03 February 2007

The Life of Vlad Dracula

As M. Cazacu mentions in his book, Vlad Dracula was born between 1430 and 1436, most probably in Sighişoara (Schassburg, as the town was called in the XV-th century). The house that has now a plate saying this was where Dracula born was used at that time as mint. And is known that Vlad Dracul, his parent, was in charge with the mint, between 1431 – 1436. Therefore, we can accept that he lived in that house and consequently, that Vlad Tepes was born there. In 1442, Jean de Wavrin (uncle of the Burgundian knight Waleran de Wavrin that led an expedition against the Turks, on lower Danube) mention the only son of Vlad Dracul (Vlad being imprisoned by the Turks) as being about 13 - 14 years old. So Mircea, the first son of Vlad Dracul was born around 1428-1429, therefore Vlad couldn't have been born before 1429-1430.
Meantime, when Vlad Dracul took the throne of Wallachia, in 1437 he mentions his two sons; therefore we can suppose Vlad’s birth to be between 1430 and 1436. So, in his house next to the clock tower in Sighişoara.

Adolescence of Vlad III (Ţepeş) was not the most peaceful possible...

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Very interesting. I love this type of content.

Lord Vader said...

It is very interesting, which raises another question.
Does Dracula/Dracul have decendants that live even to this day.

If you don't know maybe you could find out because, that would be a great addition to this Topic.

Radu said...

Hi Lord Vader,

thanks for commenting on this site and sorry, but I haven't seen your comment. Now I was cleaning up the comments and I noticed this one that was never approved. AFAIK, the granddaughter of Catherine Caradja, Princess Brianna Caradja, a very respectful and charming lady, claims to be descending of Vlad III.

I say "claims" not because I contest this or because I don't think she is, but just because I don't know how she managed to track back until XV-th century.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Vlad the Impaler Dracula has descendants in the XXI century! Brianna Caradja is his descendant according to the roots of her mother's family! The two sons of Stefan Brandes Latea are also the living descendants of Vlad the Impaler Dracula!

We have to know that 120 years later after Vlad's death, his grandsons founded in Southern Transylvania, the Draculesti of Sintesti family. However, after 1600, the family has been re-baptized Kretzulescu, becoming in the next centuries very representative for the Romanian society.http://www.sparkling-markets.com/VladDracula.html

Erzsebet said...

I find it difficult to believe Catherine is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler. No literature I've ever referenced states he or his brother Radu had any children. Where is the reference you are getting the information from? As Radu's comment states above, I am also puzzled as to how Catherine Caradja was able to track back to the XV-th century.
Just pointing this out!