Dracula's castle is up for sale

Romania wants to buy back a medieval fortress in the Bran region, known as Dracula's castle. But the Habsburg family, which owns it, is demanding 60 million euros. The Romanian government points out that for years it maintained the fortress. In this story, Cristina Modreanu sees an example of the die-hard communist tradition of subsidy with no hope of profit: "How can we not laugh when the Minister of Culture, Adrian Iorgulescu, suddenly introduces a real estate expert who asserts that the Bran castle is not worth 60 million euro but only 15 million? Without presenting a serious study, without even listing the expenses that his ministry invested in restoration work... But all that is actually unimportant, because the owner will sell the castle to anyone he wishes, and for any sum he pleases. The impression this story leaves is not a joke - like, 'How the Romanian state lost Dracula's castle'. Instead, it is emblematic of the Romanian transition period."

» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » Architecture / Cities, » Cultural Policy, » Romania
All available articles from » Cristina Modreanu

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, January 10, 2007