Lindau Castle

Approaching Lindau, the Mushaus can be seen from afar. This is probably why it has been featured on the coat of arms of the village of Lindau since 1951.

Regarding the former use of the house, the following is now presumed: The name "Mushaus" (also spelled "Mußhaus") comes from the activities that farmers had to perform for their lords, namely delivering tributes (from Middle High German "mute," for toll, customs, tollbooth). However, an old chronicle refers to the Lindau building with the Latin word "palacium" (palace, ruler's house).

After 1322, Bishop Otto II of Hildesheim acquired the Lindau Castle, which already existed before this building. Construction likely began during this period, but an exact date cannot be determined. The fact that the Mushaus survived many centuries, unlike the castle, is due to its several-meter-thick walls – some five meters – which are almost indestructible.

In the 1870s, the Lindau factory owner August Grewe bought the building and used it for his workers. In 1978, the windows of the Mushaus were closed with wooden shutters and the roof was renovated. Today, the Mushaus stands empty and has no use that matches its age and historical significance. It is considered one of the oldest, fully preserved secular buildings in Lower Saxony.

It is assumed that several other buildings were located in the immediate vicinity of the Mushaus, which together formed Lindau Castle. Old documents confirm these assumptions. However, these other structures are likely to have fallen victim to the Thirty Years' War, which almost completely destroyed the Eichsfeld town.

It is also to be assumed that Lindau Castle, including the Mushaus, had a predecessor southeast of the Rhume bridge. Faint traces can still be seen in the terrain there today, but these have never been investigated.