Lindenau Castle

Around 1200, a motte-and-bailey castle was built on the Pulsnitz and Schwarze Elster rivers, serving as a border defense on the Upper Lusatian side of the Pulsnitz, while on the opposite Meissen side, the later Großkmehlen Castle emerged. This motte was later expanded into a Gothic structure, the remains of which are still visible on the south side. In 1584, Loth Gotthard von Minckwitz had the building converted into a two-story, block-like rectangular structure in the style of a simple Renaissance castle. A tower was added in 1609. Due to peasant unrest, the castle took on the appearance of a fortified stronghold, which was retained even after a renovation in 1660. A gatehouse was added in 1690 to make access more difficult. In 1709, the tower received a new roof, and another window replaced the tower clock. The castle garden was laid out in 1736 as a Baroque garden by the Lord of Gersdorff. In 1744, the Saxon minister Heinrich Graf von Brühl acquired the property. A third renovation in 1783 gave the tower a new spire and a lantern. In 1790, Victor Carl von Vieth became the owner, followed by Graf Rochus Ernst zu Lynar from 1833. The Baroque park was transformed into a large landscape park in the first half of the 18th century.