The First Romanian School in Șchei

The First Romanian School in Șchei is one of the oldest educational establishments in the Romanian language, located in the Șchei district of Brașov, at Piața Unirii no. 2, next to the Church of Saint Nicolae. The current building dates from 1760, erected in the Baroque style at the same time as the church's clock tower; however, documents attest to the existence of a school on this site as far back as 1495, with the support of Vlad Călugărul, ruler of Țara Românească. The institution operated without interruption for more than four centuries, becoming an essential centre of Romanian culture and literature in Transilvania. Teaching in the Romanian language began in 1530, and between 1559 and 1581 Deacon Coresi printed 17 books in Romanian and Church Slavonic here, among them the Catechism, the Psalter and the Cazania. In 1757, Dimitrie Eustatievici wrote the first Romanian grammar at this same location. The museum currently houses approximately 4,000 old books and over 30,000 historical documents, including original princely charters, manuscripts and Coresian printed works, some of which are unique in Romania. Among the notable items are books bound in the skin of unborn lambs, characteristic of the period, and documents belonging to ruler Constantin Brâncoveanu. The museum is arranged across approximately 30 rooms, with halls dedicated to Deacon Coresi, Anton Pann and the history of Romanian writing in Transilvania.