The Fortified Church of Șelimbăr (Biserica Fortificată din Șelimbăr) is a historic Lutheran church in the village of Șelimbăr, southeast of Sibiu. Built in the 13th century as a three-aisled Romanesque basilica, it still preserves significant parts of that early structure despite later rebuilding and the gradual loss of much of its fortified enclosure.
The original church included a rounded apse, side aisles with smaller apses, and rows of pillars separating the nave from the aisles. Repairs and alterations are recorded in 1423, but enough of the medieval building survives to make the Romanesque plan easy to recognize in the present church.
The church was later surrounded by a double ring of defensive walls. Most of the outer enclosure has disappeared, although a western section survives, while the inner wall remains much more complete. This gives Șelimbăr a more open appearance today than many fortified churches whose towers and outer walls still dominate the site.
Inside, the Baroque altar dates from 1742, while a memorial plaque in the choir was added in 1791. The current bell tower was built in 1804, replacing an earlier tower that is mentioned in records from 1507 but no longer survives.
The result is a church where the contrast between the surviving Romanesque fabric and the reduced defenses is especially clear. Rather than appearing as a compact fortress, Șelimbăr preserves the layered development of a medieval Saxon church that continued to change long after its defensive role had faded.
