Map of Sibiu: The defensive system

The city and the surrounding areas have been populated since the Stone Age. In the time of the Romans, a settlement called Cedonia laid here. The Székely's who settled here in the time of the Hungarian conquest were moved by King Géza II.(1141-1162). In their place Saxons were brought for the defense of the Red-tower pass. In XIIth century documents the settlement is called Cibinum but the Saxons named it Hermannsdorf, inspired by one of their leaders. It quickly became the Saxons ecclesiastical center. In 1241, breaking through the Oituz pass, the tartars devastated the settlement. In the XIIIth century Sibiu had become a city, this was due to the quick reconstruction and development of the settlement, its name changed to Hermannstadt.
It was at this time that the parsonage was built, surrounded by walls and strengthened by towers. By the middle of the XIVth century the second wall, by the XVth century the third wall is finished. Later a natural defensive line was made by creating lakes outside the third wall. In the XIVth century the settlement already disposed of 19 guilds. The strength of the castle is indicated by the three unsuccessful raids of the Turks. Even though in the XVIth century two great fires made many gunpowder towers explode, new towers took their place and the walls were renovated.
In the second half of the XVIth century 39 towers and 4 barbicans defended the city walls. The real danger was the construction wave of the XVII-XVIIIth century. In the XIXth century the gates and old houses were demolished. The remaining defensive wall, tower and bastion still protect the city's Middle Age atmosphere.