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40 Fang-tastic Facts about the History of Vampires

Tim Flight October 24, 2019 26 min

Wiertz Museum - The Premature Burial — The Premature Burial by Antoine Wiertz, 1854. Wikimedia Commons

18. Silesia provided a home for loads of vampires

C’mon, with places like Ksiaz Castle, there must have been a few vampires knocking about… CNN

Forget Transylvania, Silesia was the place to be for a vampire in the 18^th century. In fact, the region had long been home to vampires. The first recorded instance of a vampire in Silesia dates to 1599, and concerns the Shoemaker of Breslau. This cobbler committed suicide, then prowled Breslau tormenting the living and sucking the life from them. Eventually, locals decapitated the corpse, removed the heart and limbs, and burned it on fire. 18^th-century Silesia became notorious for vampires and grave desecrations. One Silesian vampire slaying was so gross the Habsburgs passed laws against all anti-vampire measures.

Written by

Tim Flight

I am a freelance historical and literary writer based in West Yorkshire, UK. I read for a funded PhD in English at the University of Oxford (Magdalen College) and graduated in 2016. I am a former lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London. My publications include peer-reviewed articles in academic publications, and pieces in mainstream magazines such as History Today and Fortean Times. For more information, please see www.drflight.co.uk