Black Church Brasov

Top objective of Brasov

Location

The address is Curtea Johannes Honterus Nr. 2, ZIP code 500025, Brasov. The Black Church is located in the center of Brasov, near the Council Square, from where you can also see part of it. It neighbors the German High School Johannes Honterus.

About the Black Church. Why is it called that?

The Black Church in Brasov is an evangelical Lutheran parish church. It is 89 meters long and 38 meters high, making it the largest Gothic building in Southeast Europe. In the church's belfry is a huge 6-ton bell.

Its name comes from the fire of 1689, which partially affected it. Since then, the popular name has stuck, and in the 19th century it became an official name. In German it is called Schwarze Kirche.

The church was built by the Transylvanian Saxons between 1383 and 1477 on the foundation of an older church. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose feast it bears. It was opened in 1542 for the Lutheran divine services in German after the Protestant Reformation entered Transylvania. Johannes Honterus, who is buried in the Black Church, played a defining role.

1. Exterior

You can see the church very beautifully from the Black Tower, the White Tower or from the Tâmpa Mountain, but you can also see it from the Council Square. It is imposing from any side you approach it.

Black Church

2. Carpets

Perhaps paradoxically, there are many carpets on display in the church. The collection numbers 110 rugs and dates back to Byzantine origin from the 15th-16th centuries, when the Turks raided and invaded the area.