The Rotenburg castle ruins are the ruins of a hilltop castle on a steep, 620.2 m above sea level. high hill in the valley of the small meadow between Niedertegernau and Wieslet. The early history of this small castle complex is still unknown, it was probably only built in the period from the year 1200, as can be seen from the type of masonry of the core castle. Ceramic finds, however, point to an older predecessor building from the 11th century, which may have included the ramparts that surround the castle hill. The men from Waldeck could therefore also be considered as the builders of the first system. The men from Rotenberg, a sideline of the noble von Rötteln family, were first mentioned in the middle of the 13th century. After two tangible generations of the family, they died out around 1280 with Dietrich V. von Rötteln-Rotenburg. Before his death, Dietrich bequeathed all of his possessions to the Prince-Bishopric of Basel and the St. Blasien Monastery. However, the Rotenburg and the associated property fell in contrast to the Rötteln regime and thus came into the possession of the main line of the Lords of Rötteln, after their extinction in 1316 to the Margraves of Hachberg-Sausenberg. Nothing is known about the end of the castle either, it may also have been damaged by the Basel earthquake on October 18, 1356. In the 16th century it was called a ruin.
Source: Wikipedia