M. Krempe

M. Krempe, a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Ingolstadt, serves as one of Victor Frankenstein's first academic contacts after his arrival at the university. Though his uncouth appearance and contemptuous dismissal of Victor's early intellectual pursuits initially alienate the young scientist, Krempe's role in the narrative is more complex than that of a mere antagonist: he represents the established, practical scientific tradition that Victor must both confront and ultimately surpass on his path to discovery.

Identity and Introduction

M. Krempe is introduced as "a little squat man with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance" whose physical appearance immediately prejudices Victor against his field of study. When Victor first meets him, Krempe questions him about his progress in natural philosophy, and Victor carelessly mentions the names of the alchemists Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus as his principal authors. The professor reacts with astonishment and warmth, declaring that every minute Victor has spent on those books is "utterly and entirely lost" and that he has "burdened [his] memory with exploded systems and useless names." He expresses disbelief that in "this enlightened and scientific age" he should find a disciple of such outdated thinkers, and he instructs Victor to begin his studies entirely anew, providing him with a list of books on natural philosophy to procure. Krempe also informs Victor that he will commence a course of lectures on natural philosophy and that his colleague M. Waldman will lecture on chemistry on alternate days.

Relationship with Victor Frankenstein

Despite Krempe's harsh introduction, Victor's relationship with him evolves over time. Victor initially returns home "not disappointed" but also not inclined to pursue the studies Krempe recommends, finding the professor's appearance and manner unappealing. However, as Victor immerses himself in his work at Ingolstadt, he discovers that Krempe possesses "a great deal of sound sense and real information, combined, it is true, with a repulsive physiognomy and manners, but not on that account the less valuable." Victor's rapid progress in his studies becomes "the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters," and Krempe often asks him "with a sly smile, how Cornelius Agrippa went on," a taunt that underscores the professor's continued skepticism about Victor's intellectual origins. Later, after Victor's nervous fever and recovery, Krempe's harsh blunt encomiums cause Victor even more pain than the benevolent approbation of M. Waldman, as Krempe loudly declares to Henry Clerval that Victor "has outstript us all" and that "a youngster who, but a few years ago, believed in Cornelius Agrippa as firmly as in the gospel, has now set himself at the head of the university." Victor suffers visibly under these remarks, and Krempe, observing his expression, attributes it to modesty, then launches into an eulogy on himself that happily turns the conversation away from the subject so painful to Victor.

Narrative Role and Significance

M. Krempe functions in the novel as a representative of conventional, institutional science—a figure whose practical knowledge and no-nonsense approach stand in stark contrast to the visionary, boundary-defying ambition that drives Victor. His gruff exterior and dismissive attitude toward alchemy serve as a necessary corrective to Victor's youthful enthusiasm for exploded systems, yet his inability to inspire or elevate Victor's imagination means that the more inspiring M. Waldman ultimately becomes the true catalyst for Victor's fateful pursuit of creation. Krempe's persistent references to Agrippa, even after Victor has achieved great proficiency, also serve as a recurring reminder of the intellectual path Victor has taken and the foundations upon which his later work is built. In the broader structure of the novel, Krempe embodies the tension between established knowledge and the dangerous pursuit of forbidden discovery, a tension that lies at the heart of Victor's tragic trajectory.