"Count" Dracula is dead.

Der Spiegel s reporting the death of Ottomar Rodolphe Vlad Dracula Prince Krezulesco near Berlin at the age of 67. Adopted into the storied family as an adult to continue the line, he made his living as a baker in Schenkendorf where he served in local government.

OK, so how the heck was this guy either a count or a prince? Neither Germany nor Romania has a nobility. Further, why is the “Prince Krezulesco” appended after his name?

Also relevant in this particular case.

But he was adopted into a Romanian family, so certainly Romanian rules would apply.

…or is he?

There only one way to be sure.

On the contrary. As a German national, he would have been able to incorporate his foreign title into his name according to German practice. The obvious example of a German who does that is the current Prince of Hanover (best-known as the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco), who still also uses his UK title as a Prince of Great Britain and Ireland.

There is a question as to whether the Kretzulesco title was genuine and whether it had any connection with ‘Dracula’. But that’s a separate issue. Or rather that just underlines how, as German law does not recognise any aristocratic titles as aristocratic titles, the basis on which they are claimed is legally irrelevant.

Nuke him from orbit?

I met him once; all he had to say was

I vant to baaaaake your breeeeeead :smiley:

He tried to recruit you into the legions of the undoughed.

“An order of garlic bread and hot cross buns? God damn it! For the last time, stay out of my store, Van Helsing!”

If I recall my tabloid history aright, the one historic reference to the original Dracula feasting on blood mentioned that he dipped bread in it first. And now his heirs are bakers, which is interesting in a ‘no particular significance’ sort of way.

According to the obituary, the dude fathered a child at age 66, which is pretty impressive. So at least the Dracula name will continue. I hate to think of the teasing the li’l tyke will have to go through in grade school though, what with his classmates constantly driving him off with holy water and rose petals.

He can comiserate with the current Marquis De Sade.