The Black Church (Biserica Neagră) is a Lutheran cathedral and one of the most important landmarks in the city of Brașov.
The church was originally built as a Roman Catholic church to replace another church and was called the Church of Saint Mary. Construction started in the late 14th century but due to several delays, it took until the late 15th century to complete. The Gothic-style church consists of a three-nave basilica and shows many similarities with the church in Sebeș, the Saint Michael’s Church in Cluj-Napoca, and the Assumption Church in Košice (Slovakia).
During the Protestant Reformation and under the influence of the Transylvanian Saxon Johannes Honter, the church became Lutheran in 1542. Honter’s statue can be found on the southern side of the building and was created by the German sculptor Harro Magnussen.
In 1689 a devastating fire destoyed large parts of the town and it might have destroyed parts of the church as well. Some people claim that the fire has given the church its black colors, hence the name Black Church, while others claim that the church survived the fire and that the dark color is the result of pollution.
Whichever story is true, the inner structure was modified during the 18th century, which broke with the original design by introducing the Baroque style. From 1937 another renovation took place and in 2000 more restoration works were started, which all had its influence on the current design and looks of the church.
The Black Church has a length of 89 meters and a width of 38 meters, with walls of 21 meters high, and a hight of 42 meters between the floor and the ridge of the roof, and 65 meters to the highest point of its bell tower. Both on the outside and inside you can see many scuptures, but some have deteriorated over time. The church has two organs and three bells, one of which is the biggest bell in Romania, weighing 6.3 tonnes.
To visit the Black Church, you need to buy a ticket from the gift shop opposite the church entrance.
