Around 1211, King Andrew II of Hungary permitted the knights to settle around Prejmer, where they began constructing a church[1] in 1218,[2] in Gothic style.

[3] They were responsible for the Greek cross plan, the only one of its kind in Transylvania, but found in a few churches in northeast Germany.

The front side panels show the Washing of the Feet, the Last Supper, the Flagellation and the Judgement of Caiaphas; the rear has the Weeping Women, the Entombment, the Resurrection and the Myrrhbearers.

The Greek cross shape was modified between 1512 and 1515: two side naves of unequal size were added while the main one was extended.

[2] When Ottoman forces or other invaders would break through the Buzău Pass, Prejmer was the first place they encountered;[1] the village was destroyed over 50 times between the 13th and 17th centuries, while the church was only rarely captured.

Entry into the complex is made through a 30 m (98 ft) long tunnel protected by a portcullis with wooden grilles strengthened by iron and powerful oak doors.

[2] In 1999, Prejmer, together with five other places, was added to the already-listed Biertan to form the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site.