Balassa M. Iván, Cseri Miklós szerk.: Népi építészet Erdélyben - Az 1999. március 21-27-én Tusnádon megrendezett konferencia anyaga (Szentendre: Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, 1999)
Sabján Tibor: A fűtő
The „heater" TibOR SABJÁN In his essay, the author offers insight into the history and development of the little heating device, the so-called „heater", built next to the tiled open hearth in Transylvania. In the first part of the essay, the author is studying the written sources between the 16th and 18th centuries. He concludes that the designation of the heating device is general and widespread and there is hardly a description, where the small tiled stove next to the hearth is called with a different name. The sources reveal furthermore, that the „heater" was fed through an opening in the sidewall of the hearth, under the hearth. The „heater" looked similar to the hearth, it was covered with the same tiles and the tiles were often separated by narrow mantelpieces and the top was decorated by crenelation. The shape of the „heater" was generally square, round varieties were seldom. We disclose from the sources that the „heater" had two types concerning its structure: the more widespread type was built next to the hearth, fed under the hearth and its smoke returned also here. The other type was not placed at the side of the hearth but underneath. This type was also fed under the hearth (using the space which was not occupied) and the smoke returned here (picture 1). Further we learn from the sources that some hearths were completed with two „heaters". We even have a reference that the „heater" of the hearth was build in the corner and braking through the wall, it heated the back room as well. During centuries the „heater" was an additional heating device beside the less efficient open hearth. Being provided with a closed firing area, its heating performance was better. We observe an early spreading of cooking ranges in Transylvania. Middle-class houses used often a cooking range as early as in the middle of the 19th century. These are individually used cooking ranges completed with ovens. Soon the peasantry also starts using modern facilities. Cooking ranges appear in peasant houses in the second half of the 19th century, however not as separate constructions but built next to the hearth. This special cooking range is created by transformation of the earlier „heater", whereby its name is kept as well as the practice to feed it under the hearth. These new „heaters" have two types: the simpler kind is merely a cooking device with a cast iron top (picture 2). The more developed „heaters" are provided with an oven similarly to the cooking ranges. The oven can be fixed above the cooking top for an optimal use of space. In such cases, its corner is supported by an iron leg (picture 3). Many „heaters" used to have two openings: a square, open one under the hearth and a narrow slot under the cooking top, accessible from the front. The existence of both openings can be considered as a general and traditional solution for the „heaters". Cast iron „heaters" (pictures 9-10), supplied by Transylvanian foundries are considered as an interesting research subject. These special ranges imitated the farmer's „heater", providing an example when the factory production was adapted to the farmer's needs. The next chapter in the history of the „heater" deals with the turn of the century, the time when traditional heating systems disappear. After abolishing the open hearths, the peasantry in Transylvania builds closed heating systems. They have two parts: the cooking part with iron top and the part to supply heat. This is often covered with the tiles of the hearth (picture 11). The classical cooking range spreads in the peasant houses of Transylvania between the two World Wars. However, they are no more set up near the hearth, but in its place.
