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Location:

Sighișoara, Romania
Europe

Contributor

Karen Gulliver

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Sew
Sighisoara, a city on the Tarnava River in central Romania’s Transylvania region, played an important strategic and commercial role for several centuries. While trade guilds dominated the economy, craftsmen were expected to drop their tools, take up arms, and defend the city. Relics from that era can still be found, including this old “cojocar” sewing machine. This cojocar was used exclusively to fashion outerwear from sheep’s leather. Recorded in 2014, this early mechanical sound comes from an ancient city that still finds honor in its traditions.