Thieves, wild women and Frankenstein: Horror in Siegen-Wittgenstein

Back to the spooky Middle Ages with a night watchman

Anyone who wants to experience a little horror during the darker months of the year is in the right place in Siegen-Wittgenstein. Spooky tales, horror locations and guided tours of the night landscape are sure to give you goose bumps.

A guided tour with a night watchman is a good start to a horror stay in the region. A night watchman draped in a cloak, equipped with a halberd, horn and lantern, accompanies you along the winding streets of the old town. In the Middle Ages, the watchmen were responsible for law and order and warned sleeping citizens of fire or thieves. This old tradition has been revived in Freudenberg, Hilchenbach and Siegen, guiding visitors back into the past, to an unsafe, rougher world full of myths and legends.

- Thieves and the Grim Reaper -

Not far from Bad Laasphe in the heart of the forest, you will find the Teufelskanzel (Devil’s Pulpit). This impressive rock face is a spooky monument to mystical stories. According to legend, this was the site of a cult before the time of Christianity. Things turn really gruesome here at twilight when you gather around the rock face and a member of the group tells the story of the Grim Reaper. Because this is where a notorious band of thieves were put to death. The Teufelskanzel is reached via the Myths and Legends Trail, where you can also enjoy listening to the story of the Wild Huntsman in the Botzebachtal valley and unfortunate Countess Charlotte along the way.

- Unnatural, wild women -

There is another natural monument at the south tip of the Siegen-Wittgenstein region. Jagged, high rock formations and cave-like erosion define the rock face, where according to legend the wild women lived.

- On the trail of Frankenstein -

When it comes to horror, Frankenstein and his monster also have to be mentioned. So many Halloween costumes are based on Mary Shelley’s story. But what do Mary Shelley and Frankenstein have to do with Siegen-Wittgenstein?

Quite a lot, because Johann Konrad Dippel was the inspiration for the novel. And this man, born at Frankenstein Castle in Odenwald, died at Wittgenstein Castle and was buried at the Protestant town church in Laasphe. Dippel studied theology, medicine, alchemy and mysticism, and was interested in the human soul. When Mary Shelley travelled the Rhine in 1814, she is said to have made a detour to Frankenstein Castle. There, she was inspired by Dippel’s story and wrote the now famous novel a year later. In Bad Laasphe, it is said that Dippel still walks around the old town when there is a full moon, trying to create his next monster.