[2] After a technical school education Lindau turned to theatre and made his debut on 20 October 1870 in Graz in the title role of Schiller's Don Carlos.

In 1880, he toured successfully through the United States and Canada with Josefine Gallmeyer, Wilhelm Knaack and Franz Tewele.

In total he wrote more than 100 full-length plays, including lustspiel [de]s, farces and libretti for operettas, some of which became very popular.

Together with Leopold Krenn (1850–1930), he wrote farces (Possen [de]) such as Heißes Blut (Hot Blood, 1892), Ein armes Mädel (A Poor Girl, 1893) and Der Nazi (1895).

[a][1][5] In their operettas, Krenn and Lindau provided parade roles for Alexander Girardi, such as Korporal Kratz in Der Fremdenführer, with music by Carl Michael Ziehrer.