Frankenstein Castle

Frankenstein Castle is a hilltop castle in the Odenwald overlooking the city of Darmstadt in Germany. It is thought that this castle may have been an inspiration for Mary Shelley when she wrote her 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein. Frankenstein is a German name consisting of two words: The Franks are a Germanic tribe and ‘stein’ is the German word for ‘stone’

About Frankenstein Castle in brief

Summary Frankenstein CastleFrankenstein Castle is a hilltop castle in the Odenwald overlooking the city of Darmstadt in Germany. It is thought that this castle may have been an inspiration for Mary Shelley when she wrote her 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Frankenstein is a German name consisting of two words: The Franks are a Germanic tribe and ‘stein’ is the German word for ‘stone’ The castle was built in 1250 by Lord Conrad II Reiz of Breuberg, founder of the free imperial Barony of Frankenstein. It was used as refuge and a hospital afterward, falling into ruins in the 18th century. The two towers that are so distinctive today are a historically inaccurate restoration carried out in the mid-19th Century. On Halloween night in 1952, John Keel sent three American Forces Network reporters to Frankenstein Castle to explore the castle for a live radio broadcast. The reporters were told that a local legend claimed Frankenstein’s monster would return to the castle that night. Several nonfiction books on the life of Mary Shelley claim an animal called Dippel as a possible influence to her novel.

The animal, which was supposed to be the equivalent to oil, is located about ten miles away from the castle in Gernsheim, which is located on the Rhine River. The castle is located at an elevation of 370 m close to the southern outskirts of D Armstadt, Germany, on the spurs of the Odenwald mountain range at a height of 49°47′35. 84″N 8°40′5. 58″E 49. 7932889°N 8. 6682167°E) 49. 7 932889; 8.6682157;  8.7932167 Frankenstein Castle is in southern Hesse, Germany,. It is one of many historic castles along the Hessian Bergstraße Route, also famous for its vineyards and its mild climate. Many folktales and myths exist about Frankenstein Castle, but none of them have been verified as fact, but all have been influenced by the culture and traditions of the region. In 1673, Johann Dippal was born in the castle, where he was later engaged as a professional alchemist in the town of Zwingenberg. He is believed to have influenced Shelley’s novel, though there is no mention of the castle from the time of Shelley’s journals in 1814.