Traditional Cultural Landmark and Building Restoration on Behalf of Community

Protecting and restoring traditional architecture and cultural heritage in rural Romania is crucial for preserving the community's history and identity. These sites offer tangible links to the past, providing educational opportunities and fostering a deeper understanding of regional narratives. The economic benefits can be significant, as well-preserved heritage sites attract tourism, supporting local businesses and creating jobs, while restoration projects sustain traditional craftsmanship.

Moreover, these efforts promote environmental sustainability by using traditional building techniques and repurposing existing structures, and using natural, biodegradable materials— CCF 2024 11 terracotta, wood, lime, sand. They also enhance community pride and social cohesion, fostering a stronger sense of purpose and responsibility among residents. We see these projects as connected to our nature conservation efforts because in these places, the richness and diversity of culture reinforces the richness and diversity of nature.

These craftsmen and women from local villages also practice small-scale sustainable agriculture. If they were forced to find work elsewhere, their land would soon be taken over by polluting agribusinesses, which kills insects and drives away birdlife; it also fences off fields, blocking the movement of large carnivores and other wild animals. The richness of nature suffers when local small-scale farmers leave the land.

By maintaining these unique cultural and architectural landmarks, we ensure the diverse and rich heritage of these rural regions is celebrated and passed on to future generations. Presently, we are engaged in three restoration projects across two regions of Romania.

Church Hall, Roadeș – Roadeș is a small village located in the Brașov County of Romania, part of the historical region of Transylvania tied to the Saxons, German settlers who were invited to populate the region in the 12th century. The village is known for its fortified church, typical of many Saxon settlements, built to serve both religious and defensive purposes, and features traditional Saxon architecture, including stone houses with large wooden gates.

The village’s population, currently about 300, has been in decline for decades due to urban migration, among other factors. A foreign buyer took over the village hall and would not let locals use it. There was, however, another large hall attached to the village’s fortified church, which had been used as a kindergarten and community gathering space, but this became derelict over the last 30 years. We have pledged to repair the hall and convert it again into a social space for the village’s local ceremonies and community occasions, while also weighing its utility as a hub for education around respect for the natural environment.

With CCF’s support, construction permissions were secured and work teams hired, employing 4 village craftsmen. These locals were further trained by and worked alongside a team of expert “journeymen,” nomadic German trade craftsmen who bring traditional guild-like expertise and knowledge to their restoration work.

In time, we hope to also support the restoration of the church itself. Preliminary investigations in the apse of the church have revealed frescoes that date to ca. 1400 and have been covered since the mid-16th century, by a painter whose work has already been restored in a village church 5 miles away and is now, because of the high quality of the frescoes, a UNESCO protected site. This restoration work will likewise build an opportunity for tourism, a place of community pride and celebration, and a sense of hope for the region’s future.

Impact Overview:

• $121,453 investment in 2023

• Work has finished on the roof and chimney; repairs to the walls, windows, and electricals will be completed soon, for a projected late 2024 opening. More structural work is planned before the end of the year, when additional permits should be granted.

Watermill Project, Budesti (Partner: KCCF)

Maramureș County in northern Romania, nestled in the northeast Carpathians, is characterized by snow-topped mountains, rolling hills, dense forests, and rushing rivers and streams. Sadly, there has been much modernization of the traditional wooden architecture, but there are still a few villages where a reasonable number of wooden homes survive, and where rich cultural customs continue to thrive among the local communities.

Throughout the region, historic water wheels attached to traditional mills are an important part of its cultural and technological heritage. Using the power of flowing water to grind grain—typically corn and heritage wheat—on millstones, these wooden mills are a testament to the region's rural ingenuity and sustainable practices. These water mills have been a crucial part of daily rural life here for centuries, serving not only as essential agricultural tools but also as community hubs where locals gathered to process their harvests.

The construction and operation of these mills requires significant skill and knowledge, often passed down through generations, but such expertise is at risk of vanishing. While some of these historic water mills have been preserved as cultural landmarks and support (and are supported by) eco-tourism initiatives, others have fallen into disrepair. One such flour mill, occupying a hectare of land in the village of Budesti, was brought to CCF’s attention by William Blacker in 2023, and it was quickly decided to purchase and restore the mill, cofinanced by KCCF.

The mill wheel and the race and the carpet-washing machine have been fully repaired and are once again in full working order, having been defunct and rotting for the last five years. But there will need to be works to bring the mill into a position to sustain itself financially: a small storehouse for the flour, a small shop and café perhaps, and other means of earning enough to sustain itself. The former owner and his family will continue as managers of the operation, giving it—and them—a promising future.

Once reopened in 2025-2026, the mill will fulfill a virtuous cycle: income to local maize and wheat farmers whose traditional agricultural practices promote biodiversity; extended livelihoods to the mill operators from grinding and selling flour for polenta and granary loaves, as well as income from future visitors to the mill. Also, its restoration will give the village back a community hub, and will be another support beam in the preservation of traditional foodways and practices

Impact Overview:

• 2024: €15,000 commitment so far, with additional funds promised from the KCCF with matching funds from CCF

• The mill is restored and fully operational and awaits further modification to further its self-sustaining revenue potential. CCF 2024 14

The “Breb Houses,” Breb (Partner: KCCF)

This village in Maramureș County is renowned for its well-preserved traditional wooden architecture and vibrant cultural heritage. It has survived better than some other villages, albeit much changed. Breb is an established draw for sustainable/eco-tourism, where many organizations, including the Monumentum Association and Mihai Eminescu Trust have worked on restoration projects to preserve the village's traditional churches, homes, and cultural sites.

In this same region, we have been offered the opportunity to acquire two wooden houses on half a hectare of land that are superb examples of traditional local craftsmanship, made of oak and both dating from the 18th century. Partnering with KCCF, our goal is to support the houses’ restoration using time-honed artisanal building methods, and to give them over in some way for the benefit of the community with their intended use as a small museum of village history and artifacts and a temporary exhibition space. This will not only support local livelihoods, but the community's enthusiasm for preserving their way of life as a bulwark against industrialized development will ensure that Breb remains a vibrant example of Maramureș' cultural and natural heritage.

Impact Overview:

• €390,000 total 2024/2025 investment for Breb House and Watermill purchase and restoration committed by KCCF and CCF