In 1356, the archbishop of Treves received permission from the emperor to build a castle in order to protect his estate on the Rhine against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen further upstream. Completed in 1388, Peterseck Castle was built within sight of Rheinfels Castle, which belonged to the Katzenelnbogen family. Legend has it that the owners of Neukatzenelnbogen Castle, which was abbreviated to ‘Katz’ (cat), gave the smaller castle of the bishop the name ‘Maus’ (mouse). In the 14th and at the start of the 15th century, it was the residence of the Electors of Treves.
Maus Castle, also known under the names of Deuernburg or Thurnberg Castle, was very up-to-date in its time. Built on a hilltop, its core building is almost square and surrounded by an outer bailey projecting towards the eastern defensive side where it is combined with a moat. The inner core of the castle is divided into three parts: a great hall with two storeys, domestic offices that are only a ruin today, and an inner courtyard in the middle. Two polygonal angle towers frame the eastern curtain wall, with the round keep in its middle. A residential tower on the western side is partly from a later construction phase.
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