BRAN CASTLE

 

A document issued by King Ludwig I of Hungary (1342-1382) on November 19^th 1377 in Zvolen confirms to the Saxones from Brasov the right to rise, according to the promise, on their expense and with their masters, a new stone citadel at Bran (promiserunt novum castrum in lapide Tzdrici edificare). On this occasion, the king promises the Brasov inhabitants that, if Tara Romaneasca ends “in our hands”, then the customs will be moved from Rucar (Ruffa Arbor) to Bran. The reference in the text of the document in 1377 regarding “a new stone citadel” allows the deduction that the stone fortification that would be built on this place had been preceded by an older customs enforcement. This citadel, probably made of wood, would have been built by the Teutonic knights between 1211-1225. It is attributed to Theodorikus magisterial. In the 13^th century the territory of Bran citadel was submitted to the jurisdiction of the royal committee of Alba Iulia.

In 1395 Sigismund de Luxemburg, German emperor and king of Hungary, used Bran castle as strategic headquarters for an incursion in Tara Romaneasca, as a result of which he removed the waivode Vlad Uzurpatorul, the rival of Mircea cel Batran, his vassal.

In 1407 Sigismund offers Mircea the rule of Bran castles (without the afferent land) and Bologa. Bran remains under the authority of Tara Romaneasca until 1419.

In 1427 Bran castle passed from the property of Brasov into the property of the crown of Hungary, who financed the fortification and extension works. In 1498 Bran citadel was rented by the Hungarian royalty to Brasov.

In 1920, The City Council of Brasov donated Bran Castle to queen Mary of Romania, as gratitude for her contribution to the Great Union of  December 1^st 1918. The queen arranged it and left it as heritage to her daughter, princess Ileana, sister of king Carol II. After the expulsion from the country of the royal family, in 1948, Bran Castle entered the Romania state’s property, being abandoned and devastated. The castle reopened for public visits in 1956, being partially arrangement as history and feudal art museum. In 1987 it entered reconstruction, work mostly finished in 1993.

Although it entered the tourist circuit and folklore as Dracula’s castle, a movie “Interview with a vampire” being filmed here, it looks like Vlad Tepes never lived in the castle. Recently, it was restituted in kind by the Romanian state to Dominic de Habsburg and his two sisters, as heirs of princess Ileana. The owners undertook not to change its museum designation for three years. Romanian undertook the costs of renovation and maintenance of the castle and holds a pre-emption right for the future acquisition of the castle.