We are an evangelical Lutheran congregation in the heart of Heltau, where around 250 people share a close-knit community.
At the centre of our congregational life stands the medieval fortified church, dedicated to St. Walburga. It is both a historic monument and a living place of worship, accomplished church music and personal encounter. Our doors are open to everyone, regardless of background or denomination.
A 12th-century Romanesque church grew into a late-Gothic hall church, surrounded by defensive walls, towers and storerooms, shelter and house of God at once.
The parish office coordinates all activities of the congregation, spiritual as well as administrative. Together, staff and volunteers ensure services, events and pastoral care.
The fortified church is open daily. Tours in German, Romanian and English, by arrangement.
High above the rooftops of Heltau rises one of the most beautiful fortified churches in Transylvania, since the Middle Ages a house of God, a refuge and a landmark all at once.
What began as a Romanesque church grew over the centuries into a mighty fortified church: defensive walls, towers and storerooms enclose the house of God, where services are still celebrated every Sunday. Those who enter feel the silence of eight centuries and discover precious altars, old gravestones and the full sound of the organ.
Dive deeper: into the , the and the of the fortified church.
Eight centuries are written into these walls, from the 13th-century Romanesque basilica to the restorations of our own time.
Heltau is mentioned as "villa Ruetel", a Saxon settlement at the foot of the Southern Carpathians, 8 km from Hermannstadt (Sibiu). As it is called a civitas (town), it must already have been significant at the time.
The settlers build a three-nave Romanesque basilica with a six-storey west tower, dedicated to St. Walburga — an 8th-century abbess venerated as a protector against illness and hardship. Analogies to this patronage are found in the Cologne–Aachen–Liège region, offering clues to the settlers' origin. The nave receives a ribbed cross vault, the aisles a simple cross vault. On the fifth storey of the tower, remains of eight Romanesque twin windows survive to this day.
Ottoman raids increasingly threaten the region. In 1395 King Sigismund remits part of the taxes of devastated Heltau. Repeated attacks force a massive expansion between 1430 and 1530: double ring walls up to 6 metres high, defensive towers, bastions and a moat between the walls.
On 2 February 1493, Ottoman troops burn the town; as a result, construction on the fortified church is accelerated. Yet in 1500, on the occasion of a visit by King Vladislaus II, Heltau is granted market rights, a testament to the community's resilience.
With Benedictus, the first Lutheran pastor of Heltau is recorded; like almost all Transylvanian Saxons, the community adopts the Evangelical confession. In this turbulent time, the church treasure is hidden in a secret chamber within the fortress walls, a secret kept for generations.
In 1601 General Basta, in the service of Austria, captures the fortified church; in 1602 the troops of Sigismund Báthory storm in, three inhabitants of Heltau are killed in front of the church door. In 1602–1603 famine and plague claim two pastors and 107 wool weavers. On 1 June 1660 lightning strikes the church tower, where Heltau's residents had stored their valuables; that same year, 411 inhabitants succumb to a plague epidemic.
On 15 May the town is taken by Hungarian Kuruc leader Count Lorenz Pökri and spared only after payment of 1,500 gold guilders.
After lightning strikes the church tower again, Heltau receives in 1797 the first lightning rod east of Vienna within Europe.
The interior of the church receives a Neo-Gothic retable in 1879. The town itself experiences a boom: a new school (1822), a road to Hermannstadt (1859), a rail connection (1894) and electric light (1896).
In 1919 Gromen & Herbert, one of the largest Transylvanian textile companies, is founded. World War II brings heavy losses: in 1944 the Soviet army sets up a prisoner camp, in 1945 able-bodied Saxons are deported to the USSR. In 1948 private enterprises are nationalised, and Heltau becomes a town.
After the fall of the Ceaușescu regime in 1989, around 3,000 of Heltau's 3,512 Saxons emigrate to Germany within two years. In 1997/98 the last major textile company closes, the community experiences its lowest economic point, and has been rebuilding ever since.
In 2004, 800 years since the first mention of Heltau are celebrated, an occasion for renewed momentum in preserving the fortified church.
Since 2006, the community has awarded the Walburga Prize every two years to individuals and organisations who have rendered outstanding service to Heltau, including Dr. Gerhard Schullerus, Dr. Stefan Cosoroabă, the HOG Heltau, Ilse Harff, Ortrun Binder and Ingrid Buertmes, as well as writer Karin Gündisch and Ortrun Rhein.
In the Capital of Culture year, young fortress guides are involved for the first time, introducing visitors to the history of the fortified church and community life, the origin of a tradition that remains alive today.
Municipally supported "culture years" bring an open-house day, fortress festival, night of the fortress, autumn festival, theatre, exhibitions and the concert series "Echoes of the Fortress" to Heltau. In close cooperation with the HOG Heltau, including the restoration of medieval manuscripts and various renovation works, the "Heltau Days" take shape in 2013 and 2017.
In 2014, representatives of the presidential offices of German President Joachim Gauck and Romanian President Traian Băsescu took on the patronage of the Fortified Churches Foundation in Heltau. In 2016 Gauck visited together with President Klaus Johannis, whose family has been documented in Heltau since the 16th century. On another occasion, state premiers Volker Bouffier and Stanislaw Tillich also came to Heltau.
A comprehensive restoration secures the walls, towers, roof and interior. In 2023 the fortified church is solemnly re-consecrated. What generations built and sustained, we pass on well cared for.
The secret hiding place, the figural stone, the fresco, on a tour these stories come to life.
Between 2019 and 2023 the fortified church was restored, secured and rebuilt step by step, until a solemn re-consecration sealed the completion of the works.
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A feasibility study assesses the condition of the fortified church and the scope of necessary works, laying the groundwork for the EU renovation project.
In 2017 the funding agreement for the renovation of the Heltau fortified church is signed. In 2018 two tenders for the construction work initially fail, and preparations drag on.
After years of preparation and fundraising, actual construction begins on the badly deteriorated fabric of the fortified church.
The ring walls are statically secured, damaged masonry is renewed, and the roofs of the defensive towers are re-covered. Work proceeds in stages so that services and tours can continue.
Inside, attention turns to the nave, vault and tower, while the pandemic limits congregational life: services take place in the parish garden, the cemetery chapel and the cultural hall, and even Christmas Eve is celebrated in the parish garden. In 2021 the congregation resumes its activities only tentatively.
Despite delays, the remaining trades are completed: outdoor facilities, lighting and the final restoration works on the altar and the organ.
With a festive service followed by a community celebration, the restored fortified church is solemnly re-consecrated in 2023. Guests from partner congregations, authorities and the homeland community celebrate together with the congregation the completion of the restoration works.
Extensive archaeological excavations in and around the church uncover the graves of pastors Georg Brenner and Johann Hutter in the chancel, as well as the foundations of the old baptismal chapel. The final report is expected to shed further light on the church's construction period.
Grants, donations and volunteer work made this restoration possible. Anyone wishing to continue supporting the fortified church is warmly welcome.
The altars of our church are stories of faith carved in wood and colour. Each one speaks of the era in which it was made and of the people who prayed before it.
This pre-Reformation winged altar was created around 1520 in the workshop of Johannes Stoß (school of Veit Stoß the Younger) for the church in Bruiu (Braller). In 1999 it found its place as the new main altar in Heltau's chancel. Richly structured, with figures and painted panels depicting biblical scenes, an impressive testament to Transylvanian woodcarving.
The Neo-Gothic altar was installed in 1879, replacing a pre-Reformation altar by the Hermannstadt painter Vincentius from 1525, which was dismantled in 1875, of which only the predella survives at the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu. When the Bruiu altar took over the chancel in 1999, the Neo-Gothic altar moved to the gallery, where it stands today: slender pointed arches, delicate carvings and imagery combining medieval forms with Romantic piety.
The Wassid altar came to Heltau from the small Saxon community of Wassid (Romanian: Veseud), like so many altars from villages whose parishes could no longer maintain their church furnishings after the Saxons' emigration. It bears the hallmark of its era and recalls the history of the Transylvanian diaspora.
The Werd altar too has found a new home in Heltau: it comes from the small Saxon community of Werd (Romanian: Vărd). Its carvings and painted panels tell of faith and community, a quiet testimony to the close bonds among Transylvanian parishes.
Would you like to view the altars up close and hear their stories? On a guided tour, take your time to discover every detail.
Behind thick walls, our congregation preserves treasures from eight centuries: frescoes, manuscripts, sacred vessels and unique works of art. Witnesses of a lived faith, preserved to this day.
This 12th-century processional cross is considered the oldest surviving art object of the Transylvanian Saxons. A wooden core with hammered copper plates, a greenish patina, trefoil arms set with blue semi-precious stones, and a depiction of Christ showing Venetian and Byzantine influences.
The cross was stolen in 2016 and recovered undamaged in 2021 through international cooperation. For security reasons it is now kept at the Regional Church Museum in the Teutsch House, Sibiu.
In the southern porch stands a coffin-shaped gravestone with a carved St. Andrew's cross and a stylised face mask. Its archaic style resembles finds from the medieval Rhineland, one of the oldest surviving gravestones in Transylvania.
Explained by experts as part of the museum tours.
Many of these treasures can be admired up close on a guided tour. We're happy to tell you the story behind them.
The Heltau fortified church houses two historic instruments: the large 1944 Wegenstein organ and the small Baroque organ by Johannes Hahn Junior, a unique ensemble of Transylvanian organ craftsmanship.
The large main organ on the west gallery was built in 1944 by the Wegenstein brothers, replacing the splendid previous organ, which burned down on the night of 24 December 1942. The instrument was last comprehensively repaired in 2014/15 by organ builder Bors László of Tușnad and remains in playable condition.
This splendid small organ is a work by Johannes Hahn Junior (1763–1814), the most important Baroque organ builder in Transylvania. The richly decorated case, in white and green with gilded ornaments, is an outstanding testament to Transylvanian organ craftsmanship from the late 18th century.
Johannes Hahn Junior took over his father's Hermannstadt workshop after his death in 1783. The organs of both Hahns are considered masterpieces of Baroque organ building in the region, some still playable today.
The excellent acoustics of our church make it a special concert venue. In summer we invite you to organ concerts, an experience for congregation and guests alike.
Our church musician accompanies the congregation on the organ and leads the church choir. She is the contact for all musical matters, from wedding music to concerts.
At the next service or concert you can hear both instruments live. We look forward to seeing you.
Sunday after Sunday we gather in St. Walburga Evangelical Church to sing, pray and hear the Word of God. Whether you're a regular or visiting for the first time, you're warmly invited to simply join us.
Our service follows the familiar Evangelical liturgy: hymns from the hymnal, prayer, scripture reading and sermon, accompanied by the music of choir and organ. Once a month we celebrate Holy Communion.
A separate monthly Romanian-language service did not take hold due to low attendance. Instead, Romanian is heard in every service during the welcome and introduction to the day, as well as in the Gospel reading. At family services, sermons are partly given in Romanian, and on the second day of major festivals we celebrate a service entirely in Romanian.
Our doors are open on Sundays at 10 am. A first visit commits you to nothing, simply come by.
Congregation is more than Sunday morning. During the week, people of all ages meet to sing, learn, play and spend time together. There's sure to be a group for you too.
Feel free to join a meeting without obligation, or give us a call, we'll gladly tell you when each group meets next.
For centuries, music has resounded in our church, carried by the sound of the organ and the voices of the choir. It is prayer, festive garment and invitation all at once.
Our choir shapes services on feast days musically and performs at regional concerts and choir gatherings. Rehearsals are held once a week, in an open and warm circle.
Enjoy singing? Come to a rehearsal, no strings attached.
Children discover music from an early age, singing at services and congregational celebrations and experiencing how their voice becomes part of something bigger.
All children of the congregation are warmly welcome.
Youth band Luminia brings contemporary sounds to the congregation, with guitars, drums and vocals. It shapes youth services and special congregational evenings.
Music-loving young people are welcome anytime.
Whether in the choir or as a guest at a concert: music unites. We look forward to seeing you.
At life's great turning points, in joy as in grief, we are by your side. Here you'll find how to arrange a rite of the church and who will accompany you.
Would you like to have your child baptised, or be baptised yourself? We rejoice with you. Contact the parish office, in a personal conversation we'll arrange the date, godparents and the course of the baptism service.
Registration: Parish Office · +40 269 564 597 · office@ekh.ro
In confirmation classes, young people engage with questions of faith and life and, at the end, affirm their own baptism for themselves. Classes begin every autumn.
Registration & start: Parish Office
Our historic church is a festive place to begin your shared path under God's blessing. Contact us early, and together we'll shape your wedding service.
Arrange a date: Parish Office · +40 269 564 597 · office@ekh.ro
In parting, we don't leave you alone. We arrange the funeral service and accompany families with pastoral care, with time, calm and dignity.
In case of bereavement: Parish Office · +40 269 564 597
Sometimes a confidential conversation does good. In worry, illness or simply a wish for comfort, we're happy to visit you at home or in hospital, confidentially and without preconditions.
Arrange a conversation: Parish Office · +40 269 564 597
Baptism, wedding, or a conversation in a difficult time, a phone call is enough, and we'll make time for you.
Faith shows itself in action. Our congregation's diaconal work accompanies people in difficult life situations, concretely, personally and without preconditions.
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in."
Diaconal care is not a programme, but an attitude. It belongs to the very core of Evangelical congregational life, as lived love of neighbour that is not confined to Sunday worship.
In Heltau, staff and volunteers work to accompany people in particular life situations: the sick, the lonely, families in need, older people without support.
Congregational deacon Rosina Ruopp regularly visits sick and elderly congregation members at home or in care homes, for conversation, personal companionship, and to arrange practical support.
Occasionally, and on request, Pastor Kézdi visits in person too. He gladly offers Communion at home, a special form of pastoral care for those who can no longer come to church.
In life crises, bereavement or times of being overwhelmed, the pastor and trained volunteers are available for conversation.
This support is confidential, free of charge and without preconditions, for congregation members and outsiders alike. Contact the parish office directly.
Our own congregational association, "Initiativa Christiana", coordinates diaconal support on the ground. After the Revolution it took over tasks previously carried by German partner parishes, and today organises, among other things, the annual Christmas action: around 200 people, including children, choir members and seniors, receive parcels. Donations collected also flow into projects such as "Meals on Wheels" and international disaster relief.
The "Noah's Ark" after-school centre was founded in 2001 for children in need in Heltau. Around 35 boys and girls receive a warm meal daily, help with homework and space to play. The centre is run by the Diaconal Service of the Evangelical Church A.B. in Romania.
Young adults who went through the Ark as children and are now in training or working continue to be supported.
The centre is supported by Christ Church Parish Kassel, numerous private donors, and the City of Heltau.
Diaconal work thrives on voluntary commitment. Anyone wishing to visit an elderly person, support a family, or simply bring time is warmly welcome. No prior experience needed, just a willingness to listen.
Contact the parish office. We'll pass your request on confidentially and quickly to the right place.
The parish office is the first point of contact for all matters concerning our congregation, from registering a baptism to booking a church tour. Here's how to reach us.
As the congregation's pastor, I accompany people through the bright and difficult hours of their lives, at baptisms and weddings as well as in pastoral conversation. My door is open to you, whether you belong to the congregation or are here for the first time.
The parish office serves as the coordinating centre for all congregational activities, both spiritual and administrative. The staff team is complemented by congregational deacon Rosina Ruopp and numerous volunteers. Together they ensure the smooth running of services, events, administrative tasks and pastoral care.
A congregation lives through people who take responsibility. The presbytery leads our congregation together with the pastor, voluntarily, with heart and perseverance.
The presbytery, the elected congregational council, together with the pastor bears responsibility for the spiritual, structural and financial life of our congregation. It manages the fortified church, plans events, oversees diaconal work and decides on major questions. It is elected by congregation members; it meets regularly and welcomes anyone who wants to think and work alongside it.
The congregational assembly is the lay body elected by congregation members. It consults and decides on fundamental questions of congregational life, including budget, congregational bylaws and long-term development. Together with the presbytery, it bears responsibility for the direction and future of the congregation and ensures that important decisions have broad support.
Whether with time, an idea, or helping hands, every contribution strengthens our congregation. Simply get in touch.
The Evangelical cemetery in Heltau is a place of stillness, remembrance and dignity, tended with care for the departed and their families.
The Evangelical cemetery in Heltau has for centuries been the congregation's final resting place. It is carefully tended by Werner Schuller, so that this place preserves its dignity and peace.
[Location, history and notable graves to be added.]
In case of bereavement, we accompany you with dignity through every step. Please contact the parish office promptly, we'll make time for you.
For questions about grave usage rights, grave care, or plot occupancy, please contact the cemetery administrator or the parish office.
In case of bereavement or questions about the cemetery, a phone call is enough, and we'll make time for you.
Our congregation does not live for itself. Across borders and denominations, friendships and partnerships unite us, sharing faith and cultivating fellowship.
The home community association HOG Heltau brings together former Saxon residents of Heltau living in Germany and their descendants. It keeps alive the memory of the old homeland, supports the preservation of the fortified church, and has accompanied the congregation in Heltau for decades through advice, donations and personal involvement.
Whether restoration projects, the annual church consecration festival, or the bond between generations, the HOG is an important bridge between the emigrated congregation and those who remain.
In 2024 we signed a partnership agreement with the Auferstehungs-Samariter parish in Berlin-Friedrichshain. This partnership unites two very different congregational lives, the small Transylvanian Saxon parish and the big-city congregation in the heart of Berlin, in the same Evangelical faith.
Regular visits, mutual intercession and the exchange of experience about congregational life mark this young partnership, built to last.
A further partnership has been agreed with the Evangelical parish of Osijek, Croatia. It extends our network of relationships to an Evangelical parish in south-eastern Europe, with which we share a similar history as a minority church.
Concrete steps, mutual visits, joint projects and spiritual exchange, will grow in the years ahead.
Whether a visit, exchange, or your own partnership idea, we welcome your interest in our relationships.
Every summer, young people aged 14 to 19 open the gates of the fortified church and guide visitors from around the world through eight centuries of history, voluntarily and with visible joy.
In the summer months, children and young people of the congregation take over the tours through the fortified church. They explain the secret hiding place, tell of Ottoman sieges and plague years, and point out the frescoes and altars, often in several languages and for guests from all over the world.
This group of fortress guides is also the core of our youth group. Whoever joins in dives deep into the history of the church and Transylvanian Saxon traditions, and becomes part of a community that holds together well beyond summer.
The tradition dates back to 2007: in the European Capital of Culture year in Hermannstadt, young fortress guides were involved for the first time, to bring visitors closer to the history of the fortified church.
They learn the chronicle of the fortified church, from the first documentary mention to the restoration, and pass it on in their own words.
Guiding tours in German, Romanian and English builds confident public speaking and connecting with visitors from around the world.
Fortress guides form the core of the youth group. Those who take part often stay connected beyond summer, with friendships and responsibility for their own congregation.
Before summer, new fortress guides are trained and introduced to the history of the fortified church. Interested? We welcome anyone who wants to take part.
In summer our young guides await you, year-round, the parish office. Book your tour.
What's coming up and what have we experienced? The up-to-date schedule of services and events is maintained on the German page of the site, which is updated most frequently. Here you'll find general highlights.
Every Sunday, 10:00 am, in St. Walburga Evangelical Church. For special festivals, the summer concert series "Echoes of the Fortress" and other events, please see the up-to-date list of dates on the German page or our Facebook page.
The complete, up-to-date calendar of services, concerts and events is available on the German version of the site.
View schedule (DE) →Our choir takes part in regional choir gatherings, young people guide visitors through the fortified church, and the congregation celebrates the annual church consecration festival and special events. Photos and more detailed stories from congregational life can be found on the German page.
A few recent moments from congregational life. The complete, continuously updated archive is available on the German version of the site.
The Transylvanian Brunch took place on 4 July at the Heltau fortified church. The programme began at 11am with local gastronomy: regional specialities, seasonal ingredients and authentic recipes, with local producers involved.
Our young fortress guides welcome you again this year to the Heltau fortified church. On the tour you'll discover the history, culture and tradition of this place.
Whether for a baptism, a tour, or simply a question, we're glad to hear from you. Here you'll find all the ways to reach us.
Preserving our fortified church is an ongoing mission. Your donation helps us keep this heritage alive for generations to come.
We'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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