Cincșor (Romania) (AFP) – Carmen Schuster left the Transylvanian village of Cincsor for West Germany in search of a better life 40 years ago. But when she returned to Romania for work years later, she was overcome by an urge to stay – and to save the centuries-old Saxon community she once called home.
Schuster is a member of a dwindling ethnic German minority in Romania, descendants of Saxons who were recruited by the Hungarian kings to settle in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.
"We had to save the school, which was in ruins," Schuster, who is now in her 60s, told French news agency AFP. Alongside her husband Michael Lisske, she has been carefully restoring the historical heart of Cincsor for more than a decade, and transforming some of the buildings into guesthouses in a mission to revive the village.
"Other buildings have also been restored and the village once again revolves around its Protestant church," which still holds services for its seven remaining parishioners, Schuster said.
Britain's King Charles III – who claims descent from the notorious 15th-century Transylvanian prince known as Vlad the Impaler – also owns a number of properties nearby, renting out some to tourists.
Transylvania gears up for King Charles III's first post-coronation visit
'Belated victory'
Before the Second World War, Romania was home to a Saxon community of up to 300,000 people. Today, there are only around 10,000 remaining, many of them having emigrated in the 1970s and 80s to escape persecution under the Communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu.
Transylvania's abandoned Saxon villages were gradually repopulated by Romanians, who often had no connection to the region's 800-year history.
But the unique atmosphere of these historic villages at the foot of the Carpathian mountains never fully faded, with many of their fortress-like churches listed as Unesco World Heritage sites.
Romania's top court annuls presidential vote amid Russia interference fears
"In the 15th century, they fortified their churches so they could serve as a refuge for the inhabitants in the event of an attack," explained 71-year-old Lisske. "The Hungarians had promised the Saxons freedom in exchange for bringing them here, so they had no royal protection," the former history teacher said.
For Schuster, preserving the Saxon heritage symbolises a "belated victory" over "inhumane and contemptuous" treatment during Ceausescu's Communist rule that "did everything to erase it".
Tourism boost
Schuster's year-round guesthouses have become the village's main employer, she said, boosting tourism in a region heavily dependent on agriculture and farming.
Ramona Amariei is one of 15 locals who has found work there as a chambermaid and waitress, and a seamstress during the off-season. "There is no discrimination," said Amariei, who has Roma roots, and feels proud to be part of the "family". "Mrs Schuster is trying to integrate pretty much all types of people."
Adrian Boscu, a chef, says he is committed to putting a modern twist on "old Saxon recipes" to revive them, incorporating local produce as much as he can.
The Romanian royal descendant who France refuses to extradite
The guesthouse business has been booming and the idea is spreading, with other nearby villages also restoring their centuries-old heritage to revitalise their economies.
"I think it's catching on," said Schuster. "There are lots of people who have interesting projects."
The house next door has also been renovated. Its Romanian owner, Nicolas Mioque, returned from France after 57 years. Schuster and her husband "have breathed new life into this village," he said, noting that Cincsor without the guesthouses would be "sad".
