Szászsebes

SZÁSZSEBES The original church was built in Romanesque style in the early 13th century, but the Tartar invasion destroyed it in 1241. It was rebuilt and steadily expanded in gothic style. Its foldable renaissance altar is a real masterpiece. Made around 1524, the altar carries the coat of arms of Hungarian king Louis II, and the town of Szászsebes. In the middle section of the altar, a relief showing the family-tree of Jesus Christ can be seen, and in the side wings, reliefs depicting The Annunciation, meeting of Mary and Elisabeth, The Wise Men, Circumcision of Jesus. On the outside of the closed altar, eight picture show stages from the life of Jesus. In the nave, oil paintings, such as The Last Supper and the Holy Trinity makes the Evangelical church of Szászsebes an unforgettable memory for the visitor.
This majestic Lutheran church stands on the main square of Szászsebes (Sebes, Rumania today), as the symbol of the town, which is populated by Saxons of German origin. In the late 1980's, most of the Saxon population left Rumania.