The Frankensteins lived up to their warrior past, and the first recorded user of the name was Arbogast von Frankenstein, a knight with a bloodthirsty reputation. Arbogast is credited with building the Burg Frankenstein in the 1300s, although records show a stronghold on the site from the year 948. The site was perched on the high ground by the banks of the Rhine, close to what is now Nieder-Beerbach. The rocky outcrop on which it stands provided the Frankensteins with a view along the Rhine Valley, and would have made for easy defense of the area.

Enjoying the turbulence of the times, the Frankensteins produced great warriors including one who fought the infamous Vlad the Impaler in the 1430s - the first recorded case of Frankenstein versus Dracula if you like. However, the most famous actual Frankenstein was Sir Georg von Frankenstein.

Georg was incredibly brave and was immortalised in legend. The carving on his crypt shows him at his finest - slaying a dragon. Unfortunately, the dragon held a sting in its tail, and the poison it deposited under Sir Georg's armour caused his demise. Georg's last valiant act was to save the beautiful Rose of the Valley