In a 1377 document, King Louis I granted the Saxons in the Braşov Chair privileges in connection with the building of a castle on the “Dietrichstein - in lapide Tydrici.” The castle and a customs house were built during the subsequent years. The castle got later in the possession of Mircea the Elder, Prince of Walachia. King Sigismund gave the castle back to the Braşov municipality in 1427 and, at the end of 15th century, the castle was mortgaged to Braşov. The castle was repeatedly besieged but taken only once, by ruse. In the 18th century, the Braşov municipality exercised manorial rights over the Bran Dominium. After the Revolution of 1848, a settlement was reached between the municipality of Braşov and the Bran Dominium. The castle was restored in 1883-1888 and then administered by the Forestry Commission Office in Braşov. In 1920, the city of Braşov donated Bran Castle to Queen Marie of Romania.
Bran Management Company +40/268/237/700
In a 1377 document, King Louis I granted the Saxons in the Braşov Chair privileges in connection with the building of a castle on the “Dietrichstein - in lapide Tydrici.” The castle and a customs house were built during the subsequent years. The castle got later in the possession of Mircea the Elder, Prince of Walachia. King Sigismund gave the castle back to the Braşov municipality in 1427 and, at the end of 15th century, the castle was mortgaged to Braşov. The castle was repeatedly besieged but taken only once, by ruse. In the 18th century, the Braşov municipality exercised manorial rights over the Bran Dominium. After the Revolution of 1848, a settlement was reached between the municipality of Braşov and the Bran Dominium. The castle was restored in 1883-1888 and then administered by the Forestry Commission Office in Braşov. In 1920, the city of Braşov donated Bran Castle to Queen Marie of Romania.
Bran Management Company +40/268/237/700
The castle is presented to tourists as Dracula's castle, although it bears little resemblance to the description in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. The historical model of the novel character, the Walloon prince Vlad III Dracula, probably never entered the castle either.
In 2006 the castle was returned to Dominic von Habsburg, his sisters Maria Magdalena and Elisabeth, and the heirs of Princess Ileana and her husband Anton Habsburg-Lorraine. Dominic Habsburg offered Bran Castle to the Romanian state for 80 million US dollars. Since the state rejected the offer, the new owners opened the Bran castle on June 1, 2009 as a museum. Objects and furniture belonging to the Habsburg family are on display there, including a crown, a scepter and a silver dagger belonging to King Ferdinand.
1367 | First mention of the place. |
---|---|
1427 | King Sigismund gave the castle to Brasov. |
1529 | The castle survived a siege by Wallachian troops. |
1593 | Self-ignited gunpowder destroyed the powder tower. |
1690 | The place is populated with Romanian hut dwellers who are subjects of Brasov. |
1695 | The population numbers 33 families. |
1713 | The population counts 211 families, |
1789 | The Bran Castle was unsuccessfully besieged for the third time by a 5,000-strong Turkish army. |
1883-1888 | The castle is being restored. |
1920 | After Transylvania was annexed to Romania, Brasov gave the castle to Queen Maria, the wife of King Ferdinand I, on December 1. The queen then had the castle rebuilt and restored. |
1970 | Under President Nicolae Ceaușescu, the castle was expanded into a tourist attraction. |
2006 | The castle was returned to Dominic von Habsburg, his sisters Maria Magdalena and Elisabeth, and the heirs of Princess Ileana and her husband Anton Habsburg-Lorraine. |