Dracula's - The true story of Bran Castle

Castle Bran - Dracula's

The medieval fortress from Bran was built by the inhabitants of Brasov, according to the “Privilege” from the 19-th of November 1337, issued by King Ludovic I of Anjou, in order to serve as observing point for the Bran pass and defending the line of Transilvania. The lead of fortress was entrusted to a castle lord who had military, administrative and juridical attributions.

In order to allow full financial independence to the fortress, the Hungarian Royalty attributed to it a domain composed of thirteen villages from the Land of Barsa.
Between 1407-1419, the fortress is in the possession of Mircea cel Batran (Mircea the old 1386-1418), the ruler of Wallachia and of his son, MihailI (1418-1420).

In 1419, King Sigismund of Luxemburg transfers the right of the fortress to the Szekler committee and then starting with Iancu of Hunedoara (1441-1446), it passes over under the rule of the voivodes of Transilvania.
In 1498, the fortress and the domain of Bran were conferred in mortgage to the town of Brasov and with the approval of the Transylvanian Diet, in 1651, the citizens of Brasov became the rightfull oweners, “forever and irrevocable”.

At the beginning of the 18-th century, the fortress looses its military purpose and it becomes the center of the local administration and the residence of the castle lord. A custom office was located near the castle until 1836, where the merchants had to pay a fee of 3,3% of the transported mercandises.

After the 1848 revolution, the feudal domain of Bran is dissoluted and the castle is occupied by the Austrian Hungarian armies in 1877. Following a trial that lasted until 1883, the castle is givenback to the town of Brasov and from 1888, it will be used as residence for the Forest Office.
On the 1-st of December 1920, the Bran Castle is donate by the Town Council of Brasov to Queen Maria of Romania. In the following years, it will be restored and redesigned by the Royal Court’s architect Karel Liman and it will be transformed into a Royal summer residence. Queen Maria will give the castle, by her will, to Princess Ileana, archduchess of Austria, so in 1938, the queen’s daughter becomes the new owner of the Bran Castle. At the end of 1947, after the abdication of King Mihai I (1927-1930, 1940-1947), Princess Ileana has to go on exile, so the castle will become property of the Romanian state and, in 1956, it will be turned into a museum of medieval history, opened to the public on the 28-th of April 1957.

The basic exhibition of the Bran Castle was completed starting with 1997, so some interiors were redesigned, based on documents and images from Queen Maria’s time.