site.btaRomania's Oldest Terracotta Tiles, Tiled Stove Factory Preserves 118-Year-Old Tradition

The Romanian factory for terracotta tiles and tiled stoves in the town of Medias in Transylvania is one of the oldest in the country and the last of its kind. Founded in 1906 by the Saxon Gref Iulius, it has changed several owners, including the Romanian State, and managed to survive two world wars. It did not lose the battle with modern heating systems, although its workforce currently numbers just 15 people. The COVID-19 pandemic even revived the business, as Romanians started buying old houses in the countryside and restoring them en masse during this period. And traditional tiled stoves are often present in such decor.