The history of the fortified Saxon churches started in the 12th century, when King Geza II of Hungary assigned more than 2,500 German colonists to protect and develop the south-eastern part of Transylvania ("the country below the forests"), a fertile plateau surrounded by the Carpathians. A document issued in 1224 by King Andrew II, named "the golden letter of freedoms" or "Andreaneum", gave to these colonists special rights and privileges which ensured their autonomy and significantly influenced the development of the villages.

From the very beginning, the churches played an important role in the life of the new communities, which had a spectacular social and commercial development in a relatively short period of time.1395, the year of the first Ottoman invasion, was followed by nearly a century of devastating attacks of the Turk soldiers.

The people in the local communities, which had limited resources compared to the ones living in towns, were desperately looking for defensive solutions to protect their lives and belongings. The Saxons chose the church building as their ultimate refuge in front of the invasions, avant-la-lettre confirming Luther's words: "God's name is the Shield!"

In the church, The Middle Age man felt protected by the Divinity. Through a papal bull issued by Pope Nicholas II, people chased by authorities, murderers and tax dodgers could be sheltered in churches, while anyone who would use force to enter a church would have been excommunicated. This is the reason why the church was considered a refuge of maximum security.

The church was also the largest and highest building in the village, able to shelter the whole community. Positioned in the centre of the settlement, it was also easily accessible for all the villagers in case of enemy attack.

In the following decades, the churches were refurbished and even partly rebuilt, in function of the economic and financial power of each community, so as to become real fortresses, able to protect the villagers during the sieges.

The bell-tower was endowed with shooting positions and wall passage, thus becoming the front line defensive tower. The chorus was elevated and fortified, starting to have a defensive role, too. Above the altar, a defensive level was erected, endowed as well with shooting positions.

In the 15th century, precincts with specific defensive role were built: bastions, different types of towers, ditches and zwingers. Food warehouses were also constructed.

It is only after the last Ottoman invasion of 1788 that the churches regained their unique religious role. Despite the numerous hardships, the Saxons managed to further develop their communities both politically and economically.

"Although since the end of the 18th century the fortified churches lost their defensive role, they were still carefully maintained by the villagers. Aware that their own identity could not have been preserved in the absence of the protection offered by the fortified churches, the local communities unofficially acknowledged the cultural identity value of these buildings" Hanna Derer (2001)

The unfortunate events of World War II shook the entire Europe but also marked the beginning of the end of 800 years of Saxon history in Transylvania. The war-time deportations were followed by a massive emigration process, caused by the severe living conditions during the communist regime. The fall of Ceausescu's dictatorship in 1989 opened the borders for the last wave of Saxon immigration mainly to the reunited Germany. 

The massive immigrations left behind only a handful of elderly Saxons who tried to take care of the churches and their heritage. Except for some, the vast majority of the fortified churches slowly started to fall into ruin, and an important number of objects of worship fell in the hands of thieves and antiques' merchants. The villages' elderly tell the travelers the story of this dying-civilization. The buildings remind one of the past glory, but the few Saxons left behind to take care of them cannot prevent their inevitable decay.

As a sign of recognition to their uniqueness, seven out of the over 150 Saxon churches are on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. Other organizations are currently trying to restore several sites so as to rescue as many remnants of the Saxon civilization as possible.