Brasov was for centuries the gate between Valachia (southern Romania ), Moldavia (the Eastern region) and Transylvania having its own special commercial privileges. Therefore craftsmen and traders prospered in the city. The city was founded in the Middle Ages , but the exact date is not known. What is certain is that the Saxon settlers who came during the 13th century had already found a Romanian community here – the city stands as a living proof of how this two cultures met. 

The Black Church itself is an example of Gothic architecture. Completed in the 15th century it was built by Bulgarian masons and craftsmen. Originally a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St Mary, it became Lutheran under a century later partly due to the influence of  Brasov-born Johannes Honterus, a scholar noted for his works in cartography and cosmology. A Statue of Honterus can be seen on the outside of the church.