Dracula - Facts, Myth, Novel

Dracula is the Romanian expression for "the son of the dragon"
or “devil". Surrounding the ﬁctional character there were many
important people, some are listed here. It is up to you to decide
how high their share of the global success of "Dracula" was.
PEOPLE
1For the dead travel fast

THE VAMPIRE PRINCESS
In 2007, an Austrian documentary titled "The Vampire Princess" was
released. The movie was co-produced by several TV-stations and
organizations: ORF, ARTE, ZDF, Smithsonian Network, BMUKK and
Pro Omnia.
In this documentary, the Viennese media researcher Rainer Maria
Köppl represents the thesis that Bram Stoker got the inspiration for
his novel from the life of Princess Eleonore of Schwarzenberg.
The connection to Bram Stoker's novel is also the reason why this
interesting documentary is included in this e-book.
2
Eleonore von Schwarzenberg
• 20. Juni 1682 - Schloss M!lník
• 5. Mai 1741 - Palais Schwarzenberg, Wien

Fellow carriage travelers whisper a
phrase from the ballad "Leonore" into
the ear of "Dracula" protagonist Jona-
than Harker: "For the dead travel fast."
The movie is based on an archaeological
ﬁnd in the former cemetery of Cesky
Krumlov: Three skeletons were found in
typical vampire burial.
In Christian tradition, as a rule, corpses
are buried facing East. The three skele-
tons were buried facing from North to
South.
Stones are used to weigh down the
corpses. One of the skeletons' head was
separated and placed between the legs.
In this corpse's mouth was a stone. The
hands were tied with a rosary.
The funeral of the three dead was car-
ried out according to the rules of Magia
Posthuma. This is the classic ritual of
vampire burial. The Magia Posthuma
was written by Charles Ferdinand von
Schertz in 1706.
Prince Adam Franz Karl of Schwarzen-
berg and his wife Eleonora of Schwarzen-
berg lived during the ﬁrst half of the 18th
century in Cesky Krumlov.
Eleonore of Schwarzenberg was born on
June 20, 1682. She suffered massive in-
somnia and was therefore very tired dur-
ing the daytime. People speculate that
her behavior is associated with the "vam-
pire disease", which was discussed
among experts in these times.
The Countess lost her husband in a hunt-
ing accident and lived alone and with-
drawn thereafter.
The princess was interested in the occult
and made a very mystical impression to
everyone around her. She ordered vast
amounts of spermaceti, crab eye and
ground unicorn, probably from a nar-
whal.
It was most likely her lifestyle that led
Gottfried August Bürger to writing the bal-
lad "Leonore". This ballad in turn was the
inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel.
3

Eleonora died on May 5, 1741 in Vienna. Immediately after the
death the personal physician of Emperor Charles VI undertook an
autopsy. At that time, this was a completely unusual approach, es-
pecially for nobles.
The doctors who conducted the autopsy were paid handsomely.
This large sum might reﬂect the hazard involved, or - as suggested
in the documentary - the discretion and silence of the doctors was
bought.
In the context of a post-mortem examination, a kind of vampire exe-
cution could have been carried out without making any waves: the
removal of the heart, which is equal to impalement.
The mortal remains of the Princess were transferred to Krumlov on
the day of her demise.
In the St. Vitus Church, Eleonore of Schwarzenberg was buried in a
dedicated and sealed tomb. According to the records, neither high
dignitaries nor family members attended the funeral, which
strangely took place at night.
The simple tombstone shows neither her surname nor the family
crest.
5

GERARD VAN SWIETEN
Gerard van Swieten (later Baron von Swieten) was born 1700 in Lei-
den. His connection to the ﬁctional character of Bram Stoker began
in 1745, when he was appointed personal physician to Empress
Maria Theresia in Vienna.
He designed the Austrian health care system and introduced a medi-
cal college education. He also was the founder of the Older Vienna
School of Medicine.
6
Gerard van Swieten
• 7. Mai 1700 - Leiden
• 18. Juni 1772 - Wien

These facts were of great importance for
the Austrian Empire and Empress Maria
Theresa. For Bram Stoker, the decisive in-
stance was that he took an important part
in the fight against popular superstition.
Van Swieten was concerned specifically
with the case of vampires. They were the
topic of many reports from southern Euro-
pean villages from 1720 on.
In the year 1755, Gerard van Swieten was
sent to Moravia to explore the vampire ru-
mors. For him it was pure barbarism of ig-
norance. He had set himself the goal to ex-
plain all cases and extinguish the rumors
once and forever.
The investigation and findings were re-
ported in the "Treatise of the existence of
ghosts."
According to Van Swieten, the conditions
of the exhumed bodies were not due to
vampires, but to natural causes.
Many medical professionals supported his
theories. The increased mortality in villages
was partially attributed to epidemics.
Encouraged by the report of her personal
physician, the Empress forbade all of the
common defenses against vampires. The
impaling, beheading or burning of "vam-
pires" was banned.
His fight against the vampire superstition
made Van Swieten the model for the vam-
pire hunter Van Helsing.
7
Abhandlung des Daseyns der
Gespenster, nebst einem Anhange
vom Vampyrismus.
German Version

HERMANN VÁMBÉRY
Hermann Vámbéry was born on March 19, 1832 in Szentgyörgy
near Pozsony and died on September 15, 1913 in Budapest. He
was a highly educated Hungarian Orientalist, Turkologist, traveler,
and supposedly also an agent in the service of the British crown.
In 1890, Bram Stoker met Herman Vámbéry. Following this meeting,
Vámbéry, who in the meantime spoke ﬂuently Arabic, Turkish and
Persian, became an inspiration for the novel Dracula. The decisive
factor was the legend of the Romanian prince Vlad III. Dracula.
8
Hermann Vámbéry
• 19. März 1832 - Szentgyörgy
• 15. September 1913 - Budapest

JOSEPH THOMAS SHERIDAN LE FANU
The Irish writer is regarded as one of the most famous authors of
classic horror stories. Le Fanu studied law, but decided to pursue
journalism after ﬁnishing his studies. In the year 1838 he published
his ﬁrst short story "The Ghost and the Bonesetter" in the Dublin Uni-
versity Magazine.
His numerous works oftentimes focused on spirits, ghosts and
other scary things. His most famous story is probably "Carmilla",
which was published in 1872. It is very well possible that this publi-
cation represented an inspiration for Bram Stoker as well.
9
Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu
• 28. August 1814 - Dublin
• 10. Februar 1873 - Dublin

The novel takes place in a castle in Styria.
Carmilla is a female vampire who is attracted
to other female creatures.
The text appeared initially in three episodes
in the magazine "The Dark Blue", which were
illustrated by M. Fitzgerald and D.H. Friston.
Later, Le Fanu published the story as the an-
thology "In a Glass Darkly".
The documents of Bram Stoker show that he
initially settled his novel in Styria, Austria. Fur-
thermore it is interesting that his ﬁrst draft
also included a female vampire.
10
CARMILLA
SHERIDAN LE FANU
GERMAN VERSION

JOHN WILLIAM POLIDORI
John Polidori studied at the University of Edinburgh. He was only 19
years old when he received his doctorate. From 1816 on he was the
physician and traveling companion of the poet Lord Byron.
In the long evenings in Lord Byron's villa on Lake Geneva, a favorite
pastime was to spend the evenings telling gruesome stories and
tales. In this environment, Mary Shelley began to write her novel
Frankenstein, which was published in 1818.
11
John William Polidori
• 7. September 1795 - London
• 24. August 1821 - London

Polidori transformed the wild beast that
caused his mischief among the people into an
educated member of the aristocracy.
Polidori expanded a draft of Lord Byron into his story "The Vam-
pyre". With this novel, the ﬁrst vampire story in world literature was
created. The main character of the novel is Lord Ruthven, who em-
bodies a modern vampire.
The story was published on April 1, 1819 without Polidori's permis-
sion. Due to an error, Lord Byron appeared as the author. This con-
fusion was intended by both Byron and Polidori. Both refused to
accept a fee for the novel.
The fact that Lord Byron was named as the author made the story
very successful.
Polidori's ﬁgure of an elegant vampire was groundbreaking for prac-
tically all of the following novels of this type.
12
THE VAMPYRE
JOHN WILLIAM POLIDORI
DER_VAMPYR

BRAM STOKER
He was born as the third of seven children. Up to the age of seven
he could neither stand nor walk alone due to a mysterious illness.
The ﬁrst years of his life is also reﬂected in his literary work. The eter-
nal sleep and the resurrection of the deceased are the core theme
of the bloodthirsty Count.
With the novel Dracula, the Irish writer became world famous. How-
ever, the author has never seen the country in which the most suc-
cessful vampire story of all times takes place.
13
Abraham „Bram“ Stoker
• 8. November 1847 - Marino Crescent (Dublin)
• 20. April 1912 - London

Bram Stoker published his novel in 1897. Two
years after the death of Stoker, an introductory
chapter was published as a short story entitled
"Dracula's Guest". This part takes place in Sty-
ria and is about female vampires.
Reading "Dracula's Guest" clearly shows that
Bram Stoker was very impressed by Le Fanu's
story. The fact that Count Dracula was ﬁnally
settled in Transylvania dates back to a conver-
sation with Hermann Vámbéry. The opinions on
whether or not Bran Stoker created his vampire
after the ruler Vlad Tepes differ.
The novel Dracula launched a ﬂood of horror
stories. The classic content of this kind of sto-
ries, such as crumbling castles, dark for-
tresses, ghosts, and ancestral curses, have sur-
vived to this day.
14
DRACULA
BRAM STOKER
WIKISOURCE.ORG
DRACULA’S GUEST
BRAM STOKER
GUTENBERG.ORG

BELA LUGOSI
Bela Lugosi was the ﬁrst performer of Count Dracula in the epony-
mous novel adaptation of 1931. His real name was Béla Ferenc
Dezso Blaskó. In the early days of his career as an actor he also per-
formed under the name Arisztid Olt. The name Lugosi was chosen
in tribute to his hometown. In Hungary, where Lugosi became one
of the most famous actors, he was politically active. This led to him
having to ﬂee to Vienna. In the year 1919, he emigrated to Germany
and lived until his immigration to the United States in 1921 in Berlin.
From 1927 on, Lugosi was the successful hero of the Broadway
play Dracula. This play was written by Hamilton Deanes based on
the novel by Bram Stoker.
15
Bela Lugosi
• 20. Oktober 1882 - Lugos
• 16. August"1956 - Los Angeles

Lugosi added an erotic touch to his role and
therefore conquered his audience. In the year
1930 the director Tod Browning decided to
film the novel Dracula. After much back and
forth, Browning finally offered Lugosi the title
role. The fee was only $ 500 a week and
there was no profit share for the provided title
character.
Dracula was a huge success and Bela
Lugosi became a celebrated star overnight.
Horror films made Bela Lugosi world famous.
As the popularity of this type of films de-
creased in the 1930s, his film career came to
an end.
Today, the great horror actor is a cult figure.
His fame is mainly due to his exceptional per-
formance as Count Dracula.
16
DRACULA - 1931
ORIGINAL FILM
ARCHIVE.ORG

The ﬁctional character Count Dracula is still alive in readers'
minds. When traveling to Romania on the footsteps of Vlad
Tepes, reality merges with mysticism and fantasy.
PLACES
2Reality, Mystery & Fantasy

HOTEL CASTEL DRACULA
If this hotel had been there a few hundred years ago, Bram
Stoker's ﬁctional character Jonathan Harker might have stayed
here. Hotel Castel Dracula is located about 40 km after Bistrita, at
1.116m above sea level. It was built in the years 1976 to 1983. In
the year 1980, 21 members of the London "Dracula Society" in-
cluded a document with their signatures in the hotel's building
shell.
Right outside the hotel doors, next to two birch trees, there is the
statue of author Bram Stoker. The birch trees are named Adam
and Eve. Another eerie element is the small cemetery in the ho-
tel's frontcourt.
18
Hotel Castel Dracula
• 427363 Piatra Fântânele
• DN 17 Bistrita-Nasaud
rezervari@casteldracula.ro
www.hotelcasteldracula.ro

Bram Stoker never visited the country in
which his novel takes place. He placed the
castle of the vampire, Count Dracula, in the
north of Transylvania. Bistrita and the Borgo
Pass found their way into his narrative. In real-
ity, however, this area had nothing to do with
Vlad III.
But since this is about vampires, a visit to Ro-
mania on Dracula's footstep should deﬁnitely
include a visit to this hotel.
The crypt of the vampire is on display in the
hotel's basement. But be careful: It is well
known that vampires sleep when it is light
outside, but they are very active in the dark.
According to the novel, Jonathan Harker was
picked up by the Count's coach at the place
where the hotel is located. Bram Stoker
placed the castle of Count Dracula on the Iz-
vorgul Câlimanului (2,033 m), about 20 km
southeast of the Borgo Pass.
19

The hotel is very comfortably furnished. The
rooms and suites are stylishly adapted to suit
the subject.
Every year at Halloween, vampire fans meet
at the hotel, which also contributes to the
creepiness of the place.
At the front desk, which is located on the ﬁrst
ﬂoor, "original documents" of Count Dracula
are offered for sale.
20

MONASTERY COZIA
This monastery was built by Mircea the Old (also Mircea the Great).
Mircea cel Bătrân lived from 1355 until 1418. He was one of the
most important rulers of Wallachia. It was under his leadership that
Wallachia reached its greatest extent.
After his death, the army commander was buried in the monastery.
The voivode was the illegitimate father of Vlad Dracul II, who later be-
came the father of Vlad III. Dracula.
21

SIGHISOARA
Schäßburg, or Sighişoara, was founded in the second half of the
12th century by the Transylvanian Saxons.
Vlad III. was born in 1431 as the second son of Vlad Dracul II, and
the Moldavian princess Cneajna.
In the year of his birth, his father became a knight of the Order of
Dragons of the Emperor Sigismund in Nuremberg. Only ﬁve years
later, Vlad III was also accepted into this Order.
One of the main reasons to come to Sighisoara was that this was
the place where Vlad II Dracul had the right to mint coins.
22

In 1436, Vlad II overthrew his younger half-
brother Alexandru Aldea. A year later he
formed an alliance with the Turks and to-
gether with Sultan Murad II he conquered
Transylvania.
In the year 1442, he allowed the 20,000 men
of the Turkish army to cross Wallachia on
their way to Transylvania. In Sibiu, the attack-
ers were pushed back by the Hungarians.
Vlad Dracul wanted to leave the throne to his
son Mircea II for some time. However, Ba-
sarab II immediately recognized this opportu-
nity to disempower him again. The Turks
helped Vlad Dracul to regain power.
Vlad Dracul II tried alternately to win the favor
of the Hungarians and the Turks. Therefore,
the Sultan demanded his two sons, Vlad III
Dracula and Radu cel Frumos to be sent to
the Ottoman Empire as a "bargaining chip".
The character of the young Vlad III developed
in captivity. His dislike of his half-brother
Radu and later Sultan Mehmed II grew con-
stantly.
23

TARGOVISTE
Targoviste is the county capital of the district Dâmboviţa. Vlad III
Dracula was crowned in the former capital of Wallachia in the year
1456. This was already the second time that Vlad III ruled Wallachia.
In 1447 he was briefly in power, but had to flee to his uncle Bogdan
II in the Principality of Moldavia in the same year.
Overall, Vlad Tepes was in power three times: 1447, 1456 until 1462
and finally 1476.
24

As a ruler, he often stayed at the court of his
capital. Under his reign, the construction of
the Chindia Tower was begun. There is also
evidence that he was staying in Bucharest
now and then.
There are countless legends about Vlad Te-
pes. Depending on who is telling the story, he
was either a national hero or a bloodthirsty
despot. Long after his death many pamphlets
were published reporting his deeds.
The city of Targoviste is also the place where,
on December 25, 1989, dictator Nicolae
Ceausescu and his wife Elena were executed
after a military tribunal sentence.
25

BRAN CASTLE
Bran Castle is located in the village of Bran. The fortress was built in
1377 by residents of the nearby town of Brasov.
While there is one source in which is documented that Vlad II spent
one night in this castle, sound evidence is missing. Today, the castle
is a tourist attraction and - as already mentioned - the spirit of the
prince is where we imagine him to be.
26

CASTLE POIENARI
Prince Rudolph Bessaraba the Black, the legendary founder of
Wallachia, is considered to be the builder of Castle Poienari. Af-
ter the castle had been of great importance in the 14th century,
it subsequently deteriorated and was ﬁnally abandoned. Vlad III
was aware of the strategic importance of the location.
The reconstruction and expansion of the castle was carried out
by forced laborers. For Vlad III the stronghold became his main
fortress.
27

SNAGOV MONASTERY
The Snagov Monastery is located on a lake, about 40 km north of
Bucharest. Previously you could only visit the place by boat, now
there is a bridge.
Vlad Tepes may be buried here. In fact, the remains of the ruler were
never found.
28

How Vlad Tepes actually died is not docu-
mented. Some say he may have fallen in battle
and other sources speak of an assassination.
It is proven, that his head - preserved in honey
- was presented to Sultan Mehmed II. The
head was publicly displayed.
When the grave was opened about 450 years
after his death, it was empty. This fact gave rea-
son to the speculation that he was "undead", a
vampire.
29

BUCHAREST
Bucharest was ﬁrst mentioned in documents dating back to
September 20, 1459, which were signed by the voivode !
Vlad III Dracula.
In the years from 1458 to 1459, Vlad III built a stone fortress at
this point. The building was used as a residence during his
stays in Bucharest.
30

The foundation walls, which were built under
Vlad III, still form the central core of the for-
tress. Later the building continued to be re-
built or expanded. The walls of the vault to
the east, west and north still correspond to
Vlad's plan today.
The Old Court (Curtea Veche) is located in
the historic center of Bucharest and should
not be missing in any sightseeing.
31

VLAD TEPES CASTLE
On the occasion of the National Exhibition of 1905, a water tower
was built in Carol Park. Visually, the building resembles Vlad Tepes'
Castle Poenari.
Besides the impression left by the tower, there is no historical refe-
rence to the ruler.
32

COMANA MONASTERY
Comana was ﬁrst mentioned in a document in the year 1461. A certiﬁ-
cate signed by Vlad Tepes lays down the boundaries of the monastery.
According to legend, Vlad Tepes was murdered by order of his oppo-
nent Basarab Laiota in December 1476. This act occurred in the vicin-
ity of the monastery. His head was transported to the Ottoman rulers
to Istanbul as proof of his death. The body was probably buried at Co-
mana. Today, the local people still believe in the legend that Prince
Dracula was murdered near the "Walnut source".
33

HUNEDOARA CASTLE
Johann Hunyadi rebuilt the old fortiﬁcation to the ancestral castle of
the Hunyadi at this location in 1440. From 1458 on, the building
was extended by King Corvinus and further alterations followed in
the 17th century.
When Vlad III returned from a crusade against the Turks in 1462, he
had to ﬂee to Transylvania, where King Matthias Corvinus of Hun-
gary granted him protection for the time being. As he was accused
of being a traitor, Vlad III was imprisoned in Castle Corvin. However
he spent the majority of his detention in castle Visegrád, located
north of Budapest.
34

THE DRACULA BRAND
There are still many places and companies that have recognized
Dracula as business. The vampire is everywhere you can imagine.
Dracula is known either as an elegant Count, or as a bat that is at
home in the dark.
On the next page, I have listed some companies that have a direct
or indirect reference to Dracula.
35

Hunter Prince Castle & Dracula Hotel
4/6 Sterca Sulutiu Street
Turda 421012
Corona de Aur (Die Goldene Krone)
Pia"a Petru Rare! 4
Bistri"a 420036
House of Dracula
Strada Poiana lui Stechil 22
Bra!ov 500001
Pension Dracula
Transf"g"r"!an
C"p"#îneni-Ungureni 114095
36

Vampires, werewolves and zombies have a ﬁxed place in the
faith of many people. Especially in southeastern Europe this
belief has a long-standing tradition. It is thus not surprising
that many front doors are draped with garlic.
SUPERSTITION
3Vampires in the 21st century

STRIGOI
The vampires in Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia are called
Strigoi. The belief in these creatures is not limited to Eastern Europe.
In parts of Africa there is the "Asanbosam", in the Arab world the
"Ghoul", Assyrians speak of "Ekimmus", Australians "Yara-Ma-Yha-
Who", Brazilians of "Jaracacas" and the Chinese of "Chiang Shi ".
But Strigoi is not just the name of a vampire. It also refers to a state
of mind, which is unconsciously present.
38

There are two days on which Strigois are particularly active: in the
night before the holiday of St. Andreas (November 30) and on St.
George's Day (April 23). In Romania, St. Andrew is called the Lord
of the Wolves.
Strigois leave their abode at midnight on these days and walk to a
road junction. There they meet up with other Strigois and ﬁght until
sunrise.
In 2004, ARTE.TV and the German magazine "Der Spiegel" reported
a sinister vampire case that accidentally was discovered.
When Gheorghe Marinescu's brother in law Toma passed away, the
family was certain that the deceased was a vampire. Since the reve-
nant feeds on blood, Gheorghe was starting to get weaker and
weaker. The only solution to the problem was to dig up Toma's
corpse, tear out his heart and burn it. The ashes then were mixed
with water to create a drink, which was given to the affected "vic-
tims", the son, his daughter and his granddaughter.
In Gheorghe's eyes, this process was very successful, because his
son felt much better after only a few days.
This recorded incident occurred in the small village Marotinu de Sus,
about 160 kilometers south-west of Bucharest. The full reports (all in
german) can be found here:
39
VAMPIRE IN RUMÄNIEN?
CHRISTIANE KIRSCH
ARTE.TV
GRAB-ANALYSEN
ANGELIKA FRANZ
SPIEGEL.DE

RECOGNIZING A VAMPIRE
HORSE'S TEST
A horse is led by a young man on the grave of a recently deceased alle-
ged undead. If the horse does not cross the tomb or if it shies, then
this is absolute proof that a Moroi was buried.
Unlike a Strigoi, who is still alive, the Moroi has already died and re-
turns.
PHOBIAS
If one or more of the following phobias are true, one should be very vigi-
lant.
ALLIUMPHOBIA
• Fear of garlic
CATOPTROPHOBIA OR EISOPTROPHOBIA
• Fear of mirrors
HELIOPHOBIA
• Fear of the sun
POTAMOPHOBIA
• Fear of rivers / ﬂowing waters
SOCIAL PHOBIA
• Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations
STAUROPHOBIA
• Fear of crosses and cruciﬁxes
XYLOPHOBIA
• Fear of wood / forests
40

SINCA VECHE
This unique monastery was carved directly into the rock. It is also
known by the name of "Temple of the Chosen". The monastery is
located about 45 km from Brasov. The beginnings of this holy place
date 7,000 years back.
High mystical powers are attributed to this place. One even speaks
of it being a portal into a different world.
41

THE WITCHES' POND
In the vicinity of Bucharest is the small village of Boldesti. The en-
chanted Witches' Pond lies in Boldu-Creteasca Forest. As the story
goes, witches gather here in the nights around St. Andrew and St.
George. Rumors say that a door into another world opens. The
pond has a depth of about 1 to 1.5 meters and this depth never
changes. According to stories, this is also the place where Vlad III
was beheaded. There are repeated reports of eerie apparitions and
strange phenomena around the pond. Even animals refuse to drink
water from the Witches' Pond.
42

THE CURSED VILLAGE POENI
The small Village Poeni in the Poiana Rusca Mountains has been as-
sociated with an eerie curse for more than one hundred years:
Wolves come to the village to haunt and attack people. The elders
of the village are convinced that it is undead in wolf form, which
drive their mischief in the village. People who have escaped the at-
tacks are telling horrible stories about a large black animal with ruf-
ﬂed fur, which seems to be ﬂoating above the ground.
43

BUCEGI
Loosely translated Bucegi means the "Beech Mountains". The mas-
sif is part of the Southern Carpathians, and is located near Brasov.
There is also the mighty Sphinx. Residents tell stories of strange
lights over the peaks and rainbows that last for weeks.
It is here where you can also ﬁnd the Valley of Treasures and the
source from which gushes the clearest water in the world, contain-
ing no bacteria whatsoever.
The mountains are separated by hundreds of kilometers of caves, of
which only around 20 km are explored.
44

HOIA BACIU FOREST
The forest near the city of Cluj-Napoca, which spans about 620
acres, is also called the "Bermuda Triangle of Romania". Visitors get
a very eerie feeling in the world's most ghostly forest. The reason
may be that the forest is said to be haunted by the troubled souls of
murdered farmers.
UFOs, lights in the sky, poltergeists, and interferences with elec-
tronic equipment are the phenomena that occur at this mysterious
place. When Nicolas Cage made a ﬁlm in Sibiu in 2012, he wanted
to visit the forest.
45

SKY AT BOZIORU
The sky above Boziouru could be described as bluer than blue.
About 30 km from Buzau and 170 km north of Bucharest you will be
able to see this indescribable color of the sky.
The so-called color temperature is measured in Kelvin. Normal day-
light is equivalent to 5,000 Kelvin; in Bozioru the color temperature
measures 16,000 Kelvin. The higher the color temperature, the
more blue is the image. Accordingly, the sky is "super blue" here.
This intense colour of the sky has led to many mystical tales about
this are. You should see it for yourself.
46

Many believe that bloodsuckers and vampires are just a prod-
uct of the imagination of writers. Below you will ﬁnd a number
of documents that conﬁrm that even public organizations have
been dealing with this topic.
DOCUMENTS
4Bloodsuckers and vampires

VIENNESE DIARIUM
The Imperial Provisor at the Gradisker District in Hungary wrote this
gruesome report. A copy of the letter was published in the Viennese
Diarium of 21 July 1725.
Here, the bloodsuckers are referred to as "Vampyri".
The "Wiener Zeitung", as the Viennese Diarium was called at its
founding, ﬁrst appeared on August 8, 1703. This makes it one of the
oldest daily newspapers in the world still in production.
48
1725
VISUM & REPERTUM
JOHANN ADAM SCHMIDT
DE.WIKISOURCE.ORG

CURIEUSE RELATION
The year 1732 was the publication year of many titles about these
alleged bloodsuckers. This is one entitled (original title): “Curieuse
und sehr wunderbare Relation, von denen sich neuer Dingen in Ser-
vien erzeigenden Blut-Saugern oder Vampyrs”.
49
CURIEUSE RELATION
W.S.G.E.
WIKISOURCE.ORG
1732

MENSCHENSAUGER
The title of this work (including subtitles) is: "Acten-mäßige und Um-
ständliche RELATION von denen VAMPIRen oder Menschen-
Saugern, Welche sich in diesem und vorigen Jahren, im Königreich
Servien herfürgethan. Nebst einen Raisonnement darüber und ei-
nen Hand-Schreiben eines Ofﬁciers, des Printz-Alexandrischen
Regiments, aus Medvedia in Servien. An einen berühmten Doc-
torem der Vniversität LEIPZIG."
50
MENSCHENSAUGER
E.W.S.G.
WIKISOURCE.ORG
1732

VISUM & REPERTUM
On January 26, 1732 the Austrian General Physician Johann Flückin-
ger wrote a report about a vampire in Serbia. The name of the ﬁrst
ofﬁcially mentioned Vampire was Arnont Paole.
It is quite possible that both the word Vampire as well as their spe-
cial liking to suck blood was used by some authors of later novels.
51
VISUM & REPERTUM
JOHANN ADAM SCHMIDT
BOOKS.GOOGLE.AT
1732

VERNÜNFTIGE GEDANKEN
In 1733, Johann Christoph Meissner wrote a memoir entitled “Ver-
nünftige und Christliche Gedanken über die Vampirs Oder Bluhtssau-
gende Todten”.
During this time, the belief in vampires became more and more pro-
minent and also the so-called vampire disease was diagnosed more
often.
52
VAMPIR GEDANKEN
J.C. HARENBERG
COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
1733

TRACTAT
In 1734, M. Michael Ranfts published the "Treatise of the chewing
and smacking of the dead in graves." The title alone is already
creepy. Again, the terms "vampire" and "bloodsuckers" were used.
A "TRACTAT" (treaty) is a short written essay.
53
1734
TRACTAT
MICHAEL RANFTS
DE.WIKISOURCE.ORG

COMPENDIUM MONSTRUM
The theme of vampires, werewolves and zombies is discussed in
depth in this publication. It includes some foldout maps and a sepa-
rate section dealing with Transylvania.
Publisher of the book is Peter Rauper Press. It is published in Eng-
lish. The authors are Dr. Max Sturm and Baron Ludwig Von Drang.
54
VAMPIRES
WEREWOLVES - ZOMBIES
WWW.PETERPAUPER.COM
2010

There are many stories about Vlad Tepes. Most discuss his
bloodthirsty excesses. I have deliberately omitted stories and
rumours in this e-book and strived to report the facts.
PAINTINGS
5Tracks of Vlad Tepes

If you want to judge for yourself as to what
Vlad Tepes III actually looked like, you will
find most paintings of the prince in Austria.
A life-sized painting of the prince can be
found in the ancestral gallery of Castle For-
chenstein in the Austrian province Burgen-
land. Further portraits are displayed in Vienna
and Innsbruck. There is a painting in Slove-
nia, which depicts the ruler as Pontius Pilate.
Furthermore, there are some drawings and
not precisely definable paintings, which were
produced around the time of the invention of
the printing press. I have confined myself to
the most common representations, without
knowingly excluding anyone.
Above: Belvedere, Vienna
Bottom left: Castle Forchtenstein
Bottom right: Palace Ambras, Innsbruck
56

Palace Ambras, Innsbruck
Second half of the 16th century
German master
Oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm.
It is one of the ﬁrst objects collected in the
cabinet of art and curiosities of Archduke
Ferdinand II. The painting is the work of a Ger-
man master and was created about 100
years after the death of the prince. The prob-
ability that it is an authentic representation is
supported by a description of Nicholas
Modrussa, the ambassador of the Pope at
the Hungarian court:
"He was not very tall, but stocky and muscu-
lar. His appearance seemed cold and had
something frightening. He had an aquiline
nose, distended nostrils, a reddish, thin face,
with very long lashes shadowing his large,
wide-open, green eyes; black bushy eye-
brows gave them a threatening expression.
He wore a mustache. Squarrose temples let
his head look even bulkier. A bull neck joined
his head, covered with black curly hair, with
his broad-shouldered body. "
57

Castle Forchtenstein, Forchtenstein
Approximately 1622
unknown master
Oil on canvas, 218 x 130 cm.
The lord of Castle Forchtenstein, Palatine Nik-
olaus Esterházy, set up a family gallery around
the 17th century. Even distant relatives, such
as Vlad Tepes III, were included.
The inscription on the top left reads: "Dracula
Waida Princeps et Waivoda Walachiae Trans
Alpinae hostis Turcarum infensissimus 1466"
(Dracula Prince of Walachia, most bitter en-
emy of the Turks in 1466)
Taking a closer look at the painting, one can
see that the irises and pupils of both eyes
were scratched out. There are no notes avail-
able as to who may have performed this cor-
ruption, but it is quite possible that the super-
stitious staff of the castle wanted to get rid of
the evil eye of the prince.
In Castle Forchtenstein there are also regular
tours about Dracula.
58

Church of Mary am Gestade, Vienna
Approximately 1460
Altar wing image - Crucifixion of Christ
Master of Mary am Gestade
Oil on wood, 202 x 161 cm.
The figure of Vlad Tepes measures about 110 cm.
The painting shows clear influences of the great
Dutch painters and was probably painted by an
Austrian master.
The time of creation of this altarpiece dates back
to the years 1460-1462. At this time the first incu-
nabula of the "wild Raver Dracole-Weyde" were
produced.
59

Austrian Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
Approximately 1470-1480
Altar wing image - Martyrdom of St. Andrew
unknown Styrian painter
Oil on spruce wood, 81.5 x 71.5 cm.
The oriental-style shape on the left behind the
executioner obviously represents Prince Vald
Tepes; the picture is originally from the Dio-
cese Lilienfeld in Lower Austria. In 1953 it
was handed over to the Austrian Gallery in Vi-
enna.
The image is no longer part of the permanent
exhibition of the Austrian Gallery Belvedere.
60

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Approximately 1575-1595
unknown artist
Oil on paper on wood laminated 13.5 x 10.5 cm.
The painting, which was made on behalf of
Archduke Ferdinand II for his portrait collec-
tion, shows at the top right: AVEIDA DVX
WALA (Voivode and Prince of Wallachia).
The portrait was copied from a painting lo-
cated at Ambras Castle. It is part of a compre-
hensive collection of about 1000 images of
famous people.
The image is on display on the panel 3 "Bal-
kan and Orient" in the coin cabinet of the Mu-
seum of Art History in Vienna.
61

Slovenian National Gallery, Ljubljana
Approximately 1463
unknown artist
Tempera on wood 83.5 x 51.5 cm.
The painting is part of the altar painting and is
part of the collection of paintings from the
15th century.
62

The topic Dracula is more alive than ever. Two current projects
are supposed to show that the legendary ruler is still going
strong. One project is a comic book and the second project is
a movie.
HE IS STILL ALIVE
6

DRACULA: SON OF THE DRAGON
The artist Mark Sable and Salgood Sam tell the story of Vlad Tepes
in the form of an exciting comic. Historical data are mixed with leg-
ends, rumors and fairy tales.
The work of both artists and authors describes the ruler in an excit-
ing story. If you want to learn more about the project, you should
visit the website of the artist at: www.salgoodsam.com
64

Today, the castle in which the ruler resided is
nothing more than a ruin. In the comic, the for-
tress is drawn the way it may very well have
looked like ages ago.
The dark time of the reign of Vlad Tepes is be-
ing depicted masterfully in this comic book.
The publication is in English.
65

DRACULA UNTOLD
The protagonist of this movie, which was created with an immense technical
effort, is played by Luke Evans. In contrast to conventional Dracula ﬁlms, the
ruler of Transylvania is actually the hero of the movie. Release date was Octo-
ber 2, 2014. Ofﬁcial website: po.st/DraculaWebsite
66

Up to this point, this e-book was about vampires, bloodsu-
ckers, princes and rulers, ﬁction, superstition, and reality. At
the end you will ﬁnd some useful details which will come han-
dy on your trip to Transylvania on the trails of Dracula.
INFORMATION
7Information

TOURISM OFFICES
The list of Romanian tourism ofﬁces worldwide. If you are planning a
trip to Romania, please contact these ofﬁces.
You will receive valuable tips for your trip and maybe also learn
some secret tips.
69

AUSTRIA
Romanian Tourist Office
Opera Ring 1, R Staircase,
Floor 4, Door 404
1010 Vienna
Tel: +43 (1) 317-31-57
Fax: +43 (1) 317-31-574
E-mail: Rumaenien@aon.at
www.rumaenien-info.at
FRANCE
Office de Tourisme de Roumanie
7, Rue Gaillon
75002 Paris
Tel: +33 (1) 40-20-99-33
Fax: +33 (1) 40-20 99-43
E-mail: info@GuideRoumanie.com
www.GuideRoumanie.com
GERMANY
Reinhardtstraße 47
10117 Berlin
Tel: +49 (30) 400-55-904
Fax: +49 (30) 400-55-906
E-mail: info@rumaenien-tourismus.de
www.rumaenien-tourismus.de
GREAT BRITAIN
12 Harley Street
London
W1G 9PG
Tel: +44 (207) 224-36-92
E-mail: romaniatravel@btconnect.com
www.RomaniaTourism.com
ITALY
Turismo della Romania
Via Torino 95, Galleria Esedra
00184 Rome
Tel: +39 (6) 488-02-67
Fax: +39 (6) 4898-62-81
E-mail: office@romania.it
www.Romania.it
POLAND
Ośrodek informacji Turystycznej Rumunii
Krakowskie Przedmieście 47/51
00-071 Warszawa
Tel / fax: +48 (22) 826-40-10
E-mail: info.rumunia@wp.pl
RUSSIA
Masfilmovskaya Street 35,
Office 313
119330, Moscow
Tel: +7 (499) 143-87-65
Fax: +7 (499) 143-86-72
E-mail: info@romaniatravel.ru
www.RomaniaTravel.ru
SPAIN
Calle Alcántara 49-51
28006 Madrid
Tel: +34 (91) 401-42-68
Fax: +34 (91) 402-71-83
E-mail: oficina@RumaniaTour.com
marina@rumaniatour.com
www.RumaniaTour.com
USA
355 Lexington Avenue, 8th Floor
New York
NY 10017
Tel / Fax: +1 (212) 545-8484
E-mail: Info@RomaniaTourism.com
www.RomaniaTourism.com
 
70

THE END
This book was produced with the kind help of the Romanian Tour-
ism Ofﬁce in Vienna.
71

Writing a book about Dracula is a daunting chal-
lenge. One of the reasons for this is definitely
that there are many diverse characters united in
the figure Dracula.
One of the people who are known by the name
"Dracula" is the historically documented figure of
the Prince of Wallachia. He ruled his country
with an iron fist. During these times, a change of
power was almost always carried out by mur-
der. One may assume that the way he led his
country was according to the rules of the time. It
was a time of great unrest and power struggles
between Christians and Ottomans. According to
the respective winners of the battles, Vlad Tepes
was either hero or enemy.
However, the name Dracula in the sense of a
bloodthirsty vampire is attributed to the fictional
character of Bram Stoker. The Irish writer, who
never visited Transylvania, created Count
Dracula, who lived in a fictitious castle near the
Borgo Pass and subsequently went to England
to feed on the blood of young and pretty ladies.
The third area is the superstition that surrounds
vampires and prevails throughout Eastern
Europe. Even Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
tried to end the superstition.
To this day, many people believe in vampires
and stick to the traditional narratives. This some-
times goes as far as one case in February 2004,
where a wooden stake was rammed into the
chest of an "undead", lying in his grave. After-
wards his heart was cut out. In the seclusion of
Transylvania you may even find yourself believ-
ing in the existence of supernatural beings.
Dracula is everywhere and nowhere at the same
time. It is the combination of mysticism, good
and evil, and the temptation to believe these
tales of days long passed, that make people
hold on to the belief. Walking in the footsteps of
Dracula in Transylvania is highly recommended.
And if you do like eating garlic, it won't hurt.
72
Rudolf J. Strutz
Author & Photographer

73
Many organisations and institutions helped me to collect the
data for this e-book. Here is the list of sources for the historical
pictures and documents that were used in this e-book.
ROSENBACH MUSEUM & LIBRARY, PHILADEPHIA
DR. ELIZABETH MILLER
PETER PAUPER PRESS, NEW YORK
ESTERHÁZY PRIVATSTIFTUNG, EISENSTADT
BURG FORCHTENSTEIN, FORCHTENSTEIN
SCHLOSS AMBRAS, INNSBRUCK
SLOWENISCHE NATIONALGALERIE, LAIBACH
KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM, WIEN
UNIVERSAL DRACULA UNTOLD
DRACULA SOHN DES DRACHEN

© Auvi - Rudolf J. Strutz - 2015
The book was licensed under the Creative Com-
mons License CC 3.0: attribution - non-commercial
- non-derivative - share alike.
All logos and company names have been used ex-
clusively for information purposes. A usage besides
this e-book has to be discussed with the owners.
This e-book is available free of charge.
COPYRIGHT
74

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