The church was occupied and robbed in 1704 , during Rákóczi 's War of Independence . It suffered damage during the 1977 Vrancea earthquake and subsequently underwent restoration work between 1983 and 1989 . Since 1990 , Saxons come annually to Biertan to celebrate their heritage . In 1993 , Biertan and its fortified church were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site ; it was joined by six other places in 1999 to form the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania site . Additionally , the church is listed as a historic monument by Romania 's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs , with each of the three fortifications considered a separate monument . Biertan was the subject of two 2011 postage stamps , a joint issue between Germany and Romania
1977 Vrancea earthquake
1977 Vrancea earthquake
Biertan fortified church