Folks who saw the TV show “The Frankenstein Chronicles” might remember Dippel as the creepy automata enthusiast. I first came across his name in alchemy research, associated with what was joking called an “energy drink.”
Johann Conrad Dippel was a real person, a German alchemist who lived from 1673 – 1734. But his life, as with so many alchemists and pseudo-alchemists, is shrouded in mystery. In historical essays and articles, two things are usually reported about him:
First, that he tried to buy Castle Frankenstein from one Landgrave Hesse in exchange for a vial of “elixir of life,” and
Second, that one of his attempts at creating an elixir of life resulted in “Dippel Oil,” which was made of blood and bones. Apparently, it served as a “stimulant.”
Blech.
Many people have speculated that because of his connections with Castle Frankenstein, alchemy, and probably grave-robbing, Dippel was Mary Shelley’s inspiration for Frankenstein. (And of course, I don’t have to remind you that “Frankenstein” was the name of the scientist, not the monster, right? 🙂 ) Now, just as many scholars will argue that there’s no enough evidence that Shelley knew Dippel’s story — although one podcast made a great point that she probably heard rumors about it while travelling through the area. To me, it’d be even scarier if Dippel wasn’t Shelley’s inspiration. That’d be a very spooky, morbid example of life imitating (and predating) art!
Selected Sources
Dow, Travis. “The Inspiration Behind Frankenstein: Johann Conrad Dippel.” The History of Alchemy Podcast. Find it here.
“Johann Conrad Dippel.” U Penn departmental resources on alchemy. Find it here.
“Johann Conrad Dippel.” Frankenstein Wiki. Find it here. [Good source for references in social media!]
