The Bran Castle in Central Romania, the fortress the legend says belonged to Dracula but where the real, Middle Age Wallachian leader thought to be Dracula was once imprisoned was returned to its old owners, the Habsburg family, on Friday. The retrocession process gives the castle to Dominic von Habsburg, a US architect and son of Princess Ileana of Romania.

He was forced to leave the country after Communists came to power and brought down the Romanian monarchy in 1948. But he returned to claim the castle back – and concluded his efforts today with a deal signed by Culture minister Mircea Iorgulescu, that allows the 14th-century fortress remain a museum for at least three years.

Once the deadline expires, Romanian authorities will negotiate either to buy the castle back from the Habsburg family, either another way to keep the building open to the public.

The castle had been confiscated by the Communist regime in 1948. It’s retrocession is seen as proof of the political stability in Romania and of the will of Bucharest authorities to respect the rule of law.

The Bran castle belonged to the Habsburgs starting 1920, when the Brasov city donated it to Queen Mary of Romania in gratitude for her courage in the first World War which led to the unification of Transylvania and Romania.