Last Castle (Ruin) (Kradolf-Schönenberg)

The complex was built in the first half of the 12th century by the Lords of Schönenberg, who held the area as ministerials of the Bishop of Constance as a fief. Bertoldus and Rodolfo de castro Scoenenberc were first mentioned in a document in 1159. A descendant, Friedrich II. von Schönenberg, is mentioned as a crusader in 1211. Due to financial difficulties, Johannes III. von Schönenberg had to return the castle and its associated lands to the bishop in 1352 and formally renounced his rights to this property in 1360. The castle then passed to the Lords of Heidelberg. In 1407, Schönenberg was destroyed by rebels during the Appenzell Wars but was soon rebuilt. From 1460 onwards, no residents of the castle were recorded, and the complex gradually fell into disrepair. In 1804, the ruin came into the possession of the then-young canton of Thurgau, which sold it to a private individual in 1869. In 1960, the former municipality of Neukirch became the owner of the castle and donated it in 1974 to the cooperative for the preservation of the Last and Heuberg ruins. Since 1974, extensive renovation work has been carried out on the residential tower, most recently in 2004.

The Last Ruin is located at an altitude of approximately 534 m above sea level in the municipality of Kradolf-Schönenberg in the district of Weinfelden, canton of Thurgau, Switzerland.

The ruin can be visited and is a popular excursion destination. It represents the remains of an almost square residential tower measuring 10x11 meters, whose walls are still up to 12 meters high and comprise three stories. The former high entrance is visible in the north wall.

• Heuberg Ruin (Kradolf-Schönenberg) (Castle), approx. 0.4 km away
• Oettlishausen Castle (Hohentannen) (Castle), approx. 1.7 km away
• Anwil Ruin (Buhwil) (Castle), approx. 2.7 km away
• Alt-Heidelberg Ruin (Hohentannen) (Castle), approx. 2.8 km away