Housing in Jobbágytelke Romania

Last holiday I did take some photographs of the housing in Jobbágytelke. Most of our stay, the light was not perfect for photography but somehow for me it does give a more realistic mood of this old village during snow-less wintertime.

I normally do not take a lot of images where houses or other man made constructions are the main subject. But as mentioned in my last post about Jobbágytelke, I want to make a collection of photographs that for me represents this beautiful village how it is at this moment and also how it has withstand the influences of time.

In Jobbágytelke, where small farming always has been the main activity, housing has not been the highest priority. Gas and tap water where introduced only a decade ago in the village. In a lot of houses they still use wood as main energy source for heating. A lot of the local water wells are still in use as main water supply for the animals. Next to almost all the houses barns and/or sheds for the cattle are erected. In this village you will not find a lot of newly build houses. But, happily at this moment they are building a new community house.

In Jobbágytelke you can see a lot of Transylvanian architecture. Houses are not insulated but do have wooden double windows. Most houses only have a ground floor as living space and a large roof with which a large attic for storage (grains etc.) is made.

A lot of the old houses do need a lot of maintenance. But due to the circumstances, the local people have to live in it. It is too expensive and time consuming to really restore the houses or give it a well needed paint job. Only the most important repairs are done. You can see some modern synthetic windows replacing the old wooden double windows. Housing is exploited at its most “economic way”.

To turn all of these houses into “energy friendly” houses is sheer impossible. The continues rising of the prices of gas and wood are also of great concern. The houses of whose inhabitants have died are slowly turning into ruins if there are no heirs. Very very sad to see. Some houses are only inhabited in the holidays or weekends. Sometimes you get the idea if the village is dying out. I hope this will never happen.