The local administration of Racu (Harghita County) organised a meeting on Friday, February 20^th to discuss a dig at the site of a historically and archeologically important fortress situated near the settlement. The mayor of the town and MEP Csaba Sógor took the initiative to organise the meeting attended by archaeologist István Botár, who presented the history of the fortress and specialist Szabolcs Fazakas, who stressed the touristic potential and the opportunities it would have for the community.  

“The goal is to revive the memory of the fortress, and use it for community projects. Last year we have cleaned the area making it accessible for the public and placed an information board in the vicinity” – said Mayor Attila Császár, who asked for MEP Sógor's support in this endeavour.

The RMDSZ MEP said he was happy to join in the project, which not only has a historical value, but could also be a good economic opportunity. “There have been similar programs in Văcăreşti where we have found remains of a twelfth century settlement at the Sándor mansion. A dig such as this may unearth information about the history and values of a community” – explained Csaba Sógor. In his opinion the project could bring new tourists to the area and the example of Racu should be followed by other towns in Szeklerland.

Archaeologist Botár István spoke about the historical background of the fortress, which presumably dates back to the thirteenth century Árpád era, and was abandoned in the fourteenth century Anjou period. In the 1950s digs were made in the area, and it was found that the fortress included a residential tower. “If this proves to be true, than we are talking about a residence of a noble family, which would mean that there was a settlement in the area at that time” – pointed out the archaeologist. Szabolcs Fazakas explained that the true value of the project would be to revive the fortress and the surroundings, and the traditions linked to it. “Many towns in Szeklerland have explored local legends, and school children have joined the project by re-enacting these legends” – said Szabolcs Fazakas.

The conclusion of the meeting was that the works should start this summer with the unearthing of the residential tower, followed by the exploration of the surroundings and plans for touristic activities.