Biserica Sfânta Margareta, Mediaș

Lutheran church in Mediaș (Mediasch), Romania. The Romanian fortified-church was built in gothic style in 1488, with time it went through different modifications. The feeble ground structure made its tower, built in 1460, incline. 1550 the church was raised with three storeys and in 1551 four smaller towers were added to show that the city had a court. It was at that time that it gained its 68.5 meters height. In 1783 the roof-structure was changed and the small towers renovated, it was also then that the golden globe, dating from 1550, was brought down from the tower and according to tradition its content was read aloud. The tower proved to be a good spotting post. In those times the trumpeter in the tower had a great function, alerting about the approaching danger. If he made a mistake, he would've been thrown out from the top of the tower. From this does the towers name derive, Trumpeters tower. In this tower was ordered to be locked Vlad Ţepeş, a.k.a. Dracula, by King Matyas in 1476. On the inside walls of the church you can see 14th- or 15th-century frescoes. The altar was made in 1480 in gothic style, and portrays the sufferings of Jesus. On the portrait, below the crucified Jesus' arm, a Wien panorama can be observed, this indicates the portray origin. The church walls are also decorated with eastern wall carpets given to the church by Christians, some date back to the 16th century. In the church there is the oldest brazen baptistry of the country made at the beginning of the 19th century.The canopy of the pulpit was made in 1679 by master Sigismund Moess. Its pipe-organ, (built by Johannes Hahn, 1755), is appropriate for symphony concerts. While these concerts last the church benches are turned to face the pipe-organ. English name: St. Margaret Evangelical Church, Medias or St. Margret Church / German: Margarethenkirche / Sf. Margareta din Medias / Szent Margrit templom