Crit prepares for the holiday - August 16, 2014 - Haferland Week (video)

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The history of Kreuz starts from 700 years ago: the first documentary attestation dates back to 1270, the name, of German origin, being inspired by a cross erected on a promontory, visible from the three neighboring communes. The Saxons in the area worshiped the cross a stone church around which the first houses of Kreuz village appeared.

From two documents, dated 1270 and 1272, we find that King Stefan of Hungary confirms to Laurentius, the son of Hylyees and his son, the possession of the lands near Szederges (Moreni), with the church dedicated to St. Mary, and Scentkerest, with the stone church worshiped. St. Cross. So, at first, Criţ was a noble property.

In 1322, the village of Criț belonged to the Cârţa Abbey, and then over the centuries, the locality passed into the administration of the Sibiu Prefecture, then into that of Prince Sigismud Bathori's brother. Starting from 1863, by a decision of the Transylvanian Chancellery, the village of Criţ together with other localities in the area was transferred to the seat of Sighisoara.

Fortified church
The fortification of the evangelical church in Criț began in the 15th century, with the erection of the five towers and the walls surrounding the church in an irregular oval. The old church was demolished in 1810, and the new one, in neoclassical style, was completed in 1813. From the old evangelical church in Criţ the walls of the outer fortifications have been left.

Inside, the church comprises a spacious hall, with two beams, and the Bohemian-style vault. A stranger in the upper gallery has painted on one of its tablets a small church that seemed to be an approximate representation of the old church. The bell tower, located in the west, bears a rugged helmet, but without a defense gallery, an element that probably existed in the sixteenth century.

The altar, of classicist style, has as its central point a crucifix flanked by wooden columns and two wooden statues representing the apostles Peter and Paul. Above the altar was placed in 1822, the organ. In the same year the clock in the church tower was installed.

Restoration of the church and the organ
The degradation of the fortification began in the twentieth century. Today, the fortification system of the fifteenth century still retains the enclosure wall and four towers. The south tower, above the old entrance, surpassed in 1925,
fragments from the side walls and the now walled entrances, enclosed in the curtain, indicating where he was. The Northeast tower also collapsed three decades later in 1955, but was rebuilt in 1957 with two levels, bearing a roof in the pyramid.

In the last 5 years, major efforts have been made by some institutions, individuals and foundations, in order to restore and reintegrate the church and the organs of this church. The restoration works of the church, begun in the 2011 year, were coordinated by the Superior Consistory of the Evangelical Church CA in Romania and were included in the project "Fortified Treasures Rediscovered - Sustainable Development of the Center Region by highlighting the tourism potential of the network of Saxon fortified churches from Transylvania ”, having European funding, but also co-financing the Romanian state.

The organ of the church in Criț
Regarding the organ of the church, the first documentary mention in Criț dates from 1699, when the presence of an organ builder and an organist in the village is noted.

The current organ with 1450 tubes, built by Master Johann Thois in 1813, has undergone repairs in 1908. In recent years, the state of the orgy no longer allowed its use at normal parameters, and, to draw attention to the need for restoration, local musicians initiated events in the church in Criț, such as the concert Laudate in the 2009 year.

At the initiative of the Michael Schmidt Foundation, in the 2011 year, the restoration of this historical organ was initiated, with the active support of the Sasilori Association departing from Crit in Germany (HOG Detsch-Kreuz), of the Evangelical Church District of the Tara Country - Brasov. Also, many private individuals have chosen to donate, taking over the patronage of the organs. The restoration operations were carried out by experts Barbara Dutli and Ferdinand Stemmer from Switzerland.

Another initiative of the Michael Schmidt Foundation to bring the cultural heritage of Saxons from Transylvania to the attention of the general public is the financing of a film called "Organs from Transylvania", made in the year 2012, and to be released soon.

The Parish House of Criţ
The date when the first parish house in Criţ was built is not known. It is certain, however, that the first priest was installed in the year 1550, and in the year 1843 it was necessary to build a new house, because the old one had been destroyed by landslides. The parish house remained unoccupied after the emigration of the last priest, in 1990, later being used only for short periods of time.

This house, whose structure of resistance was seriously damaged, collapsed during the consolidation work, and the "Michael Schmidt" Foundation started the reconstruction work, following closely the plans of the original building. Original materials and traditional construction techniques were used. Work on the new parish house will be completed by the end of 2014.

And because it starts Haferland week, I inform you that on 16 August 2014 will be inaugurated the former Parish House. What's more, Criţ will be dressed in a party dress, and below is the schedule of the day:

11.00: Religious service within the Fortified Evangelical Church
12.30: Inauguration and Baptism of the former Parochial House, rebuilt in traditional style according to the original plans
NOTHING: - NOTHING: Various cultural events: folk dance bands, fanfare, solo artist performances, children's activities
14.30 - 15.30: Organ Concert within the Fortified Evangelical Church, under the coordination of Mr. Erich Türk in collaboration with Klaus-Dieter Untch and Theodor Halmen, along with other artists
NOT-NOTHING: Hot air balloon rides at different time intervals
19.00: Sas Bal with the participation of the Amazonas Express band

In July, at the invitation of the Michael Schmidt Foundation, I participated in a press trip in the Criţ area. I had the opportunity to see the wonders of the oats, to listen to impressive stories, to enjoy the hospitality of the people of the area and to try the traditional dishes. I had a beautiful experience and I can't wait to repeat it. And you can enjoy such an experience, so don't miss Haferland Week.

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The photos were taken with photo equipment from F64Studio:

CANON 1100D camera + Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC lens.

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