海角大神

Documents dating back to the 1640s make reference to a fortified castle in the quaint village of Bon葲ida, Romania 鈥� just a short drive from one of the nation鈥檚 largest cities, Cluj-Napoca.

Over time, B谩nffy Castle was expanded, deconstructed, and otherwise altered amid periods of siege and peace in this region, the storied Transylvania.

Today, while much of the original complex remains standing, significant portions are in serious disrepair 鈥� with collapsed walls and missing architectural and artistic elements, as well as a host of concerns related to the structural integrity of some of the buildings.

The team at the , a nongovernmental organization founded in 1996, adopted B谩nffy Castle in 2001. It鈥檚 been working diligently ever since to help secure the funding and support to restore the historical icon 鈥� which figures in both Romanian and Hungarian culture 鈥� to its former splendor.

At the heart of these efforts is project director T铆mea Berki, who holds a doctorate. Her studies included subjects well suited for this endeavor 鈥� the Romanian and Hungarian languages, their literature, and connections between these two cultures.

鈥淚 visited Bon葲ida in 2005 when [the castle] was in very bad shape, and I was fascinated by the place,鈥� Dr. Berki says. 鈥淚t is a place with history [and] with a very important background.鈥�

Berki joined the NGO not long after that visit to B谩nffy Castle, and she鈥檚 since focused her energies on the site.

Following the 1989 revolution in Romania that overthrew Communist leader Nicolae Ceau葯escu, explains Berki, a number of specialists 鈥� architects, art historians, and engineers, among others 鈥� decided to launch the Transylvania Trust. Their hope: to preserve, conserve, and enhance the value of the Eastern European country鈥檚 heritage. They got under way in the context of a society with few resources afforded to such efforts and scarce legal protections for historical sites, Berki says.

B谩nffy Castle was an ideal starting point for the team, as the complex has long been considered among the most endangered structures in the region.

鈥淭hey thought that if they could save this building, they could be an example with practice,鈥� Berki says.

A three-pronged approach

The trust took a three-pronged approach to the castle: restoring the physical structures, offering courses to help preserve the crafts associated with this work, and engaging the broader community in cultural events to increase appreciation for the castle鈥檚 historical value. Berki is now largely responsible for securing restoration funding, organizing the courses, and offering cultural and heritage days.

The first aspect of the trust鈥檚 work 鈥� restoration 鈥� often underlines the financial limitations of historical preservation in Romania. 鈥淚f we had the money, we could finish all this work very quickly,鈥� Berki says. 鈥淚n Romania, the Ministry of Culture has no budget, or very small [funding allocations], for this type of restoration.鈥�

Berki also attributes some of this challenge to the communist era, during which many historical sites fell into disrepair with no occupation and no care.

Zsuzsanna Eke, an art historian and one of the trust鈥檚 seven staff members, also comments on the neglect of such sites in Romania.

鈥淭here are many other castles and old buildings, and sometimes they are looted,鈥� Ms. Eke says. 鈥淚t takes a lot of money to restore them.鈥� Some buildings, she says, were abandoned altogether, while others were used as schools, sanitariums, or other institutional buildings.

The state of many parts of the B谩nffy Castle complex today 鈥� the collapsed walls and missing design elements, as well as emergency support beams to prevent other collapses 鈥� can be traced to this period of neglect.

Some signs of progress are already visible on the grounds 鈥� notably, the restoration of one building that now houses a small cafe, and another that can accommodate guests and the training courses.

Beyond the restoration of the castle, the trust aims to help perpetuate the trades related to historical preservation.

鈥淭he number of active craftsmen is decreasing,鈥� says Berki, noting that the challenge is not just in Romania, but across Eastern Europe. 鈥淲e have a lot of architects who haven鈥檛 seen a historic building in their life, and they are working on [such a building] without this experience in restoration.鈥�

So each year, the trust facilitates training courses for some 30 or more people. Last summer, participants hailed from 26 countries and stayed at the castle for as long as two weeks while learning about the principles of restoration and preservation. They also tried their hand at projects on the grounds using traditional methods, materials, and tools.

One course-taker

Gy枚rgyi N茅meth, an interior designer in Hungary, participated in one of the courses last summer. A lover of castles, Ms. N茅meth wanted to learn about how such historical gems can be restored.

鈥淭he work of the organization has impressed me,鈥� she says in an email interview. 鈥淸I]f you spend [time] there, then you can see how much work [it took] to rebuild the missing parts of the castle. The builder team is very well qualified, [and] they can resolve every problem, even if it looks impossible.鈥�

N茅meth also praises Berki鈥檚 dedication.

鈥淭铆mea is very kind and helpful, [and] she鈥檚 an excellent art historian,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s I experienced, she takes part in every work, from the [beginning] to the implementation. She is not only [doing] her job; she really cares about everybody and everything.鈥�

N茅meth鈥檚 week spent at B谩nffy Castle encouraged her to focus more on renovating historical buildings, and she plans to enroll in additional professional training this year.

The trust鈥檚 efforts in Bon葲ida are supported by an annual budget that typically ranges from 鈧�100,000 to 鈧�200,000 ($107,000 to $215,000), Berki says, and relies heavily on support from foundations and the European Union. In fact, the trust is one of the leading organizations in Romania receiving EU support, she says.

When it comes to Berki鈥檚 responsibilities of organizing cultural events and community engagement initiatives, she is especially passionate about teaching youths about the castle and its history.

鈥淭his is very important, because the young people are the next generation and maybe they can change something in the mentality,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e are doing our best to attract the young families.鈥�

There鈥檚 the potential for broader cultural connections, too, given that the castle holds significance for both Romanians and Hungarians. 鈥淲e live in parallel,鈥� Berki says, 鈥渁nd I think this castle could be a contact point between the cultures.鈥�

N茅meth applauds the Transylvania Trust team鈥檚 efforts to bring visitors to the castle. She cites the Electric Castle music festival hosted at B谩nffy and some other cultural events as examples of the team鈥檚 creative thinking.

Both concern and hope

Sitting at a small table in the new cafe, Berki reflects candidly on the state of preservation in her home country.

鈥淗ere in Romania, the historic buildings are in very bad shape, and I don鈥檛 know if I will live when they will be restored,鈥� she says. 鈥淢aybe our children will see if they are restored or kept.鈥�

She also mentions the recent theft of some historical decorative elements from another castle not far from the complex: 鈥淚t is very sad,鈥� she says.

But Berki is still hopeful that the efforts of organizations like the Transylvania Trust can begin to turn things around, and to change the mind-set in Romanian society related to investing in preservation.

鈥淚 hope that the locals who are living next to these buildings will want to do something for the buildings,鈥� she says, 鈥淸and] not just live there next to them.鈥�

She also shares her hope that Romanians will consider being tourists in their own country. 鈥淢aybe before they traveled abroad and they discovered [a new] place,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think now they are discovering their country.鈥�

How to take action

helps people give to and volunteer for top-performing charitable organizations around the world. All the projects are vetted by UniversalGiving; 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the listed cause. Below are links to three groups that support culture or the preservation of resources:

develops and maintains libraries in rural Palestinian villages. Take action: .

builds support and resources for the United Nations World Food Program, the globe鈥檚 largest hunger relief organization. Take action: .

works with rural and indigenous peoples to protect tropical ecosystems in Central America and Mexico. Take action: .