The Bundestag’s Budget Committee has approved €2.3 million for the “Stiftung Kirchenburgen in Siebenbürgen” (Foundation of Fortified Churches in Transylvania), part of a package for funding for German minorities, schools and social institutions in Romania, according to the Siebenbürgische Zeitung (Transylvanian Newspaper).
Following their November meeting, the Budget Committee allocated €2.3 million to the “Stiftung Kirchenburgen in Siebenbürgen”, an essential investment for the preservation of one of the most valuable cultural landscapes in Central Europe. The decision comes as part of the funding package for minorities, expatriate organizations and German cultural institutions.
Fortified churches, which are considered a unique architectural gem, emerged during the Middle Ages, particularly in Transylvania, Romania. They were ingeniously designed with a dual purpose: as places of worship and fortifications to protect the local population from invaders.
They stand as a testament to the engineering prowess and defensive strategies of the Transylvanian Saxons, who constructed these buildings to withstand the relentless attacks from the Turks and other marauders. They are not just buildings or places of worship but historical testaments formed from stone, a witness to the Saxons’ resilience, engineering prowess and faith.
In addition to the support provided to the Transylvanian foundation, the Commission also approved funding for other key areas: €2.5 million for German homes and social institutions in Romania, €1.1 million for support for native German teachers and €300,000 for initiatives of the Federal Envoy for Expatriate and National Minorities Issues.
Also, 260,000 euros will go to the activity of the “Bund der Vertriebenen” (BdV – Union of Expelled Germans).
Reactions in Germany: “A clear signal of responsibility”
Dr. Bernd Fabritius, Federal Government Envoy for Expatriates and National Minorities, said the budget reflected “Germany’s assumed responsibility towards minorities, expatriates and returnees.”
“The support is not only continued, but strengthened and future-oriented. New perspectives are created for dialogue, understanding and cultural exchange,” Fabritius said, thanking MP Klaus-Peter Willsch and his colleagues for “positive” results, despite budgetary pressures.
Rainer Lehni, president of the Association of Transylvanian Saxons in Germany, underlined the importance of the investment of 2.3 million euros for the Fortified Churches Foundation:
“This project contributes decisively to the preservation of the Saxon heritage for future generations. I welcome the support even in a difficult budgetary context.”
The president of the BdV, Stephan Mayer, also spoke of “a strong signal of continuity and responsibility”, stressing that the priorities assumed by the coalition contract are respected: “It is encouraging that many initiatives proposed by the BdV have been included in the budget planning for 2026.”
Full list of main approved funding
Among the measures adopted, according to the Siebenbürgische Zeitung, are:
– €2.5 million – to homes and social services of Germans in Romania
– €2.3 million – to strengthen the activity of the Fortified Churches Foundation in Transylvania (2026–2030)
– €1.5 million – to cover outstanding salary increases in the §96 BVFG area
– €1.1 million – support for teachers in education with teaching in German in their mother tongue in Romania
€900,000 – for the continuation of work on Steinort Castle
€870,000 – redesign of the exhibition of the Upper Silesian Regional Museum
– €500,000 – support for the Cultural Foundation of the Expelled Germans
– €500,000 – strengthening counselling programmes for adult migrants
– €300,000 – initiatives of the Federal Representative for Minorities
– €260,000 – the activity of the “Bund der Vertriebenen”
Other funding ranging from €85,000 to €163,000 targets dedicated museums and foundations of the memory of refugees and deportees.
The budget allocations represent a vital support for the Transylvanian heritage, the fortified churches in Transylvania being part of the unique European heritage, and many of the monuments urgently need interventions to be saved.
