The 1993 partnership between the Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim and the Ethnographic Museum of Brașov and the 1999 cooperation agreement with the Emil Sigerus Saxon Ethnography Museum had the object of a close collaboration aiming to record, research, conserve, capitalize and preserve of the Transylvanian Saxons’ cultural heritage in Romania. It envisaged the transposition into practice of some common programs and manifestations of museum activity, carrying out field research in the region inhabited by the Transylvanian Saxons, exchanges of information and scientific results, mediation of scientific contacts between the representatives of these institutions, publication of the obtained results, long-term loan facilitation between partners, support of cultural exchanges. The field research was to be undertaken especially in the depopulated areas following the massive emigration of the population from the Saxon villages and the demographic transformations subsequent to the political events since the end of 1989. The initiated investigations had to provide historical data on the respective rural locality, the traditional architecture, the field work, the peasant crafts, the peasant interior (furniture), the costume, the community life over the year (customs) and the social life forms of organization that were the basis of the rural community.

Thus, the team of researchers of the Enographic Museum in Brașov, led by Ligia Fulga, has developed a complex program for the on-site documentation of the material culture goods in the rural area and for the different aspects of the village life. The field research was extended in 1990-1992 to 24 villages, especially in the northern part of the county, in the Rupea ethnographic area, then expanded after 1993 in a series of Saxon villages on Târnave Valley, so that after 1998, the team of researchers of the Ethnographic Museum in Brașov could undertake complex researches in the great communes colonized by Saxons from Ţara Bârsei region. Starting this year, the Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim has also undertaken field research in collaboration with the Emil Sigerus Saxon Ethnography Museum in several Saxon villages from the areas surrounding Sibiu, in addition taking into account the public constructions and arrangements (cemeteries, mills, wells, bridges, sewerage system, fire stations, etc.), the architecture of the houses, the decoration of the facades or the inventory of the Evangelical churches and the Neighbourhoods.

The present text, which is part of the 2018 conference held by the author at the 1 December 1918 University in Alba Iulia, illustrates the results of these researches regarding the material heritage of the Saxon rural Neighbourhoods in Transylvania.

1. Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung, 7 October 1993; Karpatenrundschau, 4 October 1993; Siebenbürgisches Museum Gundelsheim. Nachrichten des Freundeskreises 14, 3-4 (1993): 16-17.

2. Tribuna, 18 December 1999; Siebenbürgische Zeitung, 15 January 2000.

3. Volker Wollmann, „Forschungsvorhaben des Museums in Siebenbürgen”, Siebenbürgisches Museum Gundelsheim, Nachrichten des Freundeskreises 19, 3-4 (1998): 19-25.

4. Julius Bielz, „Zunftaltertümer im Baron Brukenthalischen Museum”, Mitteilungen aus dem Baron Brukenthalischen Museum VI (1936-1937): 5-21, Abb. 21-24; Raluca Maria Frîncu, Solidarităţi socio-economice, Vecinătăţi din sudul Transilvaniei [Socio-Economic Solidarities, Neighbourhoods in Southern Transylvania] (Sibiu: Editura Muzeului Național Brukenthal, 2018), 127, 134, 147-150, 152-153, 156-157, 160.

5. Dorin I. Rus, „Steme şi însemne de breaslă în Transilvania” [Coat of Arms and Signs Guild in Transylvania] (PhD dissertation, „Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2004), 228-231; Frîncu, Solidarităţi, 63-64.

6. Irmgard Sedler, „Register”-Zeichen und „Plak”. Zeugnisse früher Schriftkultur im siebenbürgischen Gemeinschaftsbrauchtum”, in Siebenbürgisches Museum Gundelsheim, Nachrichtenheft für den Freundeskreis 21, 1-2 (2000): 21-28.

7. The chronicle is published entirely in the monograph of the village: Richard Mildt, 700 Jahre Urwegen (Köln: Wort und Welt Verlag, 1991), 256-269; Frâncu, Solidarități, 71-73.

8. Ligia Fulga, ed., Saşii despre ei înşişi / Die Siebenbürger Sachsen über sich selbst, I (Braşov: Transilvania Express, 2008), 89-98.

9. Annemie Schenk, Deutsche in Siebenbürgen. Ihre Geschichte und Kultur (München: Beck, 1992), 159.

10. Nicolae Iorga, Ce sunt şi ce vor saşii din Ardeal [What the Saxons from Transylvania Are and What They Want] (București, 1910), 59.

11. Paul Henri Stahl, „La maisnie (gospodăria) du paysan roumain”, Buletinul Bibliotecii Române VI (X) 1977-1978 (new series, Freiburg, 1978): 91-158; Idem, „Satele devălmaşe româneşti” [The Joint Property Romanian Villages], in Paul H. Stahl, ed., Contribuții la studiul satelor devălmaşe românești [Contributions to the Study of the Joint Property Romanian villages], vol. I (București: Cartea Românească, 1998), 36, apud Frîncu, Solidarități, 80.

12. Ştefan Manciulea, „Articulusul Vecinătăţii din Ighişul Nou” [The Article of Neighbourhood in Ighişu Nou], Sociologie românească IV, 7-12 (1942): 522-575.

13. Annemie Schenk, „Interetnischer Austausch zwischen Siebenbürger Sachsen und Rumänen am Beispiel der Institution Nachbarschaft”, Jahrbuch für ostdeutsche Volkskunde 30 (1987): 162-175.

Fig. 1. Glass with silver-gilt plinth made in 1646 by Melchior Hermann from the property of Rosenauer Neighbourhood (today str. Târgu Peștilor) (Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu)/ Pahar cu soclu din argint aurit realizat în anul 1646 de Melchior Hermann din proprietatea Vecinătăţii Rosenauer (astăzi str. Târgu Peştilor) (Muzeul Naţional Brukenthal din Sibiu).

Fig. 2. Chest of a Neighbourhood in Apold (Mureș County), from 1879, and the sign of Neighbourhood pyrogravured with the emblem of the commune (Apold Evangelical Parish)/ Ladă a unei Vecinătăţi din Apold (jud. Mureș), din anul 1879, şi semnul de Vecinătate pirogravat cu emblema comunei (Parohia evanghelică Apold).

Fig. 3. a-b. Neighbourhood sign in which the message sent in writing could only be reached through a door (Biertan Evangelical Parish)/ Semn de Vecinătate în care se putea ajunge la mesajul trimis în scris doar printr-o uşiţă (Parohia evanghelică Biertan).

Fig. 4. a-b. Neighbourhood sign from 1891 with floral motifs from Pianu de Jos (Alba County) (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Semn de Vecinătate din anul 1891 cu motive florale din Pianu de Jos (jud. Alba) (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 5. Neighbourhood sign decorated with a stylized sun (Evangelical Parish of Cincşor, Braşov County)/ Semn de Vecinătate ornamentat cu un soare stilizat (Parohia Evanghelică Cincşor, jud. Braşov).

Fig. 6. Neighbourhood sign from 1730 representing a stylized horned animal head (Cincşor Evangelical Parish, Brașov County)/ Semn de Vecinătate din anul 1730 reprezentând un cap de animal cornut stilizat (Parohia Evanghelică Cincşor, jud. Brașov).

Fig. 7. The sign of a Neighbourhood in Copşa Mare, from 1723, having represented on one side a plough with an iron coulter (Evangelical Parish of Biertan, Sibiu County)/ Semnul unei Vecinătăți din Copşa Mare, din anul 1723, având reprezentat pe o parte un plug cu brăzdar de fier (Parohia Evanghelică Biertan, jud. Sibiu).

Fig. 8. a-b. Neighbourhood sign from Buneşti (Brașov County), from 1875, decorated with stylized agricultural tools (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Semn de Vecinătate din Buneşti (jud. Braşov), din anul 1875, ornamentat cu unelte agricole stilizate (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 9. a-b. Another sign of Neighbourhood showing agricultural tools, from 1856, in Buneşti (Braşov County) (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Alt semn de Vecinătate înfățișând unelte agricole, din anul 1856, din Buneşti (jud. Braşov) (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 10. Sheet with special purpose from 1818, sent from house to house to settle disputes within a Neighbourhood in Copşa Mare commune (Sibiu County) (Evangelical Parish of Biertan, Sibiu County)/ Tablă cu destinaţie specială din anul 1818, trimisă din casă în casă pentru aplanarea unor litigii în cadrul unei Vecinătăţi din comuna Copşa Mare (jud. Sibiu) (Parohia Evanghelică Biertan, jud. Sibiu).

Fig. 11. Neighbourhood sign of 1891, called Sonntagsbütte, which made it known that the Sunday service was held in Râşnov (Râşnov Evangelical Parish, Braşov County)/ Semn de Vecinătate din anul 1891, denumit Sonntagsbütte, prin care se făcea cunoscut că se ţine slujba de duminică la Râşnov (Parohia Evanghelică Râşnov, jud. Braşov).

Fig. 12. Neighbourhood sign from Râşnov, by which the chief announces in writing the date and time when the Neighbourhood members are asked to attend a funeral (Evangelical Parish of Râşnov, Braşov County)/ Semn de Vecinătate din Râşnov, prin care starostele anunţa în scris data şi ora la care membrii ei sunt rugaţi să participe la o înmormântare (Parohia Evanghelică Râşnov, jud. Braşov).

Fig. 13. Neighbourhood sign by which the priest announced in 1982 the Neighbourhoods in Zagăr (Mureş County) the date and time when the Holy Liturgy is held (Evangelical Parish in Zagăr, Mureş County)/ Semn de Vecinătate prin care preotul anunţa în anul 1982 Vecinătăţile din Zagăr (jud. Mureş) data şi ora la care se ţine Sfânta Liturghie (Parohia Evanghelică din Zagăr, jud. Mureş).

Fig. 14. Signs in the form of inlaid and ornate sticks, by which the Neighbourhood was informed about a funeral being held in Iacobeni (Sibiu County) (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Semne în forma unor bastoane încrustate şi ornamentate, prin care Vecinătatea era informată despre ţinerea unei înmormântări la Iacobeni (jud. Sibiu) (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 15. a-b. The convener of the Neighbourhood of the Tower Street (Sporer Gasse Nachbarschaft) from 1868 (Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu)/ Convocatorul Vecinătăţii străzii Turnului (Sporer Gasse Nachbarschaft) din anul 1868 (Muzeul Naţional Brukenthal din Sibiu).

Fig. 16. a-b. The Neighbourhood bank whereon the coffin was kept before the funeral (Evangelical Church in Şaeş, Mureş County)/ Banca unei Vecinătăți pe care se ținea sicriul înaintea înmormântării (Biserica evanghelică din Şaeş, jud. Mureş).

Fig. 17. Leather belts of a Neighbourhood wherewith the coffin was carried at the cemetery (Evangelical Parish Iacobeni, Sibiu County)/ Curelele din piele ale unei Vecinătăți cu care se purta sicriul la cimitir (Parohia evanghelică Iacobeni, jud. Sibiu).

Fig. 18. The belts of several Saxon Neighbourhoods of Movile commune (Sibiu County) were tightened and sheltered after their abolition/ Curelele mai multor Vecinătăți săsești ale comunei Movile (jud. Sibiu) strânse și puse la adăpost după desființarea lor.

Fig. 19. Tool for iron branding the livestock with the sign of the village Feldioara, Braşov county (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Ustensilă pentru înfierat animalele cu semnul satului Feldioara, jud. Braşov (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 20. Leather moneybox from the inventory of a Neighbourhood chest in Saschiz, Mureș County (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Puşculiţă din piele din inventarul unei lăzi de Vecinătate din Saschiz, jud. Mureş (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 21. Wooden pans wherewith the Neighbourhood chief provide peace at the Judgment Day meeting, kept in a Neighbourhood chest in Iacobeni (Parish House in Iacobeni, Sibiu County)/ Talere din lemn cu ajutorul cărora starostele Vecinătăţii asigura liniştea la întrunirea din Ziua Judecăţii, păstrate într-o ladă de Vecinătate din Iacobeni (Casa parohială din Iacobeni, jud. Sibiu).

Fig. 22. a-b. Neighbourhood cups from Gârbova executed in 1872 and 1874 by the potter Samuel Roth from Sebeș (Private Collection)/ Căni de Vecinătate din Gârbova executate în 1872 şi 1874 de olarul Samuel Roth din Sebeş (Colecţie particulară).

Fig. 23. a-b. Wine cups of the Neighbourhoods of Gârbova: a) Cup from 1892 kept at the Evangelical Parish of Gârbova; b) Cup from 1898 from the museum collection of the Fortified Fortress in Gârbova (Photo: Volker Wollmann)/ Căni de vin ale Vecinătăților din Gârbova: a) Cană din anul 1892 păstrată la Parohia Evanghelică Gârbova; b) Cană din anul 1898 din colecţia muzeală a Cetății fortificate din Gârbova (Foto: Volker Wollmann).

Fig. 24. Wine cup of the last Neighbourhood in Gârbova, 1935, kept in the house of the curator of the evangelical church (Photo: Volker Wollmann)/ Cana de vin a ultimei Vecinătăţi din Gârbova, din anul 1935, păstrată în casa curatorului bisericii evanghelice (Foto: Volker Wollmann).

Fig. 25. The Neighbourhood Statutes of Saschiz (Mureș County), from 1709 (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Statutele unei Vecinătăţi din Saschiz (jud. Mureş), din anul 1709 (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 26. a-b. The Statutes of a Neighbourhood in the commune of Fișer (Braşov County), containing the obligations of its members (Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim)/ Statutele unei Vecinătăţi din comuna Fişer (jud. Braşov), conţinând obligaţiile membrilor ei (Muzeul Transilvănean din Gundelsheim).

Fig. 27. Wine cup of a “brotherhood” (Bruderschaft) in Sebeş, from 1804 (Sebeş Municipal Museum; photo: Radu Totoianu)/ Cană de vin a unei „frăţii” (Bruderschaft) din Sebeş, din anul 1804 (Muzeul Municipal Sebeş; foto: Radu Totoianu).