as 

follows: 

- private property 82.9% 

- state property 11.7 % 

- property of religious institutions 5.4% 

General Elements 

At present, the Historic Centre of the City of 

Sibiu has been declared a Site of National 

Interest (position 171), comprising, apart from 

the Nominated World Heritage Site, five 

archaeological sites (positions 1-5), the 

mediaeval fortification complex of the city 

(position 165), and the fortified enclosures 

(positions 166-170). Moreover, eighty-four 

buildings in the Historic Centre also have the 

status of historic monuments of national 

importance (A Category) and a further eightyfive 

buildings situated in the Historic Centre 

have the status of historic monuments of 

regional importance (B Category). 

The list of all these monuments was 

approved by Order no. 2314/July 8 th , 2004, and 

was published in Monitorul Oficial (Official 

Gazette) No. 646 (July 16 th , 2004). 

The legal status of the Historic Centre of the 

City of Sibiu is further regulated by: 

- Law No. 203/2001, for approval of 

Government Ordinance No. 5/1999 

declaring the City of Sibiu and its 

surrounding area a Site of National Interest. 

5.a Ownership 

5.a Ownership 

5.b Protective Designation 

2. According to the inventory of buildings in the 

Nominated World Heritage Site, compiled by 

GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) in the 

year 2004, the situation of ownership is as 

follows: 

- private property (single ownership) 21% 

- private property (joint ownership) 45% 

- state property 2% 

- mixed property 28% 

- the property of religious institutions 4% 

A rather undesirable situation is that of houses 

that belong to more than one owner, as a result 

of retrocession (re-privatization). Ensuring that 

they revert to single ownership is a mediumterm 

objective. 

- Government Decision GD 525/1996 for 

approval of the General Regulations for 

Town-planning. 

Management Authority 

National Authorities: 

The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, 

with its directorates: 

• The Directorate for Historic Monuments and 

Museums 

• The Sibiu Directorate for Culture, Religion 

and National Cultural Heritage. 

• The Ministry’s remit in this field is 

established by Art. 27 of Law No. 422/2001 

for the protection of historic monuments. 

Other authorities: 

• The National Institute of Historic 

Monuments. Its remit is established by Art. 

29 of Law No. 422/2001 for the protection 

of historic monuments, and by Government 

Decision No. 261/2002 for the organisation 

and functioning of the National Institute of 

Historic Monuments. Its special 

responsibilities are: 

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156 

a) to compile the National List of Historic 

Monuments and 

b) to administer its database. 

• The National Office of Historic Monuments. 

Its remit is established by Art. 30 of Law No. 

422/2001 for the protection of historic 

monuments, and by Government Decision 

No. 1257/2001 for the organisation and 

functioning of the National Office of 

Historic Monuments. Its special 

responsibility is to administer governmental 

funds for the restoration of historic 

monuments. 

Regional Authorities: 

The Sibiu County Council; 

The Municipality of Sibiu, Chief Architect’s 

Office, which, according to general regulations, 

comprises: 

• The Office of Urbanism and Urban Planning 

is in charge of the valid issue of urbanism 

certificates under the regulations of PUG for 

the entire city area; 

• The Office for Building Permits and Control 

issues certificates and building permits; it 

monitors observance of building regulations; 

• The Bureau for Monitoring and Planning for 

the Historic Centre and its monumentsremit: 

- monitoring of buildings in city ownership 

and those in the Historic Centre; 

- promoting public offers for the 

rehabilitation works of buildings in the 

Historic Centre; 

- monitoring the observance of local city 

regulations for the Historic Centre. 

Institutions and persons 

with management responsabilities 

The various bodies are: 

- The National Board for Historic Monuments 

under Art. 32 of Law No. 422/2001, 

establishing its staff and remit, as well as its 

5 Protection and Management of the Property 

internal Regulations, approved by Order of 

the Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs. 

- The specialised subcommittees of the 

National Board for Historic Monuments 

under Art. 32 (2) of Law No. 422/2001. The 

subcommittees are: Architecture and 

Engineering; Urbanism; the Arts. 

- No. 7 Regional Committee of Historic 

Monuments covering the following counties: 

Sibiu, Braşov, Covasna, Harghita, Mureş, 

Alba. The Chairman of the Committee is a 

member of the National Board for Historic 

Monuments, each county has a 

representative in the Regional Committee of 

Historic Monuments; the Secretariate is 

located in the Braşov Directorate for 

Culture, Religious Affairs and National 

Cultural Heritage. 

The remit of the Committees is established by 

Order of the Minister of Culture and Religious 

Affairs. 

Addresses of various bodies: 

� The secretariate of CNMI: the Minister of 

Culture and Religious Affairs / The 

Directorate for Historic Munuments and 

Museums: Arh. Dan Nicolae, No. 30, Kiseleff 

Rd., RO – 011347 Bucureşti; 

� The secretariate of CRMI nr. 7: The Braşov 

Directorate for Culture, Religious Affairs and 

National Cultural Patrimony: prof. Dana 

Jenei, No. 22, M. Weiss Str., RO – 500031 

Braşov; 

� Municipality of the City of Sibiu, The Bureau 

for Monitoring and Planning for the Historic 

Centre: Arh. Ioana Urdea, No. 1–3, Victoriei 

Bd., RO – 550024 Sibiu; 

� The Sibiu Directorate for Culture, Religious 

Affairs and National Cultural Patrimony: prof. 

Vasile Crişan, No. 6, Tribunei Street, RO – 

550176 Sibiu.

5.c Means of Implementing Protective Measures 

5.c Means of Implementing Protective Measures 

National legal framework 

Laws of the national patrimony: 

� Law No. 422/2001 for the protection of 

national historic monuments; 

� Government Ordinance GO No. 47/2000 for 

protective measures for historic monuments 

inscribed on the World Heritage List; 

� Law No. 5/2000 for the approval of the 

Urban Planning Project – Section III: 

Protected zones; 

� Law No. 350/2001 for urban planning and 

urbanism; 

� Law No. 105/2004 for the protection of the 

movable cultural heritage. 

Government Decisions and other legal measures 

regulating the disposition of national patrimony, 

pursuant of laws: 

� Government Decision No. 261/2002, for the 

establishment of the National Institute for 

Historic Monuments, with its areas of 

responsibility; 

� Order No. 2632/2004 of the Minister of 

Culture and Religious Affairs for approval of 

the Methodological Criteria for the listing and 

evidence of historic monuments, of the List 

of historic monuments, of the Record Card of 

historic monuments and the Minimal Record 

Card of historic monuments; 

� Decision No. 493/2004 for the monitoring of 

historic monuments inscribed on the World 

Heritage List, and the Methodology for the production 

and the management plan for the 

protection and administration of historic monuments 

inscribed on the World Heritage List; 

� Order No. 2314/2004 of the Minister of 

Culture and Religious Affairs for approval of 

the updated List of historic monuments and 

the List of lost historic monuments; 

� Order of the Minister of Transport, 

Construction and Tourism No. 562/2003 for 

approval of the Regulations entitled 

“Methodology for the production and the 

management plan of urbanism documentation 

for protected urban areas (PUZ).” 

Procedure in the case of actual 

or possible violations 

Depending on the seriousness of the violation: 

� Notification of the County Directorate for 

Culture, Religious Affairs and National 

Cultural Heritage; 

� Notification of the Ministry of Culture and 

Religious Affairs and of the National Board 

for Historic Monuments; 

� Decision to enforce penalties commensurate 

with the seriousness of the violation; 

� Court action in cases involving penal offences; 

� Enforcement of the provisions of the Penal 

Code for the destruction of historic 

monuments, a legal offence; 

� Application of the penalties stipulated by 

Law No. 422/2001 Title IV art. 54, 55, 56, 

57, 58 for offences and contraventions. 

Means at the disposal of the authorities 

for the protection of monuments: 

� warning, 

� notification, 

� fine, 

� court action. 

Local measures: 

- Decision of the City Council of Sibiu, No. 

112/2001; 

- Local Regulation for the historic zone (an 

integral part of the General Plan for Urban 

Development). 

Non-judicial measures: 

GTZ co-financing programmes for the 

rehabilitation of buildings: gates, windows, 

dampness, roofs etc. 

Promotion of traditional techniques and 

materials for the rehabilitation of buildings: 

information and training classes for 

craftsmen, organised by GTZ and the Mihai 

Eminescu Foundation. 

157

158 

Urban construction sites: 

Public spaces: rehabilitation of Grand Square, 

Lesser Square, Huet Square; 

Streets: rehabilitation of Ocnei Street, Al. 


1350–1530 

1530–1700 

1700–1825 

1825–1875 

1875–1925 

1925–2004 

Fig. 123. The Age of the Buildings in the Historic Center 

Odobescu Street, etc; 

Emergency interventions: the Stairway Passage; 

Buildings: Sibiu Town Hall (No. 2-4, 

Brukenthal Street), buildings at Nos. 21-22,

5.d Existing Plans Related to Municipality and Region in which the Property is Located 

Lesser Square, Sports Hall, Al. Odobescu 

Street, Thalia Hall, rehabilitation of the 

Town Hall Tower, rehabilitation of the 

towers in Cetăţii Street. 

5.d Existing Plans Related to Municipality and Region in which 

the Proposed Property is Located 

(e.g., Regional or Local Plan, Conservation Plan, Tourism Development Plan) 

Plans of various jurisdiction 

� General Plan for Urban Development 

(1999). 

� Preliminary Study toward a General Plan for 

Urban Development for the City of Sibiu 

and a Long-term Development Strategy for 

the entire City of Sibiu (2003): it offers a 

new, long- and medium-term urban strategy 

for the city. The conclusions of this 

preliminary study will be the basis for the 

implementation of the new General Plan for 

Urban Development; it outlines changes in 

the functional profile of important parts of 

the city. 

� Regulations for the Historic Zone (2001). 

� Zonal Urban Plan – mediaeval architectural 

reservation. Historic Centre, including town 

planning regulations (2001-2003): the object 

of the study is the Historic Centre, but the 

study also includes the Buffer Zone along 

the boundary of the Site, representing the 

interface between the architectural 

ensemble and the city. The study offers: 

- indexing of buildings (Fig. 123); 

- dating of buildings; 

– valuation of buildings in terms of: 

volumetry, façades, valuable interiors, 

well-preserved antique woodwork, 

miscellaneous artwork (frescoes, stucco 

work, door and window framings); 

– recommended traffic flow chart for the 

Site and the Buffer Zone. 

� Segmental Plan for Urban Development – 

The Charter for 

the Rehabilitation 

of the Historic 

The Complex of Squares in the Nominated 

World Heritage Site: Huet Square, Grand 

Square, Lesser Square, Aurarilor Square, 

with the adjacent stairways (2001-2003). 

Within the inner city, the area under 

scrutiny occupies a central position. It is in 

this area that most of the historic 

monuments of major interest for tourists are 

concentrated. At present, there are a 

number of important institutions in the area, 

such as the Town Hall, churches, museums, 

and shopping areas. At the same time, it is 

within this perimeter that the buildings with 

the greatest stability problems, requiring 

emergency intervention are located, 

especially in the boundary area between the 

Lower Town and the Upper Town. In the 

case of most buildings, the consolidation 

and restoration work cannot be undertaken 

individually because of the close 

interdependence between neighbouring 

buildings, so that an overall investigation is 

necessary. The general principles of this 

investigation are mentioned in this study. 

The study contains: 

- indexing of buildings, their current 

condition, marking of compromised 

building sections; 

- the existence of green areas or places 

assigned for gardens; 

- the map of known archaeological sites, 

superimposed over the network of streets 

and of buildings above ground. 

Concepts for the General Development of the City and of Its Monuments 

The Rehabilitation Charter was first published with the purpose of 

preserving the physical and cultural heritage of the Historic Centre of 

Sibiu. It offers a frame of reference and it brings together a set of 

159

160 

Centre of Sibiu 

(2000) 

Urban Action 

Programme for 

Sibiu 

2001-2004 

Local Action Plan 

21 – The Local 

Longterm 

Development Plan 

(2004) 

The City of Sibiu: 

Development 

Guide (2004) 


guidelines for the rehabilitation of the architectural heritage of Sibiu. The 

Charter emphasises eight priority directions of action, including: the 

preservation of the cityscape of the historic city, tourism and cultural 

activities, traffic limitation, and public spaces. This document is the first 

of a series of planning and management instruments that provide a 

political framework for the main public and private entities in Sibiu. 

The 2001-2004 Urban Action Programme is an official planning 

document for a period of four years, which sets out immediate strategic 

elements and urban development projects for Sibiu. The document is 

organised according to a sectorial approach, including the following 

chapters: dwelling, technical infrastructure, public spaces, traffic, tourism, 

commerce, and crafts. Each chapter contains short and medium-term 

strategic plans or projects, both for the Historic Centre and for the entire 

City. This document was updated in 2004 and will be published in 2005 

under the title “The Management Plan of the Historic Centre of Sibiu.” 

The Local Long-term Development Plan, elaborated by the Municipality 

of Sibiu, with international assistance, provides a short analysis of the 

urban context and sets out a series of strategic objectives that will assure 

a lasting development of the city. 

The Guide comprises the main directions for city policies in the main 

fields of activity. It sets out strategic objectives and represents the basis for 

the modernising process of the entire city. 

The List of Historic Monuments in the Nominated World Heritage Site 

A Category Sites (of national importance): 

The archaeological site in Sibiu; 

The fortifications of the mediaeval city, Enclosure 

I, Enclosure II, Enclosure III, Enclosure IV, Late 

Fortifications; 

Historic Centre. 

A Category Buildings (of national importance) and 

B Category Buildings (of regional importance) in 

the protected area: 

- 9 Mai Street: 43 (A), 14, 22, 30, 36, 75, 83 (B). 

- Aurarilor Square: 3, 10 (A), 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 

(B). 

- Argintarilor Street: 1 and 9 (B). 

- Arhivelor Street: 2 (B). 

- Armelor Square: 10 (B). 

- Avram Iancu Street: 1-3, 5, 7, 8, 8. 11, 14, 16 

(A), 2, 4, 6 (B). 

- Azilului Street: 2, 4 (A), 3 (B). 

(List approved and updated in 2004 / Fig. 36) 

- Nicolae Bălcescu Street: 12, 40 (A), 2, 7, 14, 16, 

17, 20, 21, 22, 28, 34, 38, 42 (B). 

- Samuel von Brukenthal Street: 1, 2 (A), 3, 4 (B). 

- Cetăţii Street: 5 (B). 

- Constituţiei Street: 19 (B). 

- Faurului Street: 18 (A), 6, 12, 16, 20 (B). 

- Huet Square: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 17, The Lutheran 

Parish Church (A): 16 (B). 

- General Gheorghe Magheru Street: 4, 34-36 (A), 

2 (B). 

- Grand Square: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 

16 (A), 11, 13, 15 (B). 

- Lesser Square: 2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 

22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, the iron bridge (A), 

6, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20, 29 (B). 

- Mitropoliei Street: 2a, 7, 9, 13, 17, 20-24, 33-35 

(A), 8, 11, 15, 18, 19, 75 (B). 

- Moş Ion Roată Street: 6 (B). 

- Movilei Street: 1 (B).

5.e Property Management Plan or Other Management System 

- Ocnei Street: 3-5, 8, 22 (A), 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 17, 

19, 24, 30 (B). 

- Papiu Ilarian Street: 10 (A). 

- the Stairway Passage: 1, 2, 3, 4 (B). 

- Şcolii Passageway: 2 (B). 

- Şelarilor Street: 12-14 (A). 

- Târgului Street: 3 (A), 4a (B). 

- Tipografilor Street: 4, 23 (B). 

- Turnului Street: 6, 14 (A), 1, 4, 7, 12 (B). 

- Vopsitorilor Street: 13 (A), 21 (B). Buildings in 

the Buffer Zone: 

- Constantin Noica Street: 48 (A). 

- The Roman Catholic Chapel of the Holy 

Cross (A) 

5.e Property Management Plan or Other Management Systems 

The management plan was drawn up by IHS 

Romania in 2004. It is attached to the present 

documentation. The specific aims of the 

Management Plan include: 

– to provide management guidance and overall 

coordination of existing initiatives, 

instruments and programmes for the 

preservation and restoration of the Site; 

– to guide and control development to ensure 

that the values of the Site are not harmed; 

– to highlight the priority actions of the 

Municipality of Sibiu for the next five years. 

The elaboration of the management plan is a 

participative process, where all stakeholders, 

lead by a community based task force are 

involved in its different stages. The Municipality 

plays a leading role, but representatives of 

municipal agencies, of the local community, the 

private sector and NGOs are also participating 

in identifying key management issues, 

development objectives and projects. A series of 

workshops and intranet debates on management 

issues were organised with municipal staff. 

Interviews with representatives of the 

community brought up important aspects 

concerning these issues and contributed to the 

formulation of strategic objectives. 

Consultation with the community will 

continue to be an important characteristic of this 

plan, during its implementation stage. 

This Management Plan is organised in 3 parts: 

• The first part includes a description of the 

Site, including the relevant maps and 

illustrations. This chapter is a summary 

version of the site description included in 

the UNESCO Nomination Report. 

• The second part describes the key 

management issues that should be dealt with 

in respect to the conservation and protection 

of the Historic Centre. 

• And finally, the Site Management Action 

Plan maps out the strategic objectives and 

detailed actions/ projects for the following 

sectoral issues: Conservation of the cultural 

heritage, Technical infrastructure and public 

services, Trafic management, Public spaces 

and squares, Tourism and an Action Plan 

„Erlebnisraum”. The action plan for each of 

the sectoral issues includes an 

implementation timeframe and allocates the 

main responsabilities and tasks. A thematic 

map illustrating the proposed actions and 

projects accompanies each page. 

The Historic Centre Management Plan 

complements and further details existing 

planning and policy documents that have been 

developed in the recent past, namely: 

• The „Rehabilitation Charter for the Historic 

Center of the City of Sibiu” (Carta 

Reabilitării Centrului Istoric al oraşului 

Sibiu), first published in 2000. 

• The Municipal Action Programme 2001– 

2004 (Program Urban de Acţiune Sibiu 

2001–2004). 

• The Development Guide for Sibiu (Ghid de 

dezvoltare), published in 2004. 

161

162 


5.f Sources and Levels of Finance 

Alotted sums: 

Sources of financing Planned Work 2004 2005 

Total Local Budget Various Works 13.358.228.- € 19.961.174.- € 

Budget Historic Centre Infrastructure, pavement restoration etc. 1.901.614.- € 13.811.428.- € 

2005 County Budget Rehabilitation of the Thick Tower 1.557.143.- € 257.143.- € 

2005 National Budget Restoration in the Historic Centre 

(Sibiu, Cultural Capital) 1.000.000.- € 

Cofinancing KVW Investments in Grand Square, Lesser Square, Huet Square 

1.901.614.- € 64.763.- € 

Cofinancing BERD Renewal of public lighting in the Historic Centre, 

Railway Station Area 5.000.000.- € 

5.g Sources of Expertise and Training in Conservation 

and Management Techniques 

For a long time, the Historic Centre of Sibiu has 

made the object of studies of cultural history 

that resulted in a number of scientific papers. 

However, only a limited number of local 

historians were able to publish their work 

during the Communist Regime. On the other 

hand, during that period local architects found it 

all but impossible to gain experience in the field 

of rehabilitation of historic monuments. Until 

the late 1990s, the rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre did not exist as a field of activity for 

architects, construction firms and city 

administration alike. 

The situation has changed considerably 

starting with the year 1999. The Ministry of 

Culture and Religious Affairs recognised the 

importance of preserving the Historic Centre of 

Sibiu and requested the assistance of the 

Government of the Federal Republic of 

Germany in a programme of technical cooperation, 

whose aim was to create the 

necessary competence for the Municipality in 

view of the rehabilitation of the historic area. 

The project of co-operation between the 

Municipality and GTZ (Society for Technical 

Cooperation) initiated a series of emergency 

actions, allowing designers and workers to 

acquire onsite, specialized knowledge in the 

field of rehabilitation of historic monuments. 

Certifications. Furthermore, the Ministry of 

Culture and Religious Affairs introduced special 

provisions for the certification of qualifications 

required to work in the rehabilitation of historic 

buildings. Meanwhile, all architects, civil 

engineers, and site supervisors involved in 

activities of rehabilitation of historic buildings 

have to undergo further training (M.A. courses), as 

well as a yearly certification process at the 

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs. Special 

permits have been issued for construction 

companies undertaking such projects. These 

certificates attest training for certain categories of 

traditional crafts. 

Qualified Personnel within the Administration 

Municipality. The City administration has a 

special “Bureau for Monitoring and Planning for 

the Historic Centre.” This department is run by 

the Chief Architect of the city who is also a 

lecturer in the Department of Restoration and 

Conservation of the School of Architecture; his 

Assistant has an M.A. degree in Restoration 

Studies. 

The Regional and National Committee for 

Historic Monuments. All planned rehabilitation 

measures concerning historic monuments have

5.g Sources of Expertise and Training in Conservation and Management Techniques 

to be submitted to No: 7 Regional Committee in 

Braşov, which has jurisdiction over Sibiu 

County. Requests concerning buildings of 

national importance are forwarded from here to 

the National Committee of Historic Monuments, 

within the Ministry of Culture and Religious 

Affairs. The Regional Committee is chaired by 

world famous architect and historian, Prof. Paul 

Niedermaier, Ph.D. and made up of highly 

qualified experts. 

The State Inspectorate for Construction. This 

bureau has ca. eight inspectors, under the 

supervision of architect Gheorghe Şeptilici, and 

is involved in both the authorization process 

and in monitoring construction activity. The 

Inspectorate regularly monitors restoration work 

and hires only authorized superintendents, with 

expertise in this field. 

Institutions in charge of rehabilitation. 

Starting with the year 2006, the qualified 

personnel and the group of co-working 

Fig. 124. The Summer University in the City of Sibiu 

architects, involved in the current rehabilitation 

project of the Sibiu Historic Centre, will be 

transferred to an institution in charge of the 

rehabilitation of monuments, in order to assure 

permanent assistance to building owners and 

further development of the subsidies programme. 

The personnel involved in the project are highly 

experienced in the rehabilitation of historic 

monuments and in managing subsidies. Further 

training is programmed till the end of 2006. 

Experts, architects, and engineers. In 1999, 

only five of the 80 architects in the Sibiu area 

showed an interest in the field of rehabilitation 

of historic buildings, while at present, there is a 

group of 14 architects and consulting engineers 

that elaborate projects, free of charge, for the 

following: 

o analysis of building structural stability, 

o list of criteria for selection for rehabilitation, 

o cost estimate of interventions required 

by building owners. 

163

This group of consulting architects is constantly 

increasing. Architects from different regions of 

the country have also been involved in this 

rehabilitation project. For the past four years, 

the consulting architects have been working 

intensely on the historic building rehabilitation 

programme using traditional techniques and 

materials; as a result, they have acquired 

considerable experience in rehabilitation work. 

Construction Companies involved. 

Construction companies in the region have 

discovered this new market and have regularly 

been sending their workers to training courses. 

In the late 1990s, there was only one 

construction company that executed 

rehabilitation work, whereas currently nine 

large construction companies have a special 

department for rehabilitation work. Four of these 

companies employ workers that have graduated 

successfully from a stonemason-training course. 

At present, there are five companies that 

undertake restoration of historic gates and doors 

and employ carpenters who have completed 

training courses. 

164 

Training Courses for Architects 

The GTZ Project. This project offers consulting 

architects onsite training, as well as assistance 

and support. The project has conducted 

seminars –often over several time periods – for 

architects, as well as for construction workers or 

companies on certain selected topics, such as 

dampness control or wood preservation. These 

courses will continue through 2006. 

M.A. Studies in Restoration and Rehabilitation 

Work. “Babes – Bolyai” University of Cluj-Napoca 

and “Ion Mincu” University of Bucharest offer 

two-year Master Programs in restoration and 

rehabilitation of historic monuments. Architects 

and engineers need to graduate from these M.A. 

courses, in order to receive permission to work 

on projects for historic monuments. 

The Sibiu Campus (College of Architecture 

and Restoration) of “Ion Mincu” University of 

Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest. Housed 


in the historic building at No. 22, Lesser Square, 

the College of Architecture and Restoration has 

functioned in Sibiu since September 2003. The 

College concentrates on the teaching of the 

rehabilitation of buildings and of historic 

monuments, being the only institution of its kind 

in the country. After the first year of study, 

practical experience is emphasized, including 

actual field work partly carried out on building 

sites , with building materials and technologies 

specific to construction work on historic 

buildings (Fig. 124). As a further step in this 

direction, cooperation is envisaged with the 

crafts training and demonstration centre 

organized by the “House of Arts.” 

“Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Faculty of 

History and Heritage Conservation. The “Nicolae 

Lupu” Faculty of History and Patrimony of “Lucian 

Blaga” University of Sibiu has three specializations: 

– conservation – restoration, 

– history (archaeology), 

– history and a foreign language. 

Training Courses for Traditional Crafts 

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and 

Agriculture of Sibiu, in co-operation with the 

Chamber of Commerce of Mainz, started a project 

in the field of handicrafts six years ago. Given the 

local demand for traditional craftsmen, the project 

focused on training courses for carpenters and 

stonemasons with special emphasis on multi-stage 

training courses for stonemasons, in the employ of 

several Sibiu construction companies. These 

courses will continue through 2007. 

The GTZ Project. The training courses organized 

as part of the GTZ Project focused mainly 

on the rehabilitation of historic gates and doors 

(Fig. 125). A total of 69 joiners from 23 companies 

took part in these training courses. Later, courses 

in the restoration and rehabilitation of historic 

windows and shutters were also organised. 

The Romanian–German Foundation. In 

addition to the above mentioned courses, the 

Foundation also offers different training courses for 

traditional handicrafts, such as carpentry. 

The “Mihai Eminescu” Trust. The training 

course with practical applications for façade

5.g Sources of Expertise and Training in Conservation and Management Techniques 

Fig. 125. Gates Restored by GTZ 

165

ehabilitation, based on traditional technologies 

using plaster or lime-based paints, was initiated by 

the GTZ Project in co-operation with the “Mihai 

Eminescu” Trust. Rehabilitation work on several 

façades in the Historic Centre was undertaken as 

part of the project. 

After the completion of these projects, the 

foundation’s main focus reverted to its initial area 

of interest: rural architecture; nevertheless, future 

collaborations are definitely not excluded. 

The Crafts, Training and Demonstration 

Centre of the “House of Arts”. The Centre is a 

new project, housed in the historic building at 

166 

Accommodation and Services Offered 

The successful programmes of preservation of 

the cultural heritage create a connection 

between tourism, museums, art, natural 

resources, and other elements of interest, 

necessary for the establishment of strong 

partnerships, with the preservation, 

improvement, promotion and administration of 

these unique resources as their main objectives. 

The likelihood of Sibiu successfully entering 

the circuit of cultural tourism depends largely on 

the city’s ability to foster regional links with the 

fortified Saxon Churches in Transylvania and with 

other important Transylvanian cities, such as 

Sighişoara, Alba-Iulia, Târgu-Mures, and Cluj- 

Napoca. 

The first visible effect of the inscription of 

Sibiu on the World Heritage List of UNESCO is 

expected to show in the area of tourism. 

Favourable developments, such as better 

business opportunities for service providers and 

more jobs are likely to have an important impact 

upon the whole local community. However, 

hidden downsides, such as the suddenly inflated 

number of visitors to the Historic Centre, will 

have to be considered and solutions devised, 

especially for problems such as increased strain 

on public utilities and disturbance of the 

residents’ customary way of life. 

Upward trends are visible in the quality of 


5.h Visitor Facilities and Statistics 

No. 21, Lesser Square, its purpose being to 

attract architects, practising craftsmen, and 

superintendents of work, through exhibitions 

and training courses. Through illustrative boards 

and exhibits, the standing exhibition will 

provide information related to all the traditional 

techniques and building materials used for 

repair work. It will also present modern 

techniques, suitable for rehabilitation work, as 

well as case studies of rehabilitated items, 

accurate in terms of workmanship and 

complying with the regulations on historic 

monuments. 

tourist services in Sibiu (hotels modernised and 

refurbished, new tourist information centre in 

Grand Square, etc.). Efforts are being made to 

harmonise the interests of the public and the 

private sector, in the choice of tourist 

attractions to be encouraged in the Historic 

Centre of Sibiu. A common strategy will also 

be agreed upon, taking into consideration both 

future advantages and disadvantages of 

increased tourist industry. 

Close cooperation between local 

authorities and tour operators will be 

necessary in the future, to assure the 

economic development of the city on the one 

hand and the preservation of the cultural 

heritage and of the unique features of the 

Historic Centre on the other. The Tour 

Operators Association, the Association for 

Rural Tourism, and the Association for 

Tourism in Sibiu are the main NGO’s active in 

the field of tourism, that collaborate with the 

2007 Association, founded to organize the 

“Sibiu/Hermannstadt – Cultural Capital of 

Europe 2007” event. These associations will 

contribute to the planning of a long-term 

development strategy for the Historic Centre. 

At the same time, close cooperation will be 

essential for the improvement of the range of 

tourist activities and services on offer, both in 

the immediate future (2007) and in the long run.

The Municipality’s Tourist Information 

Centre is located in Grand Square; as yet, the 

number of employees and the range of 

information offered are limited. The centre 

offers thematic tours and makes available 

brochures and informative materials to 

visitors. 

Visitor statistics 

Visitors to the Historic Centre of Sibiu over the 

period between 2002-2004: 

Year Type of 

accommodation 

Arrivals 

2002 Hotel 32.984 

Urban boarding 

house 

1.516 

TOTAL 2002 34.500 

2003 Hotel 31.466 


house 

1.570 

TOTAL 2003 33.036 

2004 Hotel 35.190 


house 

1.164 

TOTAL 2004 36.354 

In 2005, according to statistical estimates, 

the number of arrivals in the Historic Centre will 

have been 15% higher as compared to the 

previous years and this will result in a number 

of 38.000 tourists. 

Compared to the estimated rise of the 

demand for tourist services, the current 

capacity is limited. Sibiu has been chosen, 

with Luxembourg, as Cultural Capital of 

Europe in 2007, and this makes it necessary 

for the city to come up with a cultural offer 

capable of attracting a large number of visitors 

and of meeting their various needs. In 

addition to the diversification of the cultural 

agenda on offer, the city will have to increase 

its capacity to accommodate visitors. Over the 

past three years, the number of beds available 

in hotels or boarding houses in the Historic 

Centre (not counting those outside its limits) 


was as follows: 

Year Type of Number of 

accommodation beds 

2002 Hotel 384 


house 

39 

TOTAL 423 

2003 Hotel 480 


house 

135 

TOTAL 617 

2004 Hotel 1.295 


house 

309 

TOTAL 1.604 

Compared to this situation, in the first half of 

the year 2005, the number of beds in urban 

hotels and boarding houses increased 

significantly. 

The most important hotels in Sibiu are 

located in Nicolae Bălcescu Street (The 

“Împăratul Romanilor” Hotel), as well as outside 

the Historic Centre, yet quite close to the Site, in 

Unirii Square (The “Bulevard” and “Continental” 

Hotels). These hotels provide 2 star and 3 star 

services. A new and increasingly popular form 

of tourist accommodation is the private 

boarding house that addresses the needs of a 

different class of tourists. 

The Historic Centre of Sibiu offers good 

location for hostels or boarding houses, 

especially considering the fact that the current 

fund of buildings, as well as traffic restrictions 

does not favour the enlargement or further 

development of already existing hotels. 

However, there are investors currently 

interested in building two new 3 star and 4 star 

hotels in Teatrului Square, just outside the 

Historic Centre. 

Diversification and modernization will help 

Sibiu bring its services to the level of the new 

forms of tourism that it seeks: weekend and 

leisure tourism, conference tourism, business 

tourism (two to three nights of accommodation 

167

with quality services at competitive prices). 

These initiatives have increased the city’s 

capacity to meet new, increased demands. 

168 

Bars and Restaurants 

The restaurants and terraces in the Historic Centre 

are probably the most dynamic commercial sector 

in Sibiu. The range of services offered caters to 

different tastes and budgets, with services and 

amenities covering a wide range. 

Most restaurants offer traditional Romanian 

food, as well as international cuisine, while 

vegetarian dishes are not prominent on the 

menu. From spring to late autumn, there is a 

dense network of terraces in the main squares 

and in the Nicolae Bălcescu pedestrian precinct 

and they appeal to young and elderly alike. 

Shops and Boutiques 

Shops in the Historic Centre of Sibiu have 

served its population and that of the whole 


region for many centuries. Offering a wide 

range of shops for both locals and tourists, the 

district is vitally important for the economy of 


The Historic Centre of Sibiu has a variety of 

shops, sharing the same premises and 

combining their resources to provide an 

attractive range of offers to customers. 

Compared to 2001, investments in the Historic 

Centre have increased three to four fold, a 

positive signal that the Historic Centre has 

become a more favourable location for trade, 

and that shop owners feel more encouraged to 

invest in commercial spaces. 

Out of a total commercial area of 16.890 m 2 

currently available in the Historic Centre, shops 

occupy a larger area than cafés, restaurants, and 

other businesses. In addition, it should be 

mentioned that 75% of the commercial 

establishments in the entire city carry on their 

business in the Historic Centre. 

Fig. 126. The Parking Lot in Xenopol Street

Investments made by banks, agencies and 

various offices, as well as owners of restaurants 

and cafés have increased six fold compared to 

2001. The resulting upturn in real-estate prices has 

given a powerful boost to the economic life of 


The results of surveys and polls taken in 

2002 and 2003 among businesses engaged in 

retail trade and services in the central area of the 

city help form a clearer picture of this type of 

business activity. The surveys did not include 

the entire historic city but only the streets more 

frequently used by locals and tourists. 

Field 2002 2003 

Food Stores 18 16 

Restaurants/Cafés/Confectionaries 22 28 

Services and Consumer Goods 136 140 

Consumer Goods /Medium-Term 60 86 

Consumer Goods /Long-term 17 27 

Commercial Banks 3 6 

Total 256 303 

Parking Lots 

There are several factors impacting the 

management of traffic in the city, as the private 

and the public sectors sometimes have 

conflicting interests. Several studies by 

Romanian and foreign experts, commissioned 

by the local authorities, have dealt with trafficconnected 

problems and difficulties and their 

management. 

A study of traffic in the historic area, 

financed by the Romanian - German project: “The 


Rehabilitation of the Historic Centre of Sibiu / 

Hermanstadt,” is currently being undertaken. 

An overview of the existing parking lots in the 

Historic Centre (Fig. 126) is given in the table 

below: 

Type of Parking Lot 

Parking Lots for Residents 

/ Season Tickets 

Free Parking Lots/ 

without any facilities 

Fee Paying Parking 

Lots / with facilities 

Private Parking Lots / 

Fee paying 

Public Toilets 

Number 

of Parking 

Lots 

Number 

of Lots 

21 581 

23 627 

4 243 

1 42 

Public toilets in the historic city are located in: 

• “Astra” Park 

• Lesser Square – in the restraining wall 

• Tineretului Park 

• The Central Railway Station area – in the 

basement of the building located in the centre of 

the square 

On the occasion of public events organised 

in the summer season, environmental toilets are 

placed in various areas. 

Medical Emergency Services 

The City of Sibiu has a fleet of 23 

ambulances. 

5.i Policies and Programmes Related to the Presentation 

and Promotion of the Property 

National Strategies 

• Creating the necessary legislation and 

monitoring enforcement. 

• The inclusion of certain sites in Sibiu in the 

Annual Plans for Restoration of the Ministry 

of Culture and Religious Affairs. 

• The inclusion of certain sites in the City and 

the county of Sibiu in the yearly budgets of 

other ministries such as: Ministry of 

Transport, Construction and Tourism; 

Ministry of the Environment. 

• Supporting the cultural institutions of the 

country by specific programmes and projects. 

• Including in the state budget for 2005-2007 

financing for the cultural manifestations of 

2007, when Sibiu will be the “Cultural 

169

Capital of Europe” together with 

Luxembourg. 

• Supporting new initiatives for the restoration 

of monuments in Sibiu: the Grand Duchy of 

Luxembourg (Luxembourg House), the 

Society for Technical Cooperation GTZ 

(Sibiu Programme), the Lutheran Parish 

Church with the adjoining religious and 

civic buildings that it owns. 

• Marking during 2005 of all monuments listed 

and appearing on the 2004 List of Historic 

Monuments by affixing to each a plaque 

reading “Historic Monument.” 

• Proposals to include Sibiu and its 

surroundings in the plans for regional 

development in order to obtain funds for the 

protection of the cultural heritage. 

• Applying Law No. 203/April 20, 2001, for 

the approval of the listing of Sibiu and its 

environments as a site of national interest. 

• The valorization of historic monuments 

through special projects. 

• The valorization of the spiritual, inter-ethnic 

170 


Fig. 127. Board displaying the Route 

of the Visiting Tours 

and inter-denominational heritage-project. 

• Promoting cultural tourism: touristic routes 

(Fig. 127). 

• Including Sibiu in the touristic routes 

established for monuments in the region 

already inscribed on the World Heritage List: 

the city of Sighişoara, the Transylvanian 

Saxon villages with fortified churches. 

• Encouraging the Transylvanian Germans of 

Sibiu to engage in cultural projects. 

• Identifying domestic and foreign partners for 

programmes and projects. 

Informing and Educating the Local Population 

In Sibiu, public relations focus on two 

directions. First, the Historic Centre should be 

promoted on municipal, regional, national and 

international scale and also defined as cultural 

heritage. Second, one should stir the interest of 

the inhabitants in cultural and historic values, in 

order to stimulate their participation in the 

preservation of the Historic Centre both 

financially and technically (Fig. 128, 129). 

As a result, public relations focus mainly on 

the people who live in the Historic Centre. 

Thus, the German-Romanian co-operation 

project “The Rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre of Sibiu” aims at giving ample 

information about the rehabilitation both to 

local population and to decision-making 

institutions. The intended transparency favours a 

sustainable urban development. 

Various activities have been initiated for a 

steady information of the inhabitants of Sibiu 

with reference to the rehabilitation programme: 

• Regular reports on rehabilitation activities 

are carried by local papers. 

• Notices on the buildings carry up-to-date 

information about the initiated rehabilitation projects. 

• The locals are invited to information sessions. 

The inhabitants of the Historic Centre are 

important partners in the preservation of the 

heritage area. An important element here is to 

emphasize the value of historic buildings and 

the need to preserve it. The Guidebook to the

5.i Policies and Programmes Related to the Presentation and Promotion of the Property 

Regulations for Local Town-planning suggests 

feasible measures to preserve the value of 

buildings and to avoid any factors that might 

diminish it. Leaflets and various related topics 

were published, written in a clear and 

accessible style. They have been delivered to 

the inhabitants in the Historic Centre. The press 

campaign “Dos and Don’ts” and the cycle of 

nine TV episodes in 2004, “Man and His 

Enviromment – Public Attitudes” have taken 

place to the same purpose. 

The GTZ office also provides technical 

advice to the inhabitants. To this purpose 

several publications have been published, 

providing both information about the project as 

such and concrete assistance for the 

rehabilitation of historic buildings. 

These publications cover a great variety of 

topics, covering the correct rehabilitation of 

gates and doors, obtaining a building/demolition 

permit or the translation of technical literature 

into Romanian. 

The official opening in the House of Arts of 

“The Demonstration and Training Centre” will 

take place in 2005 in collaboration with the Astra 

Museum. An exhibition will publicize the subjects 

of rehabilitation work via posters and mock-ups 

for lay persons. Specialists will be given the 

possibility to attend further refresher courses. 

The Sibiu Directorate for Culture, Religious 

Affairs and National Cultural Heritage will also 

set up an information centre in Grand Square. 

Tourists and local population are invited to seek 

Fig. 128. Vedute by Morando Visconti 

information about the current projects for the 

rehabilitation of the Historic Centre of Sibiu. 

In the rooms of the Inspectorate for Culture 

as well as the lobby of the future Town Hall in 

Grand Square exhibitions on town-planning and 

rehabilitation of the Historic Centre have been 

organized regularly over the past years; 

architectural contests are held frequently. In the 

spirit of transparency and cultural awareness, ‘in 

situ’ demonstrations of rehabilitation works are 

also offered. 

In September 2002, on the occasion of the 

International Symposium for the Rehabilitation 

of Historic Centres for the first time an award for 

the preservation of historic monuments was 

given to honour contributions to this cause. The 

contest generated great interest among the 

inhabitants of Sibiu and was instrumental in the 

realization of a number of projects. The 2001 

contest, organized with the aim of finding a 

slogan for the Historic Centre of Sibiu, also 

encouraged the citizens to identify with the 

image, the past and the future of their hometown. 

Thus, the chosen motto, “The Past of 

Sibiu Becomes the Future” (Fig. 130) highlights 

the importance of the Historic Centre. 

The children’s interest in the Historic Centre 

and its significance was also stimulated by 

organizing a contest for them. Around the 

central idea “beautiful and ugly in the Historic 

Centre,” the children were encouraged to give 

free vein to their artistic inclinations by making 

drawings and collages. So much enthusiasm was 

generated by the contest that authorities are 

171

now giving serious thought to the introduction 

into the school curriculum of a subject entitled 

“Sustainable Urban Renewal”. 

The first initiative to inscribe the Historic 

Centre of Sibiu on the World Heritage List was 

launched on the occasion of the Symposium: 

“European Confluences,” organized in 1998 

under the patronage of the then President of 

Romania, Emil Constantinescu, and UNESCO. 

Preliminary work in view of the inscription 

of Sibiu on the World Heritage List continued; 

in September 2003 a public forum and debate 

was organized, entitled “The Ensemble of 

Historic Squares in Sibiu on the World Heritage 

List.” The conclusions of this debate were used 

to fundament a Decision of the Local Council to 

start preliminary proceedings for the inscription 

of the ensemble of historic squares in Sibiu on 

the World Heritage List. 

A second proviso of the decision concerns 

the city’s firm commitment to the preservation 

of the authenticity and integrity of the site, while 

the third proviso concerns the setting up of a 

172 


Fig. 129. An 1864 Engraving by L. Rohbock 

group of experts for the elaboration of a 

preliminary study, budgeted for 2004. 

These two major events of the year 2003 

were followed by numerous working sessions 

throughout the year 2004. 

Another important aspect that we would like 

to underline is the visit of the Deputy Director 

General of UNESCO, Mr. Mounir Bouchnaki, in 

2004. The aim of his visit was to inspect the 

main sites of the Historic Centre of Sibiu and to 

meet members of the working group charged 

with the elaboration of the UNESCO 

documentation. 

The Development of Cultural Tourism 

It is undoubtedly true that Sibiu has 

considerable potential for the development of 

tourism. It has a unique urban heritage in the 

Central European area and is situated in a 

pleasing natural enviromment; this urban 

heritage is paralleled by the presence of many 

highly diversified museums. All these are 

essential components for a durable development


of cultural tourism. Thus, not only is Sibiu the 

museum city, as its numerous visitors often call it, 

but it is also a city of museums. 

Considering the number and the value of the 

heritage items, Sibiu joins the most important 

museum centres in southeastern Europe. 

Mention should be made of the fact that the 

permanent exhibitions in the Sibiu museums, 

except the open-air “Folk Art Museum” in 

Dumbrava and “The Museum of Weapons and 

Hunting Trophies,” are located in the Historic 

Centre of the city (Fig. 131, 132). 

The Brukenthal National Museum (4-5 

Grand Square) was at the origin of the entire 

Sibiu network of museums. Baron Samuel von 

Brukenthal’s collection of rare books, 

antiquities, paintings and sculptures, coins and 

paleonthological finds were of paramount 

importance in the setting up of the Museum. 

It was in order to house and exhibit his 

collections, that Samuel von Brukenthal, former 

Governor of Transylvania, built his palace in 

Grand Square. The fine arts gallery was opened 

here in 1790 and under the last will and 

testament of the Baron the Palace-Museum was 

opened to the public in 1827. This makes it the 

oldest Museum in Romania and one of the 

oldest on the Continent. 

At present the Brukenthal National Museum 

includes: 

• The Art Gallery 

• The Library 

• The History Museum 

• The Museum of National History 

• The Zonal Restoration Laboratory 

Brukenthal Palace houses the Art Gallery, whose 

collection of paintings boasts works by European 

masters of the Flemish, Dutch, German, Italian, 

French, Spanish and Austrian Schools. The Art 

Gallery has 1070 paintings as well as a large 

collection of etchings and sculptures and fine art 

examples of the decorative arts. The Gallery of 

National Arts, formed during the 20 th century, 

contains remarkable pieces of art created on the 

territory of Romania, from the Gothic to the 

Renaissance and up to contemporary artists. 

Brukenthal Palace also houses the Brukenthal 

Library that, with its collection of over 280.000 

books, of which we must mention 386 incunabula, 

as well as numerous manuscripts, is one of the 

most valuable libraries in Romania. 

The History Museum is housed in the group of 

buildings of the Old Town Hall (No.2 Mitropoliei 

Street) and considered one of the most important 

ensembles of civil Gothic architecture in 

Transylvania. The museum exhibits archaeological, 

Fig. 130. General View of the City of Sibiu in 1809 by Franz Neuhauser 

(Details of this image are presented on the cover pages of the chapters) 

173

historical and numismatic collections comprising 

about 60.000 coins, 39.000 exhibits with 

archaeological or historical character, 14.000 

exhibits pertaining to the guilds and 1.900 weapons 

that are a treasurehouse for anyone seriously 

interested in the history of Transylvania. 

The Museum of Natural History, opened in 

May 1895, in a building specially raised for that 

purpose in Cetăţii Street. The opening was 

facilitated by the availability of the collections of 

the members of the Transylvanian Society of 

174 


Natural Sciences (Siebenbürgischer Verein für 

Naturwissenschaften) which they started in 1849. 

The initial collection contained 100.000 exhibits 

and it has grown to its current size of 1.093.000 

exhibits in the fields of Botany, Zoology, Geology- 

Paleontology, Cynegetics and the History of 

Pharmacy. The Museum has permanent 

exhibitions: Taxonomy of the Animal World (No. 

1, Cetăţii Street), the Museum of the History of 

Pharmacy (No. 26, Lesser Square) and the Museum 

of Weapons and Hunting Trophies (No. 4, Şcoala 

Fig. 131. Location of Museums and Exhibitions 

(1. Churches, Chapels, Synagogues; 2. Museums, Museal Exhibitions)


de Înot Street / Schwimmschulgasse). 

The National Astra Museum (Nos. 11-12, 

Lesser Square); the Dumbrava Forest (Junger 

Wald) (Fig. 133). It was established in the year 

1990, when the former ethnography and folk art 

branch separated from the Brukenthal Museum. 

It follows the tradition of the Association for the 

Literature and Culture of Transylvanian 

Romanians (ASTRA), which originally set up the 

Museum of the Transylvanian Society in 1905. 

At present it includes: 

The “Franz Binder” Museum of Non- 

European Ethnography (No. 11, Lesser Square) 

houses the collection of exotic objects and new 

collections of world ethnography. Founded in 

1993, it is the first museum of non-European 

ethnography in Romania. 

The Astra Museum of Transylvanian 

Fig. 132.A – The Museums of the City of Sibiu 

Civilisation (No. 11, Lesser Square) was founded 

in 1993 and its purpose is to show the 

Transylvanian culture and folk civilisation from 

an interethnical and interdisciplinary point of 

view. Its collection includes about 30.000 items 

of folk costumes, textiles, ceramics, religious 

objects made of wood, bone or iron. 

The “Emil Sigerus” Museum of Transylvanian 

Saxon Ethnography (No. 12, Lesser Square) 

was founded in 1997 and houses about 7.000 

items of the “Emil Sigerus” collection from the 

collections of the former Museum of the 

Transylvanian Carpathian Society (Museum des 

Siebenbürgischen Karpatenvereins). 

The Project: 

Sibiu – Cultural Capital of Europe 2007 

In 2004, the Council of Ministers of the 

Fig. 132.B – The Museums of the City of Sibiu 

175

European Union decided that Sibiu, together 

with Luxembourg, will be the Cultural Capital of 

Europe in 2007. In order to put this project into 

practice the non-governamental organization 

“Sibiu-European Cultural Capital of Europe in 

2007 Association” was set up. It has been the 

most ambitious project for the local community 

over the last decades, which will undoubtedly 

have an impact on tourism. One of the planned 

activities is “The Ecumenic Conference of the 

European Churches,” which will hold its third 

session (after the important meetings held in 

Geneva and Graz); this was decided by the 

relevant international bodies. 

There is a close connection between this 

Project, “Sibiu – Cultural Capital of Europe” 

and the “Proposal for the Nomination for the 

Inscription of the Historic City of Sibiu on the 

World Heritage List.” The major work of 

rehabilitation of the infrastructure and the 

monuments of the historic town, the 

modernization of the International Airport and 

of the Railway-Station, the Project for the 

rehabilitation of markets, passageways, public 

illumination and marking of the monuments 

(including multi-media techniques) are just a 

few of the targets set by both projects. In the 

short term they marshall the financial, 

economic and socio-cultural efforts of the 

community, but also of the national authorities. 

In the medium and long term, the projects are 

an additional factor for the optimal 

176 


preservation of the monuments and historic 

heritage of the ensemble. These will constitute 

sources of touristic and cultural desirability and 

attractiveness as well as strong investment 

incentives for domestic and foreign capital. 

Furthermore, the success of the two projects 

would be a step forward in the integration of 

Romania into the European Union. 

Participation in International Fairs 

and City Presentations 

The promotion of the international image of 

Sibiu has been more intensive after the 

International Conference “Sibiu – European 

Confluences” held in 1989 (organized under the 

aegis of UNESCO), and after the Romanian 

Government issued the Government Ordinance 

whereby the City of Sibiu and its surrounding 

area were declared sites of national interest 

(1999). As a consequence of this Governmental 

decision the Interdepartmental Committee 

“Sibiu 2000” was set up. 

Under these favorable circumstances, Sibiu 

had its own special stand in the Romanian 

Pavilion at the “Hannover 2000” World Fair. 

Sibiu was also present with its own 

exhibition stands at the “Tourism Fair” 

(Bucureşti, 2003), at the “Salon of Tourism for 

Central and Southeastern Europe” (Deventer, 

2004), as well as the “Tourism Fair in 

Bergamo” (Bergamo, 2004). 

Thematic Tours 

The disposition of the various monuments and 

historic sites on the ground and long practical 

experience in the visitor’s capacity to take in 

the sights and cityscape on offer resulted in a 

number of preferred tours, selected by 

specialists and tourists (Fig. 134): 

← Fig. 133. Picture representing the Dumbrava 

Open-air Museum


• The short tour (the V.I.P. tour) (Duration: 1 

hour): Liars’ Bridge - Huet Square (Huet 

Square with the Lutheran Parish Church 

and the Lutheran Vicarage,) – the Old 

Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) - Lesser Square 

(the Town Hall Tower) - Grand Square (the 

square with Brukenthal Palace). 

• The standard tour for tourists (Duration: 

1.5 hours): Liars’ Bridge - Huet Square (the 

Fig. 134. Plan of Thematic Tours 

(1 – Minimal tour; 2 – Regular tour; 3 – Cultural itinerary; 4 – Tour proposed in the management plan; 

5 – “Religious buildings”; 6 – “Dwelling Houses”; 7 – “Fortifications”) 

square with the Lutheran Vicarage) – 

Penance Corner – the Tower Stairs, 

(Stairway Passage) – Turnului Street - the 

Old Hospice – the Aurarilor Stairway - 

Lesser Square (the square with the 

Butchers Warehouse /Fleischerlauben) - 

the building at No. 25 and the Town Hall 

Tower - Avram Iancu Street (with Böbel 

House and Brukenthal House, the Roman 

Catholic Church and Brukenthal Palace) - 

177

178 


Grand Square (the square with Haller 

House, the Roman Catholic Church and 

Brukenthal Palace) – the Old Town Hall - 

Huet Square (the square with the Lutheran 

Parish Church). 

• The Cultural Tour for Tourists, part of the 

“European Cultural Itineraries” Project 

(Duration: 3 hours): Luxembourg House - 

Huet Square with the Lutheran Vicarage, 

the Lutheran Parish Church - Lesser Square 

with the Town Hall Tower, the Museum of 

the History of Pharmacy - Aurarilor Square 

- Dragoner Square - the Hospice – the 

Stairway Passage House (with “The 

Golden Cask” Inn) – the Old Town Hall - 

the Hungarian Reformed Church - the 

Romanian Orthodox Cathedral - the Astra 

Library – the former Cisnădia Gate - 

Cetăţii Street (with the defensive towers) - 

Grand Square (with Lutsch House and 

Czekelius House) - Avram Iancu Street 

(with Brukenthal House, Weidner House, 

Böbel House, the Convent of the Ursuline 

Sisters) - Lesser Square (with the House of 

Arts). 

• In the management plan another tour is 

offered (Duration: 4 hours): Huet Square – 

Lesser Square – Grand Square –Schiller 

Square – Cetăţii Street – Papiu Ilarian Street 

– Nicolae Bălcescu Street – Xenopol Street 

– Mitropoliei Street – the Stairway Passage – 

Turnului Street – Faurului Street – Azilului 

Street– Ocnei Street – 9 Mai Street – 

Argintarilor Street – Aurarilor Square – 

Aurarilor Stairway – Lesser Square – Avram 

Iancu Street – Grand Square. 

• The Thematic Tour – “Urban cityscape for 

specialists” (Duration: 2.5 hours): Liars’ 

Bridge - Huet Square - Lesser Square - 

Grand Square - Avram Iancu Street – 

Şcolii Passageway - Movilei Street - 

Aurarilor Square - 9 May Street – 

Brutarilor Street - Nouă Street - Plopilor 

Street – Turnului Street – the Stairway 

Passage - Centumvirilor Street – Poştei 

Street - Mitropoliei Street - Papiu Ilarian 

Street – Schiller Square. 

• The Thematic Tour for specialists – 

“Religious buildings” (Duration: 2.5 

hours): The Lutheran Parish Church - the 

Hungarian Reformed Church - the 

Romanian Orthodox Cathedral - the 

Roman Catholic Parish Church - the 

Church of the Ursuline Sisters - the Chapel 

of the Cross - the Synagogue - the 

Franciscan Church. 

• The Thematic Tour for specialists – 

“Dwellings” (Duration: 2.5 hours): Liars’ 

Bridge - the buildings at Nos. 3, 22, 

Ocnei Street - the buildings in Nouă Street 

- the buildings in Târgului Street - the 

buildings at Nos. 23, 24, 25, 26, Lesser 

Square - the buildings at Nos. 5, 7, 8, 11, 

16, Avram Iancu Street - the buildings in 

Şelarilor Street - the dwellings at No. 4, 

Magheru Street - the buildings at Nos 2, 8, 

10, Grand Square - the Lutheran Vicarage 

in Huet Square) - the building at Nos. 2, 

13, Mitropoliei Street. 

• The Thematic Tour for specialists 

“Fortifications” (Duration: 2.5 hours): the 

Liars’ Bridge – the Penanace Corner – the 

Curriers Tower – the Stairway Passage - 

Centumvirilor Street - the Soldisch 

Bastion -the towers in Cetăţii Street – the 

Thick Tower - the Haller Bastion – 

Manejului Street - Avram Iancu Street - 

Lesser Square. 

The Production of Films 

In order to promote the image of Sibiu both 

domestically and internationally, films and CDs 

were produced along with Guide-books, 

leaflets, posters and other promotional material. 

Of these films, we would like to mention the 

documentary “Sibiu-Hermannstadt,” directed by 

Dumitru Budrală and the following CDROMs: 

•“Mediaeval Sibiu in the Böbel Album”


•“Cultural and Touristic Itineraries in Sibiu” 

•“Sibiu-Hermannstadt” 

Cultural Events in the Historic Centre 

The inner town is still where the action is in 

Sibiu. Here are located about 80% of the 

stores, administrative and cultural institutions 

and the best known schools (the “Gheorghe 

Lazăr” National High School, the “Samuel 

Brukenthal” National High School), as well as 

most of the old churches. 

It is only natural that the squares and 

esplanades of the city should still be the main 

venu of its community and cultural life. 

The most representative cultural events that 

are organised in the Historic Centre are: 

• The International Theatre Festival; 

Fig. 135. Performance in the Courtyard of the History Museum 

• “La Strada” International Festival of Nonconventional 

Art; 

• The Jazz Festival; 

• The National Festival of Romanian Folk 

Tradition; 

• “Songs of the Mountains” Folk Festival; 

• “The Identity of Europe – The Europe of 

Identities” Festival; 

• The Pottery Fair; 

• “Transylvanian Fortresses” Mediaeval Festival; 

• Brass Band, Folk and Rock Concerts, etc. 

Concerts and performances are given in the 

Historic Centre, the Baroque rooms of the 

Brukenthal Museum, in the Lutheran Parish 

Church and in the newly renovated Thalia Hall 

of State Philarmonic Orchestra (Fig. 135). 

179

180 


5.j Staffing Levels (Professional, Technical, Maintenance) 

The Municipality has hired qualified personnel 

to handle problems connected with the Historic 

Centre and its monuments. 

The Municipality of Sibiu: 

Chief Architect 1 

Department of Monitoring and 

Planning for the Historic Centre and 

Monuments 

1 

There is also qualified staff in charge of the 

records of historic monuments and the issuing of 

construction permits for any type of work on the 

monuments. 

Directorate for Religious Affairs and 

National Cultural Heritage: 

Director 1 

Councillors 3

6 MONITORING 

179

6.a Key Indicators for Measuring State of Conservation 


By the end of the year 2004, the Sibiu local 

authorities had elaborated the integrated 

monitoring system called “The Historic Centre 

Monitoring System” to facilitate monitoring 

building stability and trends of economic 

development within the Historic Centre, to 

serve as the basis for case to case restoration 

work on buildings, and for the quick and timely 

briefing of the relevant higher authorities on the 

current status of the site. This monitoring system 

relies on the results of the HICOS monitoring 

system of the Historic Centre (see 6 c). HICOS 

was implemented in the year 2000 to facilitate 

the activity of consultancy and rehabilitation 

within the Romanian-German project “The 

Rehabilitation of the Historic Centre 

Sibiu/Hermannstadt,” as well as to monitor the 

relevant direct and indirect results of the project. 

1. THE STATE OF CONSERVATION 

The list of monuments and architectural 

complexes: 

A category; B category; Waiting list 

The monitoring system of the Historic 

Centre was based upon HICOS, with the 

purpose of ensuring a better monitoring of the 

stability of all historic buildings within the 

nominated World Heritage Site and of 

surveying the effects of socio-economic 

changes in the area. 

The most important indicators of this 

integrated monitoring system can be broken 

down into seven sections: 

• State of Conservation; 

• Housing and social infrastructure; 

• Demographics and socio-economic data; 

• Tourism; 

• Local government and administration; 

• The real-estate market; 

• Presentation of the site. 

THE MONITORING OF THE HISTORIC CENTRE 

Subject Source 

The overall state of the buildings in the site: 

Renovated; Good condition; Fair condition; 

Advanced state of dilapidation 

The state of the historic monuments: 

Renovated; Good condition; Fair condition; 

Advanced state of dilapidation 

Main structural problems 

Simple emergency repair work; Complex 

emergency repair work; Modernization 

measures; Rehabilitation of façades; Dampness 

control; Rehabilitation of gates, windows/shutters 

Documentation 

The Ministry of 

Culture 

Complete 

inventory 

Complete 

inventory 

Complete 

inventory 

Institution in 

charge 

CDCRANCH 

Sibiu 

Historic 

Centre project 

Historic 


Historic 


Timetable 

Annually 

Every three 

years 

Every three 

years 

Every three 

years 

183

184 

Consultancy by request (by written application) 

No. of requests (broken down by type of repair 

work); No. of consultancy cases in progress (broken 

down by type of repair work); No. of completed 

consultancy cases (broken down by type of repair 

work); Requests for consultancy for the next 

quarter/year (estimated) 

Pro-active consultancy 


work); No. of consultancy cases in progress 

(broken down by type of repair work); No. of 

completed consultancy cases (broken down by 

type of repair work); Requests for consultancy for 

the next quarter/year (estimated) 

Consultancy by consulting architects 


work); No. of completed consultancy cases 

(broken down by type of repair work); No. of 

paid consultancy hours; Design costs covered by 

co-financing 

Constraints/Special cases 

Buildings under litigation (retrocession etc.); 

Other 

Funds spent on rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre (buildings and public spaces) 

Public funding (local and national); private 

funding 

Funds spent on the rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre (buildings/public spaces) by GTZ/by KfW 

The current no. of co-financing contracts; Cash 

flow; Residual amounts (Restobligo); Funds 

requested for the next quarter/year; No. of signed 

co-financing contracts; No of prospective co- 

financing contracts 

Record of building permits 

No. of building permits issued (broken down by 

type of repair work) 

6 Monitoring 

HICOS Historic Centre 

project 

HICOS Historic 





Finance 

department 



Records 

department 

Quarterly 

Quarterly 

Quarterly 

Quarterly 

Municipality Annually 


Quarterly 

Municipality Annually

Development plans 


No. of statutory plans (PUG, PUZ, PUD); other 

non-statutory plans 

Function of buildings 

Historic city 

monitoring and 

planning 

2. FUNCTION OF BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 

Present-day function; Modification of function; 

uninhabited dwellings (apartments) 

Infrastructure 

Traffic calming; Motor vehicle traffic-free areas; 

No. of parking lots within the Historic Centre; 

Other data regarding infrastructure 

Demographic data 

Complete 

inventory 

Inventory 

Technical 

department 


Historic 


County Office 

for Statistics 

3. DEMOGRAPHICS AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DATA 

No. of residents; Demographics by age group; 

Residents’ mobility; Habitation area per person 

Structure by households 

Structure by age group; Average size of 

households; Average rent 

Social and economic data 

Total income by household; Measured level of 

satisfaction with living standards 

Ownership structure for buildings/apartments 

Private; Public; percentage of owners; 

percentage of tenants 

Tourism 

No. of tourists (international/domestic); No. of 

nights spent (per year); No. of beds; No of 

restaurants/bars 

Administrative structure 

Staffing levels of relevant departments; No. of 

departments; Other public institutions and 

publicly/privately funded institutions 

4. TOURISM 

Inventory 

Random 

questionnaires 

Inventory 

Random 


Random 


Census 

Inventory 

Inventory 

5. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE 

Organizational 

chart 

Every three 

years 

Every ten 

years 


County Office 


Historic 


County Office 


Historic 


Historic 


County Office 


Historic 


County Office 


Municipality 

Every three 

years 

Every ten 

years 

Every ten 

years 

Every three 

years 

Every three 

years 

Every ten 

years 

Every three 

years 

Annually 

Annually 

185

186 

The real-estate market 

No. of real-estate ownership changes; Real-estate 

prices; No. of apartments/houses bought by 

foreign citizens 

Presentation 

No. of publications/pamphlets; No. of sign posts, 

plaques, etc.; Other PR activities 

6 Monitoring 

6. THE REAL-ESTATE MARKET 

Finance 

department 

7. PRESENTATION OF THE HERITAGE SITE 

External relations 

office 

Municipality 

Municipality 

6.b Administrative Arrangements for Monitoring Property 

The implementation of year-round monitoring is 

in the charge of a group, under the authority of 

public institutions; the group’s membership is 

drawn from institutions that are custodians of 

specialized information, as well as from local 

authorities. Therefore, all specialized 

institutions, dealing with the monitoring of 

building stability and with trends within the 

Historic Centre, pool their information and 

analyse it jointly. Monitoring is coordinated by 

the Records Department of the Municipality. 

The Membership of the “Historic Centre 

Monitoring” Group 

Municipality of Sibiu 

Office for the Surveillance and Planning 

of the Historic City 

Marketing Department 

IT Department 

External Relations Office 

County Directorate for Culture, 

Religious Affairs and National Cultural 

Heritage Sibiu 

Historic Centre Project 

“The Project for the Rehabilitation of 

the Historic Centre” 

in future: the institution in charge of 

rehabilitation 

County Office for Statistics 

Annually 

Annually 

Contact person: 

Municipality of Sibiu, IT Department 

(Primaria Municipiului Sibiu, Serviciul 

informatica) 

Mr. Adrian Bucura 

No. 1-3, Victoriei Bd., RO- 550024 Sibiu 

Tel: (0040 269) 208 800 

Sibiu County Directorate for Culture, Religious 

Affairs and National Cultural Heritage 

(Directia Judeteana pentru Cultura, Culte si 

Patrimoniu Cultural National) 

Mr. Ovidiu Calborean 

No. 6, Tribunei Street, RO-550176 Sibiu 

Tel: (0040 269) 210 113 

County Office for Statistics 

(Directia Judeteana de Statistica) 

Mr. Ioan Muresan 

No. 19, Someşului Street, RO-550005 Sibiu 

Tel: (0040 269) 213 135 

Historical Centre Project / GTZ 

(Reabilitarea centrului istoric Sibiu / 

Hermannstadt) 

Mr. Steffen Mildner—Project Coordinator 

No. 11, Avram Iancu Street, RO- 550183 Sibiu 

Tel: (0040 269) 211 988 

Documents relevant for the monitoring process: 

• annual reports of involved institutions (e.g. 

regarding building alterations of architectural 

monuments, permits and licenses issued for 

rehabilitation work, number of consultancy

cases and co-financing requests, funding 

operations for rehabilitation, etc.); 

• full inventory made every 3 years (e.g. full 

inventory of the structural state of all buildings 

in the Historic Centre, etc.); 

• social and economic surveys done every 3 

years (e.g. the analysis of social and economic 

information on residents and modernization and 

rehabilitation works completed); 

• statistical yearbooks (e.g. number of 

residents, real-estate price changes, situation of 

the development of tourist industry, realty sales, 

motor vehicle ownership, etc.) 

• press review, etc. 

6.c Results of Previous Reporting Exercises 

The report for the previous year, on the 

monitoring of building stability level and 

economic trends in the Historic Centre will be 

published in the first quarter of the current year. 

After assessing the data collected through the 

monitoring system, the group involved in the 

project will first submit it to the relevant 

authorities. In collaboration with authorities, the 

group will draw up recommendations 

concerning possible action plans, before the 

results are officially published. The official 

publication of the results of monitoring will take 

place no later than the end of the first quarter of 

the year. 

6.c Results of Previous Reporting Exercises 

Formerly, building stability in the Historic Centre 

was monitored and documented intermittently 

and with no significant details recorded. The 

County Directorate for Culture has lists of 

monuments and architectural complexes, 

documenting the status of stability of the 206 

historic monuments/buildings (112 Category A, 85 

Category B) within the Historic Centre. The 

County Building Inspectorate issues lists of 

buildings at increased risk of collapse, especially 

by earthquake, based on field inspecttions and 

technical reports. For certain monuments there are 

additional reports and independent publications, 

containing documentation with regard to the state 

of the buildings and the necessary remedial 

measures (e.g. at the Lutheran Parish Church, 

Brukenthal Palace). 

A full presentation of previous 

documentation is not feasible, given the 

complexity of these procedures. The reports and 

publications presented below contain the most 

important results of the previous building 

stability monitoring in the Historic Centre, as 

well as the main strategy of renovation and 

rehabilitation. 

Topography of Monuments 

in Transylvania—City of Sibiu (1999) 

This topography, produced with funding from 

the Government of the Federal Republic of 

Germany and with scientific support from the 

ICOMOS German National Committee, 

contains the results of a systematic survey of 

buildings in the Historic Centre of Sibiu (about 

1000 buildings). The survey of the architectural 

heritage stock is done according to the criteria 

of inventory and description used in the 

topography of monuments in the Federal 

Republic of Germany. This systematic and 

scientific survey of most of the historic buildings 

in Sibiu will serve as the basis for future 

monument conservation measures, from 

scientific study to the completion of 

rehabilitation work. 

Social and Economic Surveys 1999-2004 

In the year 1999, the first social and economic 

survey of living conditions in the Historic Centre 

was undertaken in Sibiu; the survey was also 

meant to poll the wishes of residents, 

concerning building rehabilitation and their 

availability for such projects. Based on the 

results of the survey, programmes of 

consultancy and co-financing were initiated 

within the Romanian-German Cooperation Project 

“The Rehabilitation of the Historic Centre 

Sibiu/Hermannstadt”. In the second social and 

economic survey, done in the year 2000, the 

187

focus was mostly on the evaluation of the results 

obtained by the Project in the meantime. Social 

and economic surveys are scheduled for the 

future, at three-year intervals, targeting 500 

previously surveyed buildings, to monitor changes 

in habitation patterns, building status, as well as 

the financial condition of the residents. 

188 

The Full Inventory of Buildings 

in the Historic Centre 2004 (BAW) 

For future monitoring of general building 

stability, the Romanian-German Cooperation 

Project “The Rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre Sibiu/Hermannstadt” did a full inventory 

of the buildings in the Historic Centre 

(approximately 1200 buildings in 2004). The 

inventory was done according to a system of 

classification regarding the state of the building: 

recently renovated, good condition, fair 

condition, dilapidated and in danger of collapse. 

Special problems of particular buildings were 

also recorded, such as building modifications 

that clash with the general cityscape of the 

historic zone. 

At present, 8% of the total number of 

6 Monitoring 

buildings fall into the category “recently 

renovated,” 25% of the buildings are in “good 

condition,” 52% are in “fair condition,” 14% are 

in “dilapidated condition,” and 1% are in a state 

of advanced deterioration. 

HICOS—The Monitoring of the Historic Centre 

In the year 2000, the Romanian-German 

Cooperation Project “The Rehabilitation of the 

Historic Centre Sibiu/Hermannstadt” produced 

the HICOS system for monitoring the 

consultancy and rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre, as well as for the evaluation of direct or 

indirect results. 

After the introduction of this system, made 

up of two independent components—an 

alphanumeric data bank and a vectorial digital 

map of the city – the system was constantly 

updated and supplemented. In addition to the 

monitoring and evaluation of consultancy and 

rehabilitation, HICOS also aims to set up an 

integrated monitoring system, for the permanent 

monitoring of buildings stability (see 6.a).

7 DOCUMENTATION 

18 

7

7.a Photographs, Slides, Image Inventory and Authorization Table 


and Other Audiovisual Materials 

(i) LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS 

No Format Caption Date Photographer Copyright Contact Concesion 

1 30/20 Sibiu, View from Guşteriţa Hill 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

2 30/20 Sibiu from Railway Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

3 30/20 The old Town Hall and Church Tower 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

4 30/20 The Lutheran Church from Turnului Street 1995 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

5 30/20 Grand Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

6 30/20 Lesser Square, View from the Steeple 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

7 30/20 General Magheru Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

8 30/20 Mitropoliei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

9 30/20 Xenopol Street Passage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

10 30/20 Centumvirilor Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

11 30/20 The Aurarilor Stairway 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

12 30/20 The Turnului Stairway 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

13 30/20 The Turnului Stairway 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

14 30/20 The Stairway Passage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

15 30/20 The Stairway Passage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

16 30/20 Târgului Street 1995 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

17 30/20 Turnului Street 1992 Friedrich. Philippi PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

18 30/20 Vasile Tordosan Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

19 30/20 Nouă Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

20 30/20 The Lutheran Parish Church 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


22 30/20 The Roman Catholic Parish Church 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


24 30/20 The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


26 30/20 The Ursuline Sisters Church 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

27 30/20 The Synagogue 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

28 30/20 The First Town Hall 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

29 30/20 The Samuel von Brukenthal College 2004 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

30 30/20 The Art Lyceum 2004 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

31 30/20 The Thalia Hall 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

32 30/20 The Butchers Guildhall 1990 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

33 30/20 The portal of The Lutheran Vicarage 1990 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

34 30/20 The Old Town Hall, the Courtyard 1995 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

35 30/20 Haller House, Courtyard 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

36 30/20 The Portal of the Brukenthal Palace 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

37 30/20 Brukenthal House, Avram Iancu Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

38 30/20 Cetăţii Street Towers 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

39 30/20 The Statue of St. Nepomuk 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

40 30/20 Sibiu 1809 (by Franz Neuhauser) 2004 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

Note 1. Non exclusive concesion: Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit / Reabilitarea centrului istoric Sibiu, 

RO-550183 Sibiu, 11 Avram Iancu Str., Phone: 0040 269 211988, 

fax 0040 269 211671, e-mail office@gtzb.ro 

Note 2. Non exclusive concesion: Municipality of Sibiu, RO-550024 Sibiu, 1–3 Victoriei Str., Phone: 

0040 269 208800, fax 0040 269 208811, e-mail primarie@sibiu.ro 

191

192 

7 Documentation 

(ii) LIST OF SLIDES 


1 50/50 Sibiu, City Centre 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

2 50/50 Sibiu, Huet Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

3 50/50 Sibiu, Huet Square, Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

4 50/50 Sibiu, Huet Square, Houses 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

5 50/50 Sibiu, Lesser Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 



8 50/50 Sibiu, Lesser Square, Houses 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


10 50/50 Sibiu, Lesser Square, Houses 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

11 50/50 Sibiu, Lesser Square, Arcades 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

12 50/50 Sibiu, Lesser Square, Arcades 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

13 50/50 Sibiu, Grand Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

14 50/50 Sibiu, Grand Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

15 50/50 Sibiu, Squarlet in Turnului Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

16 50/50 Sibiu, Squarlet in Turnului Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

17 50/50 Sibiu, General Magheru Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

18 50/50 Sibiu, Squarlet in Magheru Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 



21 50/50 Sibiu, Squarlet in Magheru Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

22 50/50 Sibiu, Mitropoliei Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

23 50/50 Sibiu, Mitropoliei Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

24 50/50 Sibiu, Turnului Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

25 50/50 Sibiu, Turnului Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

26 50/50 Sibiu, Ocnei Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


28 50/50 Sibiu, V. Tordoşan Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

29 50/50 Sibiu, V. Tordoşan Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

30 50/50 Sibiu, Felinarului Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

31 50/50 Sibiu, Nouă Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

32 50/50 Sibiu, Poştei Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

33 50/50 Sibiu, Penance Corner 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

34 50/50 Sibiu, Penance Corner 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

35 50/50 Sibiu, Passageway Xenopol Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

36 50/50 Sibiu, The Stairway Passge 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

37 50/50 Sibiu, The Stairway Passge 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


39 50/50 Sibiu, Turnului Stairway 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

40 50/50 Sibiu, Turnului Stairway 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

41 50/50 Sibiu, Aurarilor Stairway 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

42 50/50 Sibiu, Aurarilor Stairway 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

43 50/50 Sibiu, The Lutheran Parish Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 




47 50/50 Sibiu, The Lutheran Parish Church, 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

48 50/50 Sibiu, The Lutheran Parish Church, 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

49 50/50 Sibiu, The Roman Catholic Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

50 50/50 Sibiu, The Roman Catholic Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

51 50/50 Sibiu, The Orthodox Cathedral 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes


52 50/50 Sibiu, The Orthodox Cathedral 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 




56 50/50 Sibiu, The Reformed Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

57 50/50 The Greek Catholic Church, Ursuline 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

58 50/50 Sibiu, The Greek Catholic Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

59 50/50 Sibiu, The Franciscan Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 



62 50/50 Sibiu, The Synagogue 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

63 50/50 Sibiu, The Asylum 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

64 50/50 Sibiu, The Lutheran Vicarage 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

65 50/50 Sibiu, The Lutheran Vicarage, Portal 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

66 50/50 Sibiu, The Lutheran High Consistory 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

67 50/50 Sibiu, The former Saxon University 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

68 50/50 Sibiu, The Old Town Hall 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

69 50/50 Sibiu, The Thalia Hall 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

70 50/50 Sibiu, The Museum of Natural History 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

71 50/50 Sibiu, The Astra Museum 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

72 50/50 The Orthodox Divinity School 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

73 50/50 Sibiu, Brukenthal College 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

74 50/50 Sibiu, The Art Lyceum, Inner Hall 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

75 50/50 Sibiu, The Butchers Market Hall 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

76 50/50 Böbel House, No. 16, A.Iancu Str. 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

77 50/50 House at No. 13, Vopsitorilor Str. 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

78 50/50 Sibiu, House at No. 22, Ocnei Str. 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

79 50/50 Sibiu, House at No. 26, Lesser Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

80 50/50 Altemberger House (The Old Town Hall)2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

81 50/50 Altemberger House (The Old Town Hall)2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

82 50/50 Haller House at No. 10, Grand Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

83 50/50 House at No. 16, Lesser Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

84 50/50 Brukenthal Palace in Grand Square 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

85 50/50 Brukenthal House at No. 8, Iancu Str. 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

86 50/50 The Tower of the Tower Stairway 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

87 50/50 Sibiu, The Town Hall Tower 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

88 50/50 Sibiu, The Town Hall Tower 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

89 50/50 Sibiu, The Towers in Cetăţii Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

90 50/50 Built-in Tower at No. 7 A. Iancu Str. 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

91 50/50 Sibiu, Wall in Centumvirilor Street 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

92 50/50 Sibiu, The Curriers Tower 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

93 50/50 Sibiu, The Thick Tower 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

94 50/50 Sibiu, The Ditch along Cetăţii Str. 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

95 50/50 Fresco in the Lutheran Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

96 50/50 Stained Window in the Cath. Church 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

97 50/50 Crucifix in the Chapel of the Holy Cross 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

98 50/50 Sibiu, The Statue of Roland 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

99 50/50 Sibiu, The statue of St. Nepomouk 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

100 50/50 Sibiu, Atlantes, Brukenthal Palace 2005 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

Note 1. Non exclusive concesion: Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit / Reabilitarea centrului istoric Sibiu, 

RO-550183 Sibiu, 11 Avram Iancu Str., Phone: 0040 269 211988, 

fax 0040 269 211671, e-mail: office@gtzb.ro 

193

194 


(iii) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


1 9/16 Sibiu, Grand Square (Aerial Photo) 1998 Georg Gerster Siebenb.-Inst. Note 3 Yes 

2 7/8 Romania’s Position in Europe 2004 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

3 7/8 Sibiu’s Position in Romania 2004 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

4 7/8 Main Historic Cities of Transylvania 2004 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

5 25/26 Layout of the World Heritage Site 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

6 16/16 Street Names 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

7 17/17 Boundary of the Heritage Site 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

8 11/17 Boundary of the Buffer Zone 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

9 18/16 The Fortified Enclosures 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

10 17/17 The Transit Roads 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

11 11/16 Turnului Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


13 24/17 Felinarului Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

14 24/17 Centumvirilor Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

15 11/16 The Upper Town 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

16 24/17 Mitropoliei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


18 10/16 Poştei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

19 24/17 Passageway from Xenopol Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

20 17/17 A 19 th Century Plan 2001 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

21 24/16 Penance Corner 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

22 24/17 Aurarilor Stairway 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

23 11/8 Aurarilor Stairway 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

24 5/8 Linking Streets 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

25 11/8 Tower Stairs 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

26 24/16 Tower Stairs 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

27 11/17 The Main Squares of the City 1998 Georg Gerster Siebenb.-Inst. Note 3 Yes 

28 11/8 The Tower of the Tower Stairs 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

29 10/8 The Town Hall Tower 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

30 24/16 Lesser Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

31 24/16 High Lutheran Consistory 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

32 11/16 Square in Front of the Ursuline Sisters 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 


34 19/16 Dominant Lines of Sight 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

35 12/16 Sibiu, View from Guşteriţa Hill 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

36 16/16 Locations of Historic Monuments 2004 Ioan Bucur PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

37 12/17 The Lutheran Parish Church, the Choir 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

38 24/17 The Lutheran Parish Church, Interior 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 





43 11/8 The Hungarian Reformed Church 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

44 24/16 The Synagogue 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

45 10/8 The Greek-Catholic Church 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

46 10/8 The Church of the Franciscan Brothers 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

47 11/8 The Hospice 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

48 5/8 The Lutheran Vicarage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

49 11/8 The Samuel von Brukenthal College 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

50 11/8 The Hall of the Art Lyceum 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

51 8/8 The Orthodox Divinity School 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes


52 12/8 The First Town Hall 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

53 24/17 The Old Town Hall 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

54 24/17 The Courtyard of the Old Town Hall 1998 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

55 9/8 The House of the Universitas Saxonum 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

56 11/17 The Butchers Guildhall 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

57 12/17 House in Vasile Tordosan Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

58 11/8 Böbel House in Avram Iancu Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

59 11/8 House at No. 22, Ocnei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

60 7/8 House in Vopsitorilor Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

61 11/17 Houses in Lesser Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

62 12/8 Haller House in Grand Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

63 8/8 Brukenthal Palace in Grand Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

64 10/8 Concert in the Brukenthal Palace 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

65 12/16 Brukenthal House in Avram Iancu Str. 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

66 12/16 The Town Hall Tower, Lower Section 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

67 12/16 Movilei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

68 11/16 The Inner Fortification Wall 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

69 24/16 Cetăţii Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

70 6/8 No. 9, Avram Iancu Street, Courtyard 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

71 6/8 The Thick Tower 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

72 24/16 The Curriers Tower 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

73 24/16 The Portal of The Lutheran Vicarage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

74 11/8 Atlantes at the Brukenthal Palace 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

75 11/16 Crucifix (by Petrus Lantregen) 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

76 16/8 The Statue of Roland 2004 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

77 13/16 The Statue of St. Nepomouk ≈1935 ? PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

78 24/16 The Statue of St. Nepomouk 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

79 6/8 Mediaeval Jars 2004 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

80 24/16 Evolution of the Historic Centre 1976 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

81 5/16 The Evolution of Lesser Square 1976 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

82 12/16 The Evolution of the Lutheran Church 1984 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

83 12/8 House at No. 25, Lesser Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

84 12/16 The south-east Side of Lesser Square 2002 Ioan Bucur PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

85 4/16 The Evolution of the Old Town Hall 1984 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

86 7/16 The Evolution of the Town Hall Tower 1974 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

87 11/16 The Historic Center 1998 Georg Gerster Siebenb.-Inst. Note 3 Yes 

88 6/8 The south-east of Europe, 15 th Century 2004 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

89 10/8 Open-air Market at the Town Hall Tower ≈1800 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

90 13/16 An Open-air Market in Sibiu ≈1800 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

91 16/18 Multiconfessionalism in Sibiu 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

92 12/16 The City of Sibiu in the 17 th Century 1699 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

93 8/8 Constitutive Elements of the City 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 


95 12/17 Louxembourg House 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

96 24/17 Târgului Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

97 23/16 Stairway Passage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

98 23/16 Turnului Street with the Church 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

99 11/16 The City of Sibiu, from Ocnei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

100 11/16 Huet Square, with the Lutheran Church 1998 Georg Gerster Siebenb.-Inst. Note 3 Yes 

101 11/16 Lesser Square, View from the Steeple 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

102 5/16 Vantage Points in Avram. Iancu Street 1984 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 


104 12/16 The Catholic Church and the Tower 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

105 24/16 Haller House – the Dwelling Tower 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

106 16/16 The Historic Center of Sighişoara 1998 Georg Gerster Siebenb. Inst. Note 3 Yes 

195

196 


107 6/7 A 16 th century map of Transylvania 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

108 6/7 Locations in the Republic of Slovakia 2004 Hermann Balthes GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

109 8/8 Blocks of Flats in Constituţiei Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

110 8/8 The Lutheran Church from the North 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

111 24/16 Gate restored by GTZ 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

112 12/16 Building Site in Lesser Square 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

113 12/16 The cityscape from Railway Station 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

114 21/16 Johann Böbel’s Plan of the City ≈1850 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

115 11/16 Grand Square in the 1930s ≈1935 ? PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

116 19/16 Rebuilding Work (19 th -20 th Centuries) 1990 P. Niedermaier PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

117 9/8 Rehabilitation of the Stairway Passage 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

118 13/16 Record of the GTZ-Consulting Activity 2004 GTZ Sibiu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

119 13/16 The Rebuild Theater 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

120 21/16 Archaeological Plan of the City 2004 Florin Blezu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

121 4/16 Shop Windows in N. Bălcescu Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

122 24/16 The Stairway Passage in Winter 1985 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

123 22/16 The Age of the Buildings in City 2004 Ioan Bucur PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

124 16/12 The Summer University in Sibiu 2003 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

125 23/16 Gates Restored by GTZ 2004 GTZ Sibiu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

126 12/16 The Parking Lot in Xenopol Street 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

127 11/8 The Route of the Visiting Tours 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

128 5/16 Vedute by Morando Visconti 1706 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

129 11/16 An 1864 Engraving by L. Rohbock 1864 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

130 8/16 General View of the Sibiu in 1809 1809 Mircea Baciu MB Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

131 17/16 Location of Museums and Exhibitions 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

132 12/16 The Museums of the City of Sibiu 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

133 6/8 The Dumbrava Open-air Museum 2004 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

134 16/16 Plan of Thematic Tours 2004 ICSU Sibiu PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

135 12/16 Performance in the History Museum 1996 Mircea Baciu GTZ Sibiu Note 1 Yes 

136 24/16 General Town-Planning Project 2004 Planwerk, Cluj PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

137 16/16 The Architectural Value of the Buildings 2004 Ioan Bucur PM Sibiu Note 2 Yes 

Note 1. Non exclusive concesion: Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit / Reabilitarea centrului istoric 

Sibiu, RO-550183 Sibiu, 11 Avram Iancu Str., Phone: 0040 269 211988, 

fax 0040 269 211671, e-mail: office@gtzb.ro 

Note 2. Non exclusive concesion: Municipality of Sibiu, RO-550024 Sibiu, 1–3 Victoriei Bd., 

Phone: 0040 269 208800, fax: 0040 269 208811, 

e-mail: primarie@sibiu.ro 

Note 3. Non exclusive concesion: Siebenbürgen-Institut, D-74831 Gundelsheim, Schloßstr. 41, 

Phone: 0049 6269 42100, fax 0049 6269 421010, 

e-mail: info@siebenbuergen-institut.de 

CD: Municipality of Sibiu, RO-550024, 1–3 Victoriei Bd., Phone: 0040 269 208800, 

fax 0040 269 208811, e-mail: primarie@sibiu.ro 

Films: Sibiu Hermannstadt Dumitru Budrală Muzeul Astra, RO-550182 Sibiu, 11 Lesser Square, 

Phone: 0040 269 218195, fax 0040 269 218060, e-mail: office@muzeulastra.ro 

Sibiu Dumitru Budrală: Idem

7.b Texts Relating to Protective Designation 

7.b Texts Relating to Protective Designation, Copies of Property 

Management Plans or Documented Management Systems 

and Other Plans Relevant to the Property 

Attached Documentation 

• The 2005-2009 Plan of Management of the 

Historic Centre is annexed to this reference 

material, along with the following other 

publications. 

• Local Agenda 21. Local Plan for Sustainable 

Development, Sibiu, 2004. 

• The 2001-2004 Municipal Programme of 

Action for the City of Sibiu, Sibiu, 2001. 

• Das Leitbild der Stadt Sibiu/Hermannstadt, 

Sibiu, 2004. 

• Erlebnisraum Altstadt. 10 Punkte. 

Massnahmenpaket zur Aufwertung des 

offentlichen Raumes bis 2007, Sibiu, 2004. 

• Guidebook for the Regulations for Local 

Town-Planning for the Historic Zone of 

Sibiu, Sibiu, 2003. 

• Charter for the Rehabilitation of the Historic 

Centre of Sibiu/ Hermannstadt, Sibiu, 2000. 

• Gestaltungsfibel zur Gestaltungssatzung für 

die historische Altstadt von 

Sibiu/Hermannstadt, Sibiu, 2003. 

• Bericht über die Beratungs- und 

Sanierungstätigkeit des rum.-dt. 

Kooperationsprojektes Altstadtsanierung 

Sibiu/Hermannstadt. 2000-2004, Sibiu, 2004. 

Annexed Books: 

• E. SIGERUS, Chronik der Stadt Hermanstadt, 

Sibiu, 2000. 

• E. SIGERUS, Vom alten Hermanstadt, Sibiu, 

2003. 

• HERMANN and ALIDA FABINI, 

Hermannstadt. Porträt einer Stadt in 

Siebenbürgen, Heidelberg, Hermanstadt, 

2000. 

7.c Form and Date of Most Recent Records of Inventory or Property 

Inventories proper 

� Census of the population and of dwellings in 

Romania. The National Census was taken in 

the Year 2002. 

� The Inventory of all Buildings in the Historic 

Centre of the City of Sibiu, indicating the 

type of building, its state of conservation, 

necessary emergency intervention, 

destination of the building (including number 

of tenants). The Inventory was done in the 

period 2003–2005 by GTZ Sibiu. 

� The cards of historic monuments, drawn up 

prior to their listing as historic monuments, 

between the years 1965 and 1970. 

� A published inventory is the book: 

ALEXANDRU AVRAM, IOAN BUCUR, 

Denkmaltopographie Siebenbűrgen. Stadt 

Hermannstadt, Die Altstadt / The 

Topography of the Monuments in 

� Transylvania. The City of Sibiu, the Historic 

Centre, red. Cristoph Machat, Köln, 1999 

Unpublished mapping and surveys 

At present, a number of ambitious, professional 

projects for urban development have been 

elaborated, with attached mappings and surveys: 

- General town planning project (PUG), a 

preliminary survey executed by Planwerk, 

Cluj-Napoca 2004 (Fig. 136); 

- Regional town planning project, the Historic 

Centre of Sibiu (PUZ), first draft, Ioan Bucur 

dipl. arch., Sibiu 2004 (the project includes 

among others, various surveys and 

mappings, such as those certifying the age 

and destination of certain buildings, listed 

monuments and candidates for listing, etc.) 

(Fig. 120, 123, 137); 

197

198

Quasi 

a 

Fig. 136. General Town-Planning Project, General Plan 

a 

199

200 

- Detailed town planning project, the 

Historic Centre of Sibiu (PUD) and local 

city planning regulations, The Historic 

Centre (RLU), Szabolcs Guttmann dipl. 

arch., Sibiu 2000 (the project includes 

among others, documents establishing the 

boundaries of the historic area, marking 

the listed monuments and candidates for 


Fig. 137. The architectural value of the buildings 

listing, as well as the regulations for the 

historic area). 

Other documents, some of an earlier date, refer 

to particular areas of the Historic Centre: 

1. Study for the rehabilitation of the historic 

area delimited by Lesser Square, Aurarilor 

Square, Movilei Street, Şcolii Passageway 

and Avram Iancu Street (1972).

7.c Form and Date of Most Recent Records of Inventory or Property 

Segmental Study (D.S.) – The Historic Centre 

(1982); it includes elevations on four levels 

at a scale of 1:200 of the façades in Nicolae 

Bălcescu Street, a cadastral survey 

emphasizing the allotment plan. 

2. Segmental Study (D.S.) and a restructuring 

survey of the mediaeval area of Sibiu (1989- 

1990): they concern the area with the highest 

number of monuments in the Upper Town 

(the three squares and Nicolae Bălcescu 

Street) and part of he Lower Town (Faurului 

Street, Azilului Street and Piaţa Aurarilor); 

they include general elevations and detailed 

mappings of the buildings. 

4. A Restoration Survey of the Fortress Wall, 

along the section including Movilei Street – 

Stairway Passage – Centumvirilor Street – 

Conrad Haas Street up to the former Arsenal 

(1996); it includes a survey of the interior 

fortifications (the north side of enclosures I, II 

and III), partly incorporated in the pattern of 

present-day allotments. 

5. A survey of the consulting and rehabilitation 

activity of the Romanian - German 

Cooperation Project/The Rehabilitation of 

the Historic Centre of the city of Sibiu 

between September 2000 and March 2004 

(vast documentation including numerous 

mappings etc.). 

Documents and surveys recently issued by 

� Municipality of Sibiu 

� Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit 

These documents mainly include publications 

that refer to the city in general, with special 

emphasis on the Historic Centre: 

1. The City of Sibiu, A Development 

Guidebook, 2004. 

2. Plan for urban renewal, 2001-2004 

Marketing survey for retail trade and services, 

Sibiu Historic Centre, 2004. 

Other documents refer exclusively to the 

Historic Centre: 

1. The Charter for the Rehabilitation of the 

Historic Centre of the City of Sibiu, 2000; 

2. A Guidebook to the Regulations for Local 

Town-planning the Historic Centre of Sibiu, 

2003; 

3. Information regarding the rehabilitation/ 

restoration of historic gates, doors and 

windows, 2003; 

4. A list of materials: paving materials for the 

Historic Centre, 2003; 

5. Leaflets on various issues of interest in the 

field (13), 2004; 

6. A set of 7 pamphlets on the rehabilitation of 

historic buildings, 2004. 

List of historic monuments 

The list was approved by Order No. 2314 / July 

8 th 2004 and published in the Official Gazette 

is. 646/July 16 th 2004. 

The list contains 206 positions for the City of 

Sibiu in the following categories: 

� A category (monuments of national interest): 

• archaeological sites (positions 1to5) 

• the city’s fortification system (position 165) 

• defensive enclosures (positions 166 to 170) 

• the Historic Centre (position 171) 

• 84 buildings in the Historic Centre 

(multiple positions) 

� B category (monuments of regional interest): 

• 85 buildings in the Historic Centre (various 

positions) 

Major publications in the field 

The City of Sibiu and its historic monuments 

have been analysed in numerous relatively 

recent publications. 

The main publication dealing with the 

historic monuments of the city is: 

� ALEXANDRU AVRAM, IOAN BUCUR, 

Denkmaltopographie Siebenbűrgen. Stadt 

Hermannstadt, Die Altstadt / The 

Topography of the Monuments in 

Transylvania. The City of Sibiu, the Historic 

Centre, red. Cristoph Machat, Köln, 1999. 

Monuments dating from different stages in the 

development of the city are analysed in: 

� HERMANN FABINI, Gotik in Hermannstadt, 

201

Bucureşti, 1989; 

� HANNA DERER, Sibiu: Architecture in the 

Baroque Period, Bucureşti, 2003. 

The urbanistic evolution of the city is dealt with 

in the three volumes of the work: 

� PAUL NIEDERMAIER, Der mittelalterliche 

Städtebau in Siebenbűrgen, im Banat und im 

Kreischgebiet (Die Entwicklung vom Anbeginn 

bis 1241 bis 1241), Heidelberg, 1996; 

Städtebau im Mittelalter: Siebenbürgen, Banat 

und Kreischgebiet (1242–1347), Köln, Weimar, 

Wien, 2002; Städtebau im Spätmittelalter: 

Siebenbürgen, Banat und Kreischgebiet (1348– 

1541), Köln, Weimar, Wien, 2004. 

The history of the city and of some of its 

202 


monuments is analysed in the recently 

republished volumes: 

� EMIL SIGERUS, Chronik der Stadt 

Hermannstadt, 1100–1929, Hermannstadt, 

2000; 

� EMIL SIGERUS, Vom alten Hermannstadt, 

Hermannstadt, 2003. 

Two albums are also worth mentioning: 

� HERMANN and ALIDA FABINI, 

Hermannstadt. Porträt einer Stadt in 

Siebenbűrgen, Hermannstadt, 2000; 

� HERMANN FABINI, Baugeschichtliche 

Entwicklung von Alt-Hermannstadt im 

Spiegel historischer Stadtbilder, 


7.d Address where Inventory, Records and Archives are Held 

The above Inventories are kept at the following 

institutions: 

� Census of population and dwellings for the 

year 2002 as well as Cards for historic 

monuments between the years 1965–1970 

are kept at: 

The Municipality of the City of Sibiu 

RO – 550024 Sibiu, No. 1-3, Victoriei 

Bd., Phone 0040 269 208800, 

fax 0040 269 208811; 

e-mail: primarie@ sibiu.ro 

� Inventory of Buildings in the historic centre 

of the City of Sibiu done in 2003–2005 by 

GTZ Sibiu is kept at: 

Gesellschaft für Technische 

Zusammenarbeit, Reabilitarea centrului 

istoric Sibiu 

RO – 550183 Sibiu, No. 11, Avram Iancu 

Street, Phone 0040 269 211988, fax 

0040 269 211671; e-mail: office@gtz.ro 

� The Documentary Material on which the 

Book is based: ALEXANDRU AVRAM, IOAN 

BUCUR, Denkmaltopographie 

Siebenbűrgen. Stadt Hermannstadt, Die 

Altstadt / The Topography of the Monuments 

in Transylvania. The City of Sibiu, the 

Historic Centre, red. Cristoph Machat, Köln, 

1999 are kept at: 

Siebenbürgen-Institut a.d. Universität 

Heidelberg Gundelsheim 

D – 74831 Gundelsheim, Schloßstr. 

41, Phone 0049 6269 42100, fax 

0049 6269 421010, e-mail: 

info@siebenbuergen-institut.de 

Further Documentary Material is available at: 

The State Archives, No. 3, Arhivelor Street, RO- 

550164 Sibiu, telephone: 0040 269 431356; 

Sibiu County Directorate for Culture, 

Religious Affairs and National Cultural 

Heritage, No. 6, Tribunei Street, RO-550176 

Sibiu, Phone 0040 269 210113, e-mail: 

cultura@logon.ro; 

The History Museum of Sibiu, 

No. 2, Mitropoliei Street, RO-550179 Sibiu, 

Phone 0040 269 218143; 

The Brukenthal National Museum, 

No. 4, Grand Square, RO-550163 Sibiu, 

Phone/fax: 0040 269 211545, 

www.brukenthalmuseum.ro;

ABRUDAN, PAUL and SONTAG, FRITZ. Sistemul 

de apărare al cetăţii Sibiului în secolele XV şi 

XVI – expresie a conceptului războiului 

popular [The Defensive System of the Fortress 

of Sibiu in the 16 th and 17 th Centuries – An 

Expression of the Popular War Concept] 

published in Studii şi Materiale de 

Muzeografie şi Istorie Militară [Studies and 

Items of Museography and Military History], 

Bucureşti, 1974-1975, No. 7-8, pp.121-140. 

ALBRICH, KARL. Die „Kapelle“ in Hermannstadt, 

in Korrespondenz-blatt des Vereins für 

Siebenbürgische Landeskunde, Hermannstadt, 

1898, No.21, pp.96-99. 

ALBU, IOAN. Inschriften der Stadt Hermannstadt 

aus dem Mittelalter und der Frühen Neuzeit, 

Hermannstadt, Heidelberg, 2002. 

Alte Häuser in Hermannstadt. Nationalgebäude; 

Hallerische Haus; Bischofshaus; 

Brukentha’lsche Palais; Eckhaus an der 

Sporergasse: Zivil- u. Militärkasino; Haus der 

„Hermannstädter allg. Sparkassa.“ (Lokalhist. 

Skizze.), published in Siebenbürgisch- 

Deutsches Tageblatt, Hermannstadt, 1899, 

No. 7717, 7724, 7746. 

ANTONI , ERHARD. Der Kleine Ring in 

Hermannstadt. Zeugnis für die Baukultur der 

Vergangenheit, in Siebenbürgisch-Deutsches 

Tageblatt, Hermannstadt, 1944. 

ARMBRUSTER, ADOLF. Opera culturală a lui 

Samuel von Brukenthal la Sibiu [Samuel von 

Brukenthal’s Cultural Work in Sibiu], 

published in Revista de istorie [Journal for 

History], Bucureşti, 1978, vol. 31/4, pp. 

651-671. 

ARZ VON STRAUSSENBURG, ALBERT. Das 

Wappen von Hermannstadt, Hermannstadt, 

1931. 

ARZ VON STRAUSSENBURG, ALBERT. Der 

Bebauungsplan von Hermannstadt, 


AVRAM, ALEXANDRU. Monumente sibiene 

dispărute în viziunea lui Johannn Böbel 

[Johann Böbel’s View of Disappeared 

7.e Bibliography 


Monuments of Sibiu] published in Studii şi 

comunicări. Galeria de artă. Muzeul 

Brukenthal [Studies and Papers. The Art 

Gallery. The Brukenthal Museum], Sibiu, 

1978, No. 1, pp.169-182. 

AVRAM, ALEXANDRU and BUCUR, IOAN. 

Denkmaltopographie Siebenbürgen. Stadt 

Hermannstadt. Die Altstadt. Köln, 1999. 

AVRAM, ALEXANDRU and RILL, MARTIN. 

Betrachtungen zum Gebäude des ersten 

Spitals in Hermannstadt, published in 

Zeitschrift für Siebenbürgische Landeskunde, 

vol. 13, Köln, Wien, 1990, pp. 62-74. 

AVRAM, ALEXANDRU. Edificiul Primăriei 

Sibiului în secolele XIV-XVI (Lesser Square nr. 

31) [Sibiu’s Town Hall Building during the 14 th 

– 16 th Centuries (31, Lesser Square), published 

in Artă, istorie, cultură. In honorem Marius 

Porumb [Art, History, Culture. In honorem 

Marius Porumb], Cluj-Napoca, 2003, pp. 73- 

81. 

AVRAM, ALEXANDRU. Palatul Brukenthal 

[Brukenthal Palace], Sibiu, 1996. 

AVRAM, ALEXANDRU. Sibiu. History and 

Monuments, Sibiu, 2001. 

BAUMANN, FERDINAND. Theather in 

Hermannstadt, in Kirchliche Blätter, 

Hermannstadt, 1895, pp. 20-21. 

BERTALAN, KARIN. Memoria arhitecturii sibiene 

în lucrările lui Johannn Böbel [Recollections of 

Sibiu Architecture in Johannn Böbel’s Works], 

published in Revista muzeelor şi 

monumentelor, Seria muzee [Journal of 

Museums and Monuments, Museums Series], 

Bucureşti, 1978, pp. 21-30. 

BEŞLIU, PETRE. Istoria unei biserici de mănăstire 

din Sibiu [The History of a Sibiu Convent 

Church], published in Revista Monumentelor 

Istorice [Journal of Historic Monuments], 

Bucureşti, 1991, pp. 78-84. 

BIELZ, EDUARD ALBERT. Die Verlegung des 

Amtssitzes des evangelischen 

Superintendenten A. B. Von Birthälm nach 

Hermannstadt, in Transsilvania, 

203


BIELZ, EDUARD ALBERT. Das deutsche Theater 

in Hermannstadt, in Klingsor, Kronstadt, 1939, 

pp. 336-346. 

BIELZ, EDUARD ALBERT. Die evangelische 

Stadtpfarrerkirche A. B.in Hermannstadt, in 

Kalender des Siebenbürger Volksfreundes, 

1935, pp. 117-122. 

Bilder aus der Geschichte und aus dem Leben der 

Stadt Hermannstadt unter besonderer 

Betonung seines Schulwesens und der Arbeit 

in der Schule, Hermannstadt, 1935. 

BODOGAE, T. Câteva momente mai importante 

din trecutul catedralei metropolitane din Sibiu 

[A Few Important Moments in the History of 

the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sibiu], 

published in Mitropolia Ardealului [The 

Metropolitanate of Transylvania], Sibiu, 1987, 

No. 32/5, pp. 96-102. 

BOZAN, MARIA. Muzeul de etnografie universală 

„Franz Binder” din Sibiu [The “Franz Binder” 

Museum for Universal Ethnography], 

published in Revista Muzeelor [Journal of 

Museums], Bucureşti, 1993, No. 3, pp. 3-14. 

BRUCKNER, WILHELM. Hermannstadt in 

Siebenbürgen, Leipzig, 1909. 

BUCUR, CORNELIU. Muzeul tehnicii populare 

Sibiu (1963-1988) [The Folk Technology 

Museum of Sibiu], published in Revista 

muzeelor şi monumentelor, Seria muzee 

[Journal of Museums and Monuments, 

Museums Series], Bucureşti, 1988, No. 5/1, 

pp. 13-26. 

BUCUŢA, EMANOIL. Muzeul Brukenthal din 

Sibiu [The Brukenthal Museum of Sibiu], 

Bucureşti, 1943. 

COULIN, ALFRED. Achthundert Jahre im 

Karpatenbogen: Hermannstadt – eine 

deutsche Gründungin Südosteuropa, Köln, 

1980. 

CRISTEA, ADRIAN. Ceva despre trecutul târgului 

Sibiului [Facts about the Past of Sibiu], 

published in Transilvania, Sibiu, 1941, No. 

72/10, pp. 718-723. 

CURINSCHI, GHEORGHE. Centrele istorice ale 

oraşelor [The Historic Centres of Cities], 

204 



CZEKELIUS, OTTO. Alt-Hermannstadt. 

Zeitgenössische Berschreibungen, Veduten, 

Pläne., published in Neue Literatur, Bucureşti, 

No. 32/1, 1981, pp. 88-95. 

CZEKELIUS, OTTO. Schriften aus dem Nachlaß. 

Brigitte Stephani (ed.), Bucureşti, 1985. 

DANCU, IULIANA – DANCU, DUMITRU. 

Biserica evanghelică din Sibiu. [The Lutheran 

Church of Sibiu], Bucureşti, 1968. 

Das alte Rathaus in Hermannstadt, Hermannstadt, 

1999. 

Das Hermannstädter Rathaus, published in 

Siebenbürgische Vierteljahrschrift, 


Der Huetplatz, published in Siebenbürgisch- 

Deutsches Tageblatt, No. 7602. 


DERER, HANNA. Despre activitatea de construcţii 

în Sibiul secolului al XVIII-lea [About Building 

in the 18 th Century Sibiu], published in 

Buletinul Comisiei Monumentelor Istorice 

[Newsletter of the Board for Historic 

Monuments], Bucureşti, 1997, No. VI/3-4, 

pp.21-35. 

DERER, HANNA. Sibiu: Arhitectura în epoca 

barocă [Sibiu: Architecture in the Baroque 

Period], Bucureşti, 2003. 

Die Chronik der Mariagasse, Hermannstadt, 1911. 

Die Hermannstädter Promenade und das Latzl- 

Denkmal, in Siebenbürgisch-Deutsches 

Tageblatt, No. 2107, 2108, Hermannstadt, 

1880. 

Die Hermannstädter Stadtkapelle vor 300 Jahren, 

in Deutsche Tagespost, No. 180, 


Die Pfarrkirche der evangelischen Gemeinde A. C. 

Zu Hermannstadt, in Siebenbürgische 

Volkskalender, 1856, pp. 25-34. 

DIMA, ALEXANDRU. Sibiu, Bucureşti, 1940. 

Documente de arhitectură din România 

[Architecture Documents in Romania], No. 

10-11, Ansamblul urbanistic central al 

oraşului Sibiu [The Central Urbanistic 

Complex of the City of Sibiu], Ionescu, G. and 

Curinschi, Gh. (eds.), Bucureşti, 1964.

DOLTU, M. Muzeul de istorie naturală Sibiu – 

125 de ani de la înfiinţare [The Natural 

History Museum of Sibiu and Its 125 th 

Anniversary], published in Studii şi 

Comunicări. Ştiinţe Naturale. Muzeul 

Brukenthal [Studies and Papers. Natural 

Sciences. The Brukenthal Museum], Sibiu, vol. 

19, 1975, pp. 25-35. 

DUMITRESCU-JIPPA, NISTOR, NICULAE. Sibiul 

şi ţinutul în lumina istoriei [Sibiu and Its Parts 

in the Light of History], vol. I., Cluj-Napoca, 

1976. 

FABINI, HERMANN and ALIDA. Hermannstadt. 

Porträt einer Stadt in Siebenbürgen, 

Hermannstadt and Heidelberg, 2000. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Baugeschichtliche 

Entwicklung von Alt-Hermannstadt im Spiegel 

historischer Stadtbilder, Hermannstadt, 2001. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Das Brukenthalpalais in 

Hermannstadt, Hermannstadt, 2001. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Das Hermannstädter Alte 

Rathaus., in Forschungen zur Volks- und 

Landeskunde, vol. 32/2, Hermannnstadt, 

1989, pp. 41-59. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Die europäische Dimension 

Hermannstadts im Mittelalter., in Forschungen 

zur Volks- und Landeskunde, vol. 32/2, 

Hermannnstadt, 1980, pp. 76-94. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Gotik in Hermannstadt, 


FABINI, HERMANN. Piaţa Republicii din Sibiu – 

un studiu de istorie şi urbanism [Republic 

Square in Sibiu – A History and Town- 

Planning Study] published in Buletinul 

Monumentelor Istorice [Newsletter of Historic 

Monuments], Bucureşti, 1973, No. 42/1, 

pp.49-52. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Studiu privind restaurarea 

turnului-locuinţă de la the Old Town Hall din 

Sibiu [Study on the Rehabilitation of the 

Inhabited Tower of the Old Town Hall] 

published in Buletinul Monumentelor Istorice 

[Newsletter of Historic Monuments], 

Bucureşti, 1972, No. 41/1, pp.23-39. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Turnuri de patricieni în Sibiu 

la sfârşitul evului mediu [Towers Erected by 


Patricians in Sibiu in the Closing Stages of the 

Middle Ages] published in Revista muzeelor şi 

monumentelor, Seria monumente istorice şi 

de artă [Journal of Museums and Monuments, 

Historic and Art Monuments Series], 

Bucureşti, 1974, No. 43/1, pp. 43-53. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Un monument medieval din 

Sibiu astăzi dispărut [A Lost Mediaeval 

Monument of Sibiu] published in Revista 

muzeelor şi monumentelor, Seria monumente 

istorice şi de artă [Journal of Museums and 

Monuments, Historic and Art Monuments 

Series], Bucureşti, 1991, No. IX/1, pp. 74-8, 

377-8. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Valorificarea fondului de 

arhitectură gotică civilă din Sibiu [Putting to 

Account the Secular Gothic Architecture of 

Sibiu] published in Revista muzeelor şi 

monumentelor, Seria monumente istorice şi 

de artă [Journal of Museums and Monuments, 

Historic and Art Monuments Series], 

Bucureşti, 1975, No. 44/2, pp. 40-41. 

FABINI, HERMANN. Vechea primărie sibiană 

[The Old Town Hall of Sibiu] published in 

Buletinul Comisiei Monumentelor Istorice 


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7.f Glossary of Romanian, German and English Names 

Romanian German English 

Arsenal Kempelkaserne the Arsenal 

Bastionul Cisnădiei Heltauertorbastei the Cisnădie Bastion 

Bastionul Haller Hallerbastei the Haller Bastion 

Bastionul Porţii Cisnădie Heltauertorbastei the Cisnădie Gate Bastion 

Bastionul Soldiş Soldischbastei the Soldish Bastion 

Biblioteca Capelei Kapellenbibliothek the Chapel Library 

Biserica Azilului Siechenhaus Church of the Hospice 

Biserica din Groapă Kirche in der Grabenstraße the Church-in-the-Hollow 

Casa Albastră Blaues Haus the Blue House 

Casa Armatei Kempelkaserne the Army Club 

Casa Artelor Schatzkästlein the House of Arts 

Casa Haller Hallerhaus the Haller House 

Casa Zekelius Zekelius-Haus Zekelius House 

Cămăruţa Preoţilor Pfarrerstübel the Priests Chamber 

Cetăţii Street Harteneckgasse Fortress Street 

Colţul Penitenţei Bußwinkel the Penance Corner 

Dragoner Dragonerwacht the Dragoons Watch 

Oraşul de Jos Unterstadt the Lower Town 

Oraşul de Sus Oberstadt the Upper Town 

Palatul Brukenthal Brukenthalpalais Brukenthal Palace 

Pasajul Scărilor Pempflingergasse the Stairway Passage 

Pasajul Şcolii Schulgasse the Şcolii Passageway 

Pasul Turnu Roşu Roter-Turm-Pass the Red Tower Pass 

Piaţa Armelor Zeughofplatz Armelor Square 

Piaţa Aurarilor Fingerlingsplatz Aurarilor Square 

Piaţa Cibin Holzplatz Cibin Market 

Piaţa Mare Grosser Ring Grand Square 

Piaţa Mică Kleiner Ring Lesser Square 

Piaţa Schiller Schiller Platz Schiller Square 

Piaţa Unirii Hermannsplatz Union Square 

Poarta Cisnădiei Heltauertor the Cisnădia Gate 

Poarta Guşteriţei Elisabethtor the Guşteriţa Gate 

Poarta Ocnei Burgertor the Ocna Gate 

Podul Minciunilor Lügenbrücke Liars’ Bridge 

211

212 


Scara Aurarilor Fingerlingsstiege the Aurarilor Stairway 

Scara Ocnei Burgerstiege the Ocna Stairs 

Scara Turnului Sagstiege the Tower Stairs 

Strada Argintarilor Fingerlingsgasse Silversmiths Lane 

Strada Berăriei Brauhausgasse Alehouse Street 

Strada Biserica din Groapă Grabenstraße Church-in-the-Hollow Street 

Strada Blănarilor Kürschnergasse Furriers Street 

Strada Brutarilor Bäckergasse Bakers Street 

Strada Centumvirilor Hundsrücken Centumvirilor Street 

Strada Cojocarilor Kempelgasse Skinners Street 

Strada Konrad Haas Poschengasse Konrad Haas Street 

Strada Croitorilor Schneidergasse Tailors Street 

Strada Faurului Schmiedgasse Blacksmiths Street 

Strada Felinarului Laterngasse Lantern Street 

Strada Funarilor Klostergasse Funarilor Street 

Strada Gimnasticii Turnschulgasse Gymnastics Street 

Strada Lungă Langgasse Long Street 

Strada Manejului Reitschulgasse Riding School Street 

Strada Mitropoliei Fleischergasse Metropolitan Church Street 

Strada Nouă Neugasse New Street 

Strada Ocnei Burgergassee Salt Mine Street 

Strada Pielarilor Lederergasse Curriers Street 

Strada Plopilor Schiffbäumel Poplars Street 

Strada Poştei Baiergasse Post Office Street 

Strada Pulberăriei Pulvergasse Gun Powder Street 

Strada Rotarilor Wagnergasse Wheelwrights Street 

Strada Şelarilor Franziskanergasse Saddlers Street 

Strada Târgului Marktgasse Market Street 

Strada Tipografilor Wiesengasse Printers Street 

Strada Turnului Saggasse Tower Street 

Strada Vopsitorilor Färbergasse Dyers Street 

Strada Zidarilor Maurergasse Masons Street 

Târgu Peştelui Rosenanger Fish Market 

Târgul Vinului Weinanger Wine Market 

Turnul Archebuzierilor Armbrustmacherturm the Harquebusiers Tower 

Turnul Bărbierilor Balbiererturm the Barbers Tower 

Turnul Cositorarilor Zinngiesserturm the Tinkers Tower 

Turnul cu Pulbere Pulverturm the Gunpowder Tower 

Turnul Dulgherilor Zimmermannsturm the Carpenters Tower 

Turnul Făurarilor Schmiedeturm the Tower of the Blacksmiths 

Turnul Gros Dicker Turm the Thick Tower 

Turnul Olarilor Töpferturm the Potters Tower 

Turnul Pielarilor Ledererturm the Curriers Tower 

Turnul Porţii Guşteriţa Elisabethtor the Guşteriţa Gate Tower 

Turnul Postăvarilor Tuchmacherturm the Felters Tower 

Turnul Preoţilor Priesterturm the Priests Tower

7.f Glossary 

Turnul Sării Salztor the Salt Tower 

Turnul Scării Aurarilor Fingerlingsstiege the Tower of the Aurarilor 

Stairway 

Turnul Scărilor Pfarrerstübel the Tower of the Stairs 

Turnul Sfatului Ratsturm the Town Hall Tower 

213

8 CONTACT INFORMATION 

OF 

RELEVANT AUTHORITIES

8.a Compilers 

8.a Compilers 

The Documentation was compiled under the auspices of THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY / 

Institutul de Cercetări Socio-Umane Sibiu / Institute for Social and Human Research 

RO-550024 Sibiu, 40 Victoriei Bd., Phone 0040 269 212604, fax 0040 269 216605, 

e-mail icsusib@artelecom.net 

Coordination: 

Name: Paul Niedermaier 

Title: Professor, Ph.D., Member of the 

Romanian Academy 

Address: ICSU Sibiu, 40 Victoriei Bd. 

City, Country: RO-550024 Sibiu, Romania 

Phone. 0040 269 212604 

E-mail: icsusib@artelecom.net 

General supervision: 

Name: Steffen Mildner 

Title: Lic. rer. reg. 

Address: GTZ Sibiu, 11 Avram Iancu Str. 


Phone: 0040 269 211988 

E-mail: office@gtzb.ro 

Consultants: 

Name: Dennis Rodwell 

Address: Greenside Park, St. Boswells 

Melrose Roxburghshire 

City, Country: TD6 0AH Scotland, U.K. 

Phone: 0044 (0)774 0871043 

E-mail: dennis@dennisrodwell.co.uk 

Name: Tereza Sinigalia 

Title: Associate Professor, Ph.D. 

Address: INMI, 16 E. Văcărescu Str. 

City, Country: 040157 Bucureşti, Romania 

Phone: 0040 021 3366073 

E-mail: tereza.sinigalia@inmi.ro 

Documentation for the Indicative List of Romania: Layout: 

Name: Sergiu Nistor Name: Mariana Vlad 


Address: MCC, 30 Kiseleff Rd. Address: ICSU Sibiu, 40 Victoriei Bd. 

City, Country: RO-011347 Bucureşti, Romania City, Country: RO-550024 Sibiu, Romania 

Phone: 0040 21 2242510 Phone: 0040 740 620372 

E-mail: sergiu.nistor@cultura.ro E-mail: icsusib@artelecom.net 

Chapter 1 

Name: Szabolcs Guttmann 

Title: Chief Architect 

Address: PM Sibiu, 1–3 Victoriei Bd. 


Phone: 0040 269 208800 

E-mail: primarie@sibiu.ro 

Name: Ioana Urdea 

Title: Architect 



Phone: 0040 269 208800 


Chapter 2 

Name: Ioan Bucur 


Address: 7 Hegel Str. 


Phone: 0040 0740 204104 

E-mail: ioanbucur@hotmail.com 

Name: Alexandru Avram 

Authors of Chapters 

Title: Professor, Ph.D. 

Address: ULB Sibiu, 7 Victoriei Bd. 


Phone: 0040 269 216062 





Phone. 0040 269 212604 


Name: Zeno-Karl Pinter 




Phone: 0040 269 212604 

Chapter 3 





217

218 

Phone. 0040 269 212604 


Chapter 4 

Name: Marius Constantin 

Title: Prof. 



Phone: 0040 269 208800 






Phone: 0040 269 208800 






Phone: 0040 269 208800 






Phone: 0040 269 211988 


Chapter 5 




City, Country:RO-550183 Sibiu, Romania 

Phone: 0040 269 211988 


Name: Vasile Crişan 

Title: Prof. 

Address: DJCCPCN Sibiu, 6 Tribunei Str. 

City, Country: 550176 Sibiu 

Phone: 0040 269 210113 

E-mail: cultura@logon.ro 

Name: Tereza Sinigalia 


Address: INMI, 16 E. Văcărescu Str. 

City, Country: 040157 Bucureşti, Romania 

Phone: 0040 021 3366073 

E-mail. tereza.sinigalia@inmi.ro 

Name: Marius Constantin 

Title: Prof. 

Address: PM Sibiu 

8 Contact Information 


Phone: 0040 269 208800 


Chapter 6 





Phone: 0040 269 211988 


Chapter 7 





Phone: 0040 269 208800 






Phone: 0040 269 208800 






Phone: 0040 269 212604 


Name: Anda-Lucia Spânu 

Title: Prof. 



Phone: 0040 269 212604 


Chapter 8 





Phone. 0040 269 212604 






Phone: 0040 269 208800 


English version by: Eugen Gergely, Ph.D. and Dan-Şerban Sava, Ph.D. 

Also collaborated: 

Nadia Badrus, Ph.D., Carla Fabian, Prof. Dumitru Iacob, 

Gudrun-Liane Ittu, Ph.D., Gabriela Panczel-Cenuşer, Ph.D. (ICSUS) 

Arch. Jochen Gauly, Arch. Gabriele Mersch, Cristina Muntoiu, econ. (GTZ)

8.b Local Institution 

8.b Local Institution 

Municipality of the City of Sibiu 

1–3 Victoriei Bd., RO-550024 Sibiu, Romania, Phone: 0040 269 208800; e-mail: primarie@sibiu.ro 

Prof. Klaus Werner Johannis, Mayor 

8.c Other Local Institutions 

County Directorate for Culture , Religious Affairs, and National Cultural Heritage Sibiu 

6 Tribunei Str., RO–550176 Sibiu, Phone: 0040 269 210113, e-mail: cultura@logon.ro 

Institutul de Cercetări Socio-Umane Sibiu / Institute for Social and Human Research 

40 Victoriei Bd., RO-550024 Sibiu, Romania, Phone: 0040 269 212604; 

e-mail: icsusib@artelecom.net 

Universitatea Lucian Blaga Sibiu, Facultatea de Istorie şi Patrimoniu “Nicolae Lupu” 

5 Victoriei Bd., RO-550024 Sibiu, Romania, Phone: 0040 269 214468, e-mail: istorie@ulbsibiu.ro 

Facultatea de Geografia Turismului Sibiu 

3 Turnătoriei Str., RO-550049, Phone: 0040 269 222899 

Brukenthal Museum Sibiu 

4-5 Grand Square, RO-550163 Sibiu, Phone: 0040 269 211699, e-mail info@brukenthalmuseum.ro 

History Museum Sibiu 

2 Mitropoliei Str., RO–550179 Sibiu, Phone: 0040 269 218143 

Astra Museum 

11 Lesser Square, RO-550182 Sibiu, Phone: 0040 269 218195, e-mail office@muzeulastra.ro 

S. C. Kultours s.r.l. 

16 Lesser Square, RO-550182 Sibiu, Phone: 0040 269 216854, e-mail info@kultours.ro 

Tourist Information Centre 

7 Grand Square, RO-550163 Sibiu, Phone: 0040 269 208913, e-mail turism@sibiu.ro 

S. C. Globtours s.r.l. 

9 Nicolae Bălcescu Str., RO-550159 Sibiu, Phone: 433422, e-mail globtour@tinet.ro 

8.d Official Web Address 

http://www.ministerul culturii.ro 

Name: Dan Nicolae, Architect 

E-mail:dan.nicolae@cultura.ro 

http://www.sibiu.ro 

Name: Prof. Klaus Werner Johannis, Mayor 


219

9 SIGNATURE 

ON BEHALF OF 

THE STATE PARTY 

221

Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs 

……………………. 

ADRIAN IORGULESCU

sibiu, the historic centre

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