Dracula’s Castle returned (but not to Dracula in person)
Topic: News, Travel (May 26, 2006)
The Bran Castle in Central Romania, the fortress the legend says belonged to Dracula but where the real, Middle Age Wallachian leader thought to be Dracula was once imprisoned was returned to its old owners, the Habsburg family, on Friday. The Gothic fortress, perched on a rock, has appeared in numerous Dracula movies.
The retrocession process gives the castle to Dominic von Habsburg, a US architect and son of Princess Ileana of Romania.
He was forced to leave the country after Communists came to power and brought down the Romanian monarchy in 1948. But he returned to claim the castle back – and concluded his efforts today with a deal signed by Culture minister Mircea Iorgulescu, that allows the 14th-century fortress remain a museum for at least three years.
Once the deadline expires, Romanian authorities will negotiate either to buy the castle back from the Habsburg family, either another way to keep the building open to the public.
The castle had been confiscated by the Communist regime in 1948. It’s retrocession is seen as proof of the political stability in Romania and of the will of Bucharest authorities to respect the rule of law.
Another former royal property, the Peles Castle, built in the late 19th century in the mountain town of Sinaia, will be returned to former King Michael. He owned it before it was confiscated by the communist regime in 1948.
The Bran castle belonged to the Habsburgs starting 1920, when the Brasov city donated it to Queen Mary of Romania in gratitude for her courage in the first World War which led to the unification of Transylvania and Romania.
Source: HotNews.ro
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Dracula’s Castle returned (but not to Dracula in person)
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hi.. i m stavri, i m from cyprus and i love vampires
i d love to visit the castle.. would that be possible since the castle is given back? aaa can u send me any pictures to my email of the castle? thnx!!
stavri
Comment by Stavri — May 28, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
Hi. My name is Bradley Yount, descendant of the Habsburg family line. Is it possible to see the castle before it is out of the hands of family members?
Comment by Brad — July 6, 2007 @ 6:47 am