THE SITE

The historic centre of Sighişoara, located in the heart of Transylvania in present-day Romania, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a medieval fortified town. The settlement developed on a plateau above a bend of the Târnava River and was founded in the thirteenth century when German craftsmen and merchants, known as Transylvanian Saxons, were invited by the Hungarian crown to colonise and defend the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary. Over the following centuries the town evolved into an important administrative, economic, and cultural centre of the region.

The historic town consists of two closely connected parts: the fortified Citadel occupying the plateau and the Lower Town extending along the slopes and riverbanks below. The Citadel retains its original medieval urban fabric, characterised by a dense network of narrow streets lined with closely aligned houses built by craftsmen and merchants. The defensive system of the town, consisting of walls and towers constructed and maintained by the various craft guilds, formed the structural framework of the settlement. Nine of the original fourteen towers still stand today, including the Clock Tower, which became the symbolic landmark of the town and served historically as the seat of the city council.

Rising above the Citadel plateau is the area known as Citadel Hill or School Hill, which forms an integral component of the historic urban landscape. This elevated area is reached through the covered Scholars’ Staircase, a seventeenth-century wooden structure built to facilitate access between the town and the church and school located on the hill. At the top of the hill stands the Church on the Hill, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, one of the most important Gothic monuments in Transylvania. Constructed between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the church reflects the religious, educational, and cultural role that the upper part of the town played within the medieval urban structure.

Adjacent to the Church on the Hill lies the Hill Cemetery. Established outside the densely inhabited areas of the town, likely during the eighteenth century when burial grounds were increasingly relocated beyond city walls, the cemetery developed along the western and northern slopes of the hill. With approximately two thousand graves, it serves as the principal burial ground of the Evangelical community of Sighişoara. Its layout follows the natural topography of the hillside, with terraces, pathways, and clusters of gravestones integrated into a landscape of mature trees and vegetation.

The cemetery forms part of a broader ensemble associated with the Church on the Hill, including historic structures such as the Ropemakers’ Tower and the former Goldsmiths’ Tower, which today serves as the mortuary hall. At the beginning of the twentieth century the cemetery was reorganised and expanded through the creation of new terraces and pathways, giving the site the spatial structure that largely defines its present appearance. Through its location, historical associations, and landscape design, the Hill Cemetery contributes to the cultural and spatial coherence of the historic centre of Sighişoara and forms an integral component of the UNESCO World Heritage property.

THE PROJECT

The European Heritage Volunteers Project at the Hill Cemetery of Sighişoara contributes to the preservation and documentation of this historic burial space, which forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Historic Centre of Sighişoara”. Implemented in cooperation with the local community partners, the project will focus on heritage documentation activities and maintenance works aimed at safeguarding the cemetery’s historical structures and commemorative monuments.

An essential component of the project will be the documentation of historic gravestones located along the pathways of the cemetery. These gravestones originate from the oldest burial ground associated with Sighişoara and were relocated to the present cemetery at different moments as burial areas were reorganised outside the medieval urban settlement. Many of these gravestones may date back several centuries, although their precise chronology remains uncertain, which makes their documentation particularly important. The project will therefore undertake a systematic recording of these stones, including their typologies, materials, inscriptions, and current state of preservation. This documentation will contribute to a better understanding of the historical evolution of burial practices and memorial culture within the Saxon community of Sighişoara.

Additional documentation work will focus on the section of the cemetery dedicated to those who fell during the First World War. The gravestones in this commemorative area constitute an important historical record of the war’s impact on the local community and its wider context, as the site also contains markers for victims of different nationalities. Participants will assist in documenting the existing grave markers and memorial plaques, ensuring that their physical condition and inscriptions are recorded as part of the long-term preservation of this historically significant ensemble.

Alongside the documentation activities, the project will undertake a series of practical conservation and maintenance measures across the cemetery grounds. These works will address several structural and landscape elements that require regular care in order to preserve the historic character and accessibility of the site. Tasks will include the repair of stairway accesses that connect the different terraces of the cemetery landscape, careful straightening of gravestones that have become unstable over time, and the renewal of metal inscription plaques associated with the First World War memorial section. Additional maintenance activities will address the management of vegetation across the cemetery grounds. The removal of invasive or uncontrolled growth will ensure the continued visibility and stability of gravestones and pathways while preserving the historic landscape character of the site. Participants will also assist in maintenance work related to the cemetery enclosure and surrounding structures where necessary.

The documentation of the gravestones will be carried out under the guidance of European Heritage Volunteers, meanwhile the experienced local staff responsible for the maintenance and conservation of the cemetery and its associated heritage structures will lead the maintenance activities. Through these tasks, participants will gain insight into the technical and organisational challenges involved in the care of historic burial sites, including issues related to landscape maintenance and the long-term stewardship of commemorative monuments.

Together, the documentation and conservation tasks aim to support the preservation of the Hill Cemetery as an integral element of the historic cultural landscape of Sighişoara, ensuring that its historical, memorial, and environmental values remain accessible for the local community and visitors alike.

The educational programme will be complemented by guided visits within the historic centre of Sighișoara, a UNESCO World Heritage site, allowing participants to understand the cemetery in relation to the wider urban and cultural landscape of the medieval fortified town. Through these visits, participants will explore the historical development of the Saxon settlement, its urban structure, and the role of the Evangelical community in shaping the town’s architectural and social history. Further excursions in the surrounding region of Transylvania will introduce participants to additional heritage sites that reflect the complex multiethnic history of the area, shaped over centuries by the coexistence of Saxon, Romanian, Hungarian, and other communities. These activities will provide a broader historical context for the work carried out at the Hill Cemetery, highlighting the cultural diversity that characterises the region and the importance of preserving its material traces as part of Europe’s shared heritage.

An integral element of the educational programme is the participants’ presentations. Each participant is required to prepare and deliver a presentation related to the thematic focus of the activities on site, introducing a case study from their country of origin. This component connects the practical work undertaken during the programme with comparable heritage practices in different cultural and institutional contexts. Through this structured exchange, participants reflect on conservation approaches, management frameworks, and current challenges, contributing to a broader comparative understanding of heritage preservation. The presentations are intended to encourage critical dialogue, intercultural exchange, and the articulation of informed professional perspectives within an international group of emerging heritage practitioners.

The project will take place from August 3rd to August 15th, 2026, and is organised by European Heritage Volunteers and the Parish of the Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession Sighișoara, in collaboration with the Homeland Local Community Sighișoara.