Press & Media

Karl Gagesch is a Canadian author and history enthusiast based in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Inspired since childhood by the stories of the last generation of Transylvanian Saxons, he set out to preserve a chapter of European history that is nearly forgotten. As one of the few specialists in this subject, Karl writes from a rare vantage point — the descendant of a people whose 800-year presence in the southern Carpathians is almost gone.

 

His debut book, I Am Saxon, is a FriesenPress Bestseller and a 2026 CanReads Award Finalist for Adult Nonfiction. 2026 CanReads Award — Finalist, Adult Nonfiction.

 

About the book:  I Am Saxon: A History of the Transylvanian Saxons traces the story of a people from their 12th-century arrival as settlers in the southern Carpathian Basin — through their rise as renowned craftsmen, merchants, and builders of seven fortified towns — to their forced evacuation from Siebenbürgen after eight centuries. Drawing on broad historical narrative and personal family stories, Karl pays homage to a culture that has all but vanished.

 

Available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats from all major online book retailers and directly from the author's website (www.karlgagesch.com) 

 

Press Contact:  Karl Gagesch   kgagesch@gmail.com   Responds within 24 hours