Aiud Conservation and Trans-National Training Project 1998 - 2000

Craftsmen skilled in traditional building conservation techniques and historic building materials, such as brick and stone masons, carvers, plasterers, carpenters and joiners have almost disappeared in Romania, and generally in the Eastern and Central part of Europe, creating a huge professional gap in this field.

Using Western European experiences, professionally guided and controlled by the partner organisations and specialists from Great Britain, this programme guides the practical training of traditional building crafts by the restoration and conservation of the Bethlen Gαbor College's buildings in Aiud. Teams of four and four students (craftsmen) – each guided by a British expert – will learn the master strokes of their crafts by performing practical conservation tasks. Theoretical classes concerning historic building conservation philosophy are to be delivered for trainees by lecturers from the Oxford Brookes University, parallel to the practical instructions. Official certificates confirmed by professional institutions from Romania and Britain are presented to successful trainees.

Students of the course (expectable 64) are craftsmen employees of building contractors specialised in architectural restoration. At the first stage the course has retraining and specialisation character, while basic training courses are to be launched as a second step of the programme. Proceedings of the programme have been accelerated in September 1998

The project is composed of seven (7) phases of which three (3) have been completed. The steps are as follows:

  1. Phase: British professionals visit Romania: Cluj and Aiud – to identify the works which are to be included in the project – accomplished (1st – 7th December 1998);

  2. Phase: Romanian Professionals visit the UK: to identify all the necessary elements for preparing the forthcoming phases of the project (crafts, craftsmen involved, placements, needed presentation level) – accomplished (27th April – 16th May 1999.) Report;

    3. The first two phases have been partially financed by the British Council and the Foreign Offices.

  3. Phase: Foundation Project – The main objective of the Foundation Project was the training of the trainers. 11 craftsmen from Romania (including site managers, as well) and 10 professionals have spent 4 weeks (or a fortnight) in Shropshire and Herefordshire to learn traditional building skills. They and their employer are already committed to take part as assistants to the British craftsmen during the main ACTT project, summer 2000. The main sponsor of the Foundation project (including the next three phases) was the Mihai Eminescu Trust from Great Britain. Mr. Šerban Cantacuzino the chairman of the Trust, as well as Ms. Jessica Douglas-Hume responsible for the project have visited and controlled the project during its completion.accomplished: 10th July – 8th August 1999. Report

  4. Phase: Sample-panel preparation – visit of British professionals and craftsmen to Romania: (25th September 5th October 1999.) – to realise sample render-panels on the wall of the Bethlen Gábor College to test the different mixtures during the winter period, to select the best one, as well as the Oxford Brookes certificates delivery, joint presentations for Romanian officials.

  5. Phase: Project directors visit to the UK 18 - 26 October 1999, brick kiln firing, participation at the conference in London, organised on the topic of the Saxon Heritage Conservation, by the St. James Palace and the Romanian Ministry of Culture.

  6. Phase: Participation of British professionals at the Tusnad 2000 (19th – 25th March 2000.) conference (2-3 professionals, involved in the ACTT project) – two different purposes: 1. To present the British historic building conservation practice, structure and philosophy in the framework of the different round table discussions and section meetings. 2. To visit different historic building conservation sites, where students of the Foundation project are to work, to control their activity.

  7. Phase: Main project: the Aiud Conservation and Trans-National Training project (ACTT) – 26th June – 4th September 2000, a 10 week long training course, 64 Romanian craftsmen are learning historic building conservation skills from British craftsmen and professionals. The Headley Trust is already committed to sponsor the main project.

The ACTT and the Foundation projects have a high reputation and recognition. HRH, Prince of Wales supports the project not only morally but also financially.

Long term continuity: At the Bánffy castle in Bontida a permanent training centre is to be created. First steps started this year. Trained craftsmen are to work there, not only as craftsmen, but also as trainers.

For more details you also can check the joint-website of the Institute for Historic Building Conservation and Transylvania Trust for the present project:

Organisers of programme are the Institute for Historic Building Conservation, Great Britain and the Transylvania Trust in cooperation with the Transylvanian Historic Building Conservationists' Society; Ministry of Culture and Ministry for National Education, Bucharest; Bethlen Gαbor College; Oxford Brookes University; the British Council; South and North Shropshire Local Councils; Herefordshire Local Council; UK/ICOMOS; British Embassy, Bucharest.

The programme directors are:
Colin RICHARDS – joint project co-ordinator – IHBC, conservation officer, South Shropshire
Dave BAXTER – joint project co-ordinator – IHBC, conservation officer, Herefordshire
Dorottya MAKAY – joint project co-ordinator – Transylvania Trust
Csilla HEGEDÜS – economic director of the project – Transylvania Trust


Questions regarding the Aiud project can be directed to Dorottya MAKAY at tusnad@mail.soroscj.ro