The Siebenbürgisches Museum (Transylvanian Museum) in Gundelsheim is a central point of contact for anyone interested in the culture and history of Transylvania. The museum provides an important space for the preservation, research and communication of Transylvanian cultural heritage in Germany. On several floors, numerous exhibits present the history, culture and everyday life of the Transylvanian Saxons.
As the region’s state museum, the Museum understands its responsibilities in the broader context of collecting items of cultural heritage. This means that it does not only collect and research Transylvanian-Saxon cultural artefacts, but also objects from other ethnic groups in Transylvania in order to promote an understanding and appreciation of the wider context in which the Transylvanian Saxon culture developed.
Transylvania
deu. Siebenbürgen, deu. Transsylvanien, deu. Transsilvanien, ron. Transilvania, ron. Ardeal
Transylvania is a historical landscape in modern Romania. It is situated in the center of the country and is populated by about 6.8 million people. The major city of Transylvania is Cluj-Napoca. German-speaking minorities used to live in Transylvania.
The Transylvanian Museum is a member of the Transylvanian-Saxon Cultural Council (Siebenbürgisch-Sächsischer Kulturrat e.V.), the Baden-Württemberg Museums Association and the German Museums Association. Since 1973, the museum has been run by the board of trustees of the Transylvanian Museum Gundelsheim Association (Siebenbürgisches Museum Gundelsheim e.V.).
The purpose of the association is to preserve and foster local heritage by promoting the the art and culture of the Transylvanian Saxons. It fulfils this aim, in particular, by providing guidance and support for the Transylvanian Museum as an institution that is open and accessible to the public. This relates to the collection of objects of Transylvanian cultural heritage, the preservation of these historical objects for subsequent generations, and assistance in the research, documentation and presentation of these collections.
