Transylvania and Romania and Writers

Transylvania makes up a huge part of Romania, and many people have some sort of connection with Transylvania -- perhaps they have a ancestor who came form Transylvania, or that they know the area because a teacher mentioned it in school.  (For example, a teacher might be discussing Queen Victoria and then go on to say that Queen Marie of Romania was her granddaughter)  Romania might also be mentioned in 20th Century history as one of the countries that was part of the communist bloc.

Peles Castle: One of the many Queen Marie would use

Whatever the case might be, this connection might have an effect on a person who wants to write.  It could be a historian, or someone who wants to write fiction. It has been done before, but it seems that more recently there is a desire for people to write (and read) about the background of the places they come from. 

Transylvania and Romania are such places, and if you go Amazon web sites, you will find many thousands of books about Transylvania and also about Romania.  If you are a history buff, then you might find yourself writing about Romania, or even Transylvania and the people who influenced the land.

Writers who write and publish about Transylvania or about Romania have a lot to say, but that is a heavy burden since there are so many things that they can talk about.  There is the land (with many books with many maps showing the changes in the area) and the political history, but there is also the people and the cultural history of the area; not to mention wading through myths that a historian has to debunk or attempt to prove.

This is a good opportunity for a new generation of writers to show the best of Transylvania and Romania to the world.



Writers are wonderful and they have a great ability to show Tranysylvnai and Romania in a postive light.

Who Had More Influence in the 20th Century? King Michael or Stalin?

Many people rightly argue that the Russian leader Stalin had great influence in a very negative way on the 20th century, and much of that influence can still be felt even 12 years after the end of the 20th Century.

King Michael of Romania is still very much alive and does not have what one might call influence.  However, after many years in exile, he lives in Romania, where he once ruled. 

In many ways both men, in Romania at least, had a lot of influence, and most people who grew up between the years of 1930-1950 still recall both men's power and influence on the Romania of today. This also includes the area of Transylvania.  However note that while influence does die out, these two men have not lost their influence yet.

Dracula?? Really-- 3 Novel Covers of Dracula.

These are three of the many covers of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Notice, however, that the first edition is simple. The rest are often of "Dracula" or Bran castle, also known as Dracula's castle.

Transylvania's Dracula

Most people who know about Transylvania know about Dracula.  Most people from North America only really know about Transylvania from what is in the novel Dracula, written by a man named Bram Stoker, or they know about the fictional character because of the many movies based on this novel.  Not many people seem to know about the real Transylvania.

Transylvania's Dracula was a prince and not a count. He was one of the many princes who ruled the small principality of Wallachia.

If you have heard of Transylvania or have a history there, then perhaps you know a bit more about Transylvania's Dracula, however, this also means that you know that he did do much of what documents say he did.

In the end, this man, Vlad Tepes, was killed and was beheaded in one of the many battles between Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire.

Transylvania and Me

My family is from Transylvania, and this is what sparked my interest in Transylvania.  There are many things and places that are interesting and important to me and to my family.

This is also why I have published a book about the Saxons and Transylvania.  They are the people that make up most of my heritage; although there is some Italian and possibly Romanian and Hungarian in my history as well.