The earliest record of Castle Frankenstein was in 948. It was built by the Noble family Frankenstein, which in German essentially means “free stone”. The name was attached to the castle and the family line. The structure remaining today was built around 1250 by Konrad Reiz von Breuberg, keeping the family name Frankenstein. The castle was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries. Then the castle was reinforced in the 16th century.

Today what remains are a few walls, an intact distinctive tower and a small chapel.

Is Castle Frankenstein haunted? It is notorious as it probably was the inspiration for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein which she wrote in 1818. It was quite likely visited by Mary Shelley and her family as they traveled through the region on their way to visit Lord Byron in Geneva. Even at that time the Castle Frankenstein was surrounded with many myths and legends.

Ghost Hunters International will investigate this property early in 2008.

You can find Castle Frankenstein on our Haunted Places Map.

Here are 3 recent public photos from Flickr.com