The village of Cincșor (Kleinschenk in German, Kissink in Hungarian) is a place on the edge. First, we could say that it is on the edge of civilization, as it was very hard to reach it; the bridge over the Olt River, between it and the village of Voila (Wolldorf), was closed and it is also closed at the moment of this writing. As a result, I had to come over the Viștea dam and follow one of the narrowest roads in the area, crowded with the cars belonging to some winter-fishermen parked on the sideroad (why would you fish during the cold winter escapes my reasoning, but I guess that a passion remains a passion). Another edge: we are in the Brașov County, at the edge of the historical Făgăraș Country (Țara Făgărașului, Fogaraschland, Fogarasföld), one of the regions of Romania that have been typically inhabited by ethnic Romanians since the oldest times. And a third edge refers to geography: Cincșor is at the limit of Harbach or Hortobágy Plateau (Podișul Hârtibaciului), facing the Făgăraș Mountains and separated from the said mountains by the Olt River (an area where you can get astonishing views of the mountains because you are on the edge of the plateau and the mountains look even higher due to an optical illusion). Cincșor is known for its fortified evangelical church, the focus of this article. Here it is!

Of course it was closed. And surprisingly, it was quite a winter and some hungry dogs roaming the street didn’t let me take more photos. Before being eaten alive, I had to retreat in the car… The village is quite old, it was first mentioned in 1332 (as Parvum Promontorium, in Latin), although the church was built some years before, initially in the Romanesque style and then, when the fortifications were added in 1450, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. As most of the villages in the area, it was built and inhabited by Germans (Transylvanian Saxons).

In stark contrast with its German heritage, the roads of the village are now full of potholes, as you can see in the image above. I couldn’t identify if the asphalt lacks completely or the dirt has covered it and now it’s a mud road but… here we are!… Apparently, there aren’t any Germans left in the community; it’s only the Romanians and some Gypsies that live here now (around 500 inhabitants).

Surprisingly, a Roman fort (Castra of Cincșor) has been discovered at about 2 kilometers to the east of the village. The fort used to be part of the ancient border fortification along the Olt River (named Limes Alutanus) of the Roman Province of Dacia, between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Here resided a military unit (a cohort, the II Flavia Bessorum), protecting the eastern border of the Roman Empire, and some Roman times archaeological artifacts have been found in the area.

And since we are here and I won’t visit the Făgăraș region too soon, it is important to mention that, according to tradition, Făgăraș is the place from which Romanians crossed the Carpathians to the south, around year 1290 and led by Radu Negru, and founded Wallachia (event referred to as the Descălecatul Țării Românești), just as the Romanians from Maramureș crossed the same Carpathians, around year 1340 and led by Dragoș Vodă, and founded Moldavia (Descălecatul Moldovei). Whether the legends are true or not, the Romanians have always been linked to the Carpathian Mountains, where they have always found protection and strength.