Fortresses of Faith A Pictorial History of the Fortified Saxon Churches of Romania

As we are just into the second millennium, the story of the Saxon settlers in Transylvania assumes a particular historical pertinence. For nearly a thousand years, these stalwart people from the Rhine valley and thereabouts played a key role in the history of Transylvania until their diaspora in the second half of this century. Fortresses of Faith focuses on their magnificent architectural legacy -- the fortress-churches or kirchenburgen of the Seibenburgen. After a comprehensive introduction covering history, architecture, and decor, the author takes us on an enthralling photographic tour, helpfully arranged for travellers into the areas surrounding Sibiu, Medias, Sighisoara, and Brasov. His black and white photographs poignantly capture the moody images of these and stone war-horses of Christendom, many of which are now without congregations and prey to the dilapidation of time. It is a superb photographic record with a broad appeal to overseas descendants of Transylvania Saxons, tourists and students of Romanian history. While there is a comprehensive German-language library and database on this subject, this is the first English language book to address this topic and will be of great interest. The author, Alan Ogden, received enthusiastic support from historians in Germany and Romania as well as official sponsorship from British American Tobacco plc, who shared his vision of sounding the alarm about the uncertain future of this forgotten heritage of Christian Europe.

After a career as an international public relations executive, Alan Ogden turned his passion for travel and photography into photographing and writing about some of the places dearest to him. His books include Romania Revisited: On the Trail of English Travellers, 1602-1941, Revelations of Byzantium: The Monasteries and Painted Churches of Northern Moldavia, and Fortresses of Faith: A Pictorial History of the Fortified Saxon Churches of Romania, among others. He was a founder member of Pro Patrimonio, an NGO whose main mission is the conservation, rescue and reactivation of the cultural heritage of Romania, especially in architecture, and also of the Patrick Leigh Fermor Society, which published the quarterly The Philhellene. He lives in London, England.