Bran Castle, pictured here in this colorized picture from the early 1900s, has a long history that really begins prior to the construction of the castle when the German crusaders formed a religious order in Palestine, the Teutonic Knights. They were given Terra Borza to defend the Southeastern border of Transylvania from the Cumans and the Pechenegs, who were Turkish nomadic peoples. In 1211 the Teutons built a fortress in Bran, which is a Slavic name, meaning “gate,” and it is also the name of the gorge. The Teutons didn’t remain there long as they were driven from the area in 1226.
Bran Castle sometime between 1910-1920. Source: (Pinterest/colorized).
The construction of the castle began after the Hungarian king Louis the Great (Louis I of Anjou) granted the people of Brasov permission to build a castle in 1377, and the Saxons of Transylvania were encouraged to participate in the process. They chose a site on a steep cliff between Măgura and Dealul Cetăţii (“fortified town’s hill”) as it provided a phenomenal view of the nearby hills, Moeciu Valley and Valea Bârsei. It took 11 years to build, and once it was complete, the castle had two functions: as a fortress, and as a customs agency. Soldiers and mercenaries occupied it, as they worked to stop the expansion of the Ottoman Empire.
The Connection To Dracula
The castle changed hands during the 1400s, being given as a fief to Prince Mircea of Wallachia so he could escape there if the Turks attacked. In 1419, it was entrusted to the Princes of Transylvania. During 1459, Vlad the Impaler, who had been allied with Bran in 1448, burned Bran’s suburbs and murdered hundreds of Saxons from Transylvania. Because of politics, some historians of the time depicted him as a despot with a thirst for blood. Vlad the Impaler was also called Vlad Dracul, hence one of the connections with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Bran Castle itself is the only castle in Transylvania which fits the description of Dracula’s castle as well. Much of the Dracula story is also derived from the myths of the denizens of the local towns, who believed in steregoi, people who were normal during the day, but at night, they tormented people while they slept. Their powers faded in the day.
Changing Hands And Suffering Neglect
The Royal Family of Queen Marie. Source: (castle-bran).
On January 1, 1498, the Saxons of Brasov purchased the right to use the castle for 100 years from King Vladislav II Jagello of Hungary. This lease was extended several times until the castle was sold on April 25, 1651, to George II Rackoczi.
Over the years, the castle had sustained damage from sieges, basic neglect, and forces of nature. It had undergone reconstruction during the reign of Gabriel Bethlen (1613-1629) and then again in 1723. By 1836, the castle was no longer a border and customs point, although it still was an administrative seat.
It Fell Into Disrepair Again
The Royal Family. Source: (castle-bran/colorized).
In the late 1800s, extensive restoration work occurred once again, and the City Administration of Brasov transferred the castle to the region’s forestry. It fell into disrepair after this, as it was inhabited by foresters, woodsmen, and forest inspectors for 30 years.
Queen Marie Brought Power To The Castle And The Surrounding Towns
Queen Marie. Source: (Wikipedia/colorized).
In 1918, Transylvania became part of Romania, and the city of Brasov offered the castle to Queen Marie of Romania, who restored it so that it could be used as a residence for the royal family; it was converted to a summer residence from 1920 to 1932. To complete this conversion, they piped water to the castle from natural springs, and in 1932, they added a hydroelectric power plant to provide electricity. The plant also supplied power to the towns of Bran, Simon and Moeciu. They turned the area around the castle into an English Park, including two ponds and a tea house. They also built a wooden church, a guesthouse, staff housing, a garage, and stables.
Princess Ileana Used It As A Hospital
Princess Ileana. Source: (Wikipedia/colorized).
Queen Marie died on July 18, 1938, and bequeathed the castle to her daughter, Ileana. In 1944, Ileana built a hospital in Bran to treat soldiers from Brasov, as the Red Cross Hospital had been bombed by American aircrafts, and Ileana worked as a nurse, treating the injured until 1948.
Becoming A Museum
Queen Marie in the Castle. Source: (Pinterest/colorized).
With the installation of the communist government, Princess Ileana moved with her children to the United States in 1950. By 1956, the communists turned Bran Castle into a museum which included elements of the royal heritage, medieval customs, and a department called Ethnography which included the house in the park. Princess Ileana lived in a convent from 1961, but she visited the castle in 1990 before her death on January 21, 1991. In 1987, reconstruction began once again on the castle and in 1993, once it was complete, it again became a tourist destination. In 2006, it was returned to the heirs of Princess Ileana. As a museum today, it is largely dedicated to the memory of Queen Marie, who was beloved by the Hungarian people.
