The ruins of Rodenburg Castle in Menden (Sauerland) were built in the middle of the 13th century by the knight Goswin von Menden, a vassal of the Archbishop of Cologne. Built between 1246 and 1248, the castle served at a strategically important point. As early as 1276, Goswin had to cede the castle and the bailiwick of Menden to the Archbishop. After a brief change of control to the Margraviate of Brandenburg, the complex was destroyed in 1301 by the troops of the Count of Mark and not rebuilt.
Over the centuries, the ruins were forgotten and overgrown by the forest. Only during test excavations in 1939 and later excavations in the 1950s under the direction of Robert Frese, a school principal from Menden, were parts of the remains rediscovered and uncovered. Today, the ruins, which are an important testimony to this short period of rule, can be reached via a 20-minute walk from the city center (Rodenberg/Kapellenberg). The visit is free of charge.