Haferland (German for “oatland”) was jointly established in 2012 by luxury automobile magnate Michael Schmidt and Romanian-born German musician and philanthropist Peter Maffay to promote local Saxon culture. The festival’s 13th edition took place July 31-Aug. 3 in the villages of Archita, Saschiz, Homorod, Rupea, Criț, Roadeș, Meșendorf, Cloașterf, Bunești and Viscri. Schmidt, interviewed at his Casa Kraus guesthouse in Criț (Deutsch-Kreuz in German), said about 8,000 people attended the 2025 cultural extravaganza. That’s up from only 500 the first year, when only Criț and two other villages—Roadeș and Viscri—took part. “Even though Ceaușescu tried to destroy ancient villages and the ancient way of life, he didn’t succeed.