Ingolstadt city in Bavaria Germany plays a big role in the book Frankenstein because it is where Victor Frankenstein did his studies, in the late 18th century this was a important place because this was where music was being produced by world class figures like Bach and Beethoven. Germany was where Frankenstein is doing his study’s so it shows he was in a growing educating place during his important science studies and work. Victor’s time in Germany represents a time of intellectual growth but also marks the time and beginning of something big, tragic and new.

Cologne appears in Frankenstein very briefly during Victor and Clerval's travels down the Rhine. Victor says "Beyond Cologne we descended to the plains of Holland; and we resolved to post the remainder of our way; for the wind was contrary, and the stream of the river was too gentle to aid us" (Vol III Chapter I). Although this passage is very brief and I almost completely looked over it, after doing a bit of research I found some interesting facts about Cologne that could possibly explain why Shelley chose to mention it here.

Cologny is known as the birthplace of Frankenstein, where Lord Byron had actually rented a mansion named the Villa Diodati in 1816. Mary and Percy Shelley, and Claire Clairmont were staying nearby, and all told ghost stories which resulted in a challenge to write a Ghost Story. This timeframe was also known “The Year without a Summer”, so much time was spent indoors writing.

South America shows up in the story Frankenstein when the creation asks Victor to make him a companion. This pops up in chapter 17 when the creature locates Victor and they have this conversation. The creature promises that he will run away with a woman creation to South America. The British saw South America as a major economic opportunity in the 1800s, and after assisting the newly independent countries in separating from Spain and Portugal, they sought to establish open trade markets and make investments in these countries.