If you Google Mutzschen Germany, almost all of the hits are tied to Schloss Mutzschen. The town is on the map because of the Schloss. The history is interesting for sure, but perhaps even more interesting are the Ghost Stories. I had read about some of this on the internet and been told there were ghosts in the castle several times. Some people had even been bold enough to ask if the thought of ghosts scared me. Well, perhaps I should be scared, but if I allowed myself to be scared of this I would also need to allow myself to be scared of so many things, better not to open that door!
I had a chance to meet with the Woman who founded the Museum at the Schloss and of course, among many other things, discussing the story of the ghosts(s) was certainly of interest to me. Most accounts refer to the ghost being a woman who haunts the kitchen and slams doors. Well, the ghost being a woman certainly piqued my interest, and in a way served to calm any fear I might have had otherwise.
So, during the meeting with the Museum Curator, I casually bring up the question about the ghost. The woman seems a bit flustered, and slightly uncomfortable talking about it, but offers a story that seems to further engage my interest. She says the story is that a Husband and Wife were arguing at the top of the stairs, the Woman was threatening to leave the man over some transgression, the man throws the keys at her and she falls down the stairs attempting to catch them, and subsequently dies.
OK, my analytical mind kicks into gear… First of all, what keys are necessary in the days of horse and buggy? Certainly not car keys! Keys to the horse barn? Seems funny to me. If you were in the heat of an argument, would keys be your primary concern? Would you really leap to catch them on a big open staircase?
Logical conclusion – she was pushed! If so, it may be plausible, (assuming she was a vindictive person), that she may want to haunt the man who was responsible for her early demise. So, if this is true, then why does she haunt the kitchen? Perhaps he was fooling around with the cook? Many other possibilities provide some laughter both internally and externally over the next few days.
The weekend comes and I agree to take some local people who have not been in the Schloss for years on a little walk through. I find out that they live in a home where they have a direct view of the Schloss. While walking through, they tell me that there is a light that goes on in the same window every night. We find the room and see that the light is turned off. We confirm that the light does work, so it certainly is possible that it could be turned on and off.
My creative mind could spend days dreaming up stories around all of that, providing hours of cheap entertainment, but in the end, whether or not I believe in ghosts, it seemed the thing for me to do was to have a bit of a chat at the Schloss…
I stand in the entranceway, at the base of the grand staircase and state out loud first and foremost, that being a woman, I think we understand each other. I know the feeling of wanting to flee, and I am sorry that you were unable to get away safely. It seems that you need peace. It is my intention to make this a peaceful place. There will be many good, honest men here, so they should be treated respectfully. Those that are not, well, they can fend for themselves right?
That night, according to my friends, there was no light in the window. Workers (I presume they were mostly men) spent days cleaning up and working at the Schloss and there were no reports of ghosts. I’m not saying that we have exorcised any demons here, but I do believe that if indeed there is any truth to the “ghost stories,” it might just be that it happens when a soul is not at peace.
Well, that’s my Ghost Story anyway, and I am sticking to it. I sure am grateful that my Dad’s friend Jimmy told us many ghost stories around the campfire as kids, because the ones he told would have frightened a hardened criminal! In comparison, this one is simply just part of the MotoSoul story, at least until there is more to report anyway…