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Lindau Island - Click 'Details' for more information.
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an 0.68-square-kilometre (0.26 sq mi) island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.
The name Lindau was first mentioned by a monk from St. Gallen in a document of 882, stating that Adalbert, count of Raetia, had founded a nunnery on the island. However remains of an early Roman settlement dating back to the 1st century have been found in the district of Aeschach.
In 1180 the St. Stephan's church was founded. In 1224 the Franciscans founded a monastery on the island. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolph I. In 1430, about 15 of the town's Jews were burned at the stake after being accused of murdering a Christian child. In 1528, Lindau accepted the Protestant Reformation. The city first followed the Tetrapolitan Confession, and then the Augsburg Confession. After the Thirty Years' War, in 1655 the first Lindauer Kinderfest (children's festival) was held in memory of the war time.
After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Lindau lost its status as an Imperial Free City in 1802. The city went to Karl August von Bretzenheim who gave the city and monastery to the Kingdom of Austria in 1804. In 1805 Austria returned the city to Bavaria.
In 1853 a causeway was built to connect the railway from Munich to the island. In 1856 the city built a new harbour with its characteristic landmark, the lion sculpture, together with Bavaria's only lighthouse.
In 1922 the independent districts of Aeschach, Hoyren and Reutin merged with the town of city. After World War II Lindau fell under French administration. In 1955 Lindau again returned to Bavaria.
Lindau is located near the meeting point of the Austrian, German and Swiss borders. It nestles on the lake under Pfänder mountain. Lindau is popular with sightseers and holidaymakers for its medieval city centre and pleasant location on Lake Constance. Since 1951, the Nobel Laureate Meetings at Lindau attract many Nobel prize winners to Lindau every year. A congress of medical physics is also held yearly. The casino owned by the state of Bavaria is a further attraction.