Mouse tower: the bloody legend of the Rhine (8 photos)

This is a legendary place where nature once upon a time took justice with the hands, or rather teeth, of its creations.





A small tower on the Rhine below Bingen is not just picturesque ruins, but a place where one of the most terrible (and partly fair) legends of the Middle Ages took place. Locals still whisper its name with superstitious fear - "Mouse Tower".

The Cruel Archbishop and His "Mouse" End



The Mouse Tower on the Rhine

The Archbishop of Mainz, Gatto II, was the embodiment of greed: he imposed enormous taxes on the people, and on the narrow river channel between Bingen and Rüdesheim he built a trap tower - every ship passing along the Rhine had to pay him tribute.

But the real horror began when famine came to the land. Drought scorched the fields, hail finished off the remains of the harvest. And the entire stock of grain was already lying in Gatto's barns. And he sold it at inhuman prices.

"Listen to the mice squealing!"





Illustration from the "Nuremberg Chronicle" by Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514)

When a crowd of exhausted peasants crawled to his palace, begging for bread, the archbishop threw a feast before their eyes. And then... he smiled falsely:

"Want some food? Go to the barn and take as much as you can carry!"

People rushed there, but as soon as the last one entered, the doors slammed shut and the building burst into flames.

"Do you hear that?" Gatto laughed, listening to the screams of those burning alive. "That's how mice squeak in barns!"

But before he could finish his sentence, a horde of rodents poured out of the burning building. They filled the palace, crawled out of every crack, gnawed at the furniture and paintings. The servants beat them with shovels, but the mice only grew in number.

Escape and Retribution



Mouse Tower

In horror, Gatto jumped into a boat and rushed to his island tower. But the mice swam after him! They gnawed at the walls, broke through the floor, until they reached the archbishop himself.

“Take my soul, but spare me from torment!” he begged.

And the devil appeared — freed Gatto’s body from the mice… but took his soul to hell.

And what does history say?



Mouse Tower in Bingen, circa 1900

Alas, the story is too good to be true. The real Gatto II, according to the chronicles, was not a monster at all, but rather a tough ruler: he strengthened the power of Mainz, introduced the Rhine duties and made enemies.

But popular rumor made him a villain, because it is so nice to believe that greed will sooner or later be devoured by mice.



The Mouse Tower in Bingen during reconstruction in 2015

The Mouse Tower itself (German: Mäuseturm) was originally called the Customs Tower (Mautturm), but popular rumor changed the name to something more sinister. In the Middle Ages, such towers stood along the Rhine, and their caretakers robbed merchants under the guise of duties - perhaps this is how the hatred for them arose.



The Mouse Tower in Bingen, view from the Rhine (2017)

The current tower was built in the 13th century, and in the 19th century it was given a Gothic look. Today it is on the UNESCO list, but visitors are only allowed inside with special permission.

Why rodents?



Folklorist Sabine Baring-Gould noted: in German legends, mice are a symbol of the souls of the dead. And in Europe, several towers have similar stories. Apparently, people liked the idea that greed does not lead to good. And they believed in retribution and justice, even if they were only carried out in legends.

But if you happen to visit Bingen, you should not feed the local rodents. Just in case.