A church in the Romanian village of Biertan has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. It has received this honor due to the lock on its entrance door, recognized as the most complex in the world. The locking mechanism,crafted in 1515 by master Johannes Reichmut, was dubbed an "engineering marvel" in 2024. The oak door, also crafted by Reichmut, was fastened with 19 metal elements connected into a single structure. To unlock the lock, it is necessary to use not only a complex key but also an ingenious handle.
This device had already been awarded at the World's Fair in Paris in 1889. It was brought there together with the church door. Today, the door still guards the Romanian church, and the miraculous lock still works flawlessly.
Interestingly, the church in Biertan was already included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 as one of the main fortified churches in Transylvania. It is famous not only for its defense system but also for the largest painted altar in the region.
Tourists are also attracted by a small house in the church courtyard. In it, quarreling spouses were given time to reconcile.The village priest locked them in a small room with a minimal set of amenities. There, the couple was offered to use one narrow bed, a single plate, and a common spoon. There was also only one chair. They could only leave after 2 weeks. But in case of reconciliation, the doors of the "house of friendship" were opened earlier. As a result of such therapy, over 300 years only one divorce was filed in the village. This is also worthy of the Guinness Book of Records.
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