“It is a disastrous mix of corruption and the desire to get as much money out of the EU as possible for these projects that cause the problems. With so much money going into these projects how has such damage occurred? Eighteen castles have so far been “brutally revamped” and another 12 are set for restoration work. In the past five years €20 million has been spent by the European Regional Development Fund on restoration projects in Romania. As a result, historic roof tiles have been replaced by mass manufactured versions from one single supplier, despite concerns over the quality and suitability of the new tiles. The bidding process for restoration works has been marred by allegations of undue influence and a lack of transparency. As a result old wooden beams have been sawn though and ancient plaster has been hacked-off walls and replaced with cement. It seems archaeological surveys on the castles were either rushed and ignored or not carried out altogether. Some of these Saxon castle-churches are up to 800 years old and play an important role in the history and tourism in this region of Carpathian beauty. But recent reports indicate that EU money earmarked for renovation has led to allegations of corruption and the destruction or “brutal revamp” of these delicate structures. Beset by years of neglect and a lack of investment these beautiful historic buildings have received millions of euros in EU funded projects for restoration. Dotted among the deep green hills, fir trees and streams of Transylvania lays a string of fortified medieval Saxon churches.
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March 2023
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