Todenwarth Castle

The castle ruin Todenwarth is the ruin of a late medieval hilltop castle at 270 m above sea level in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is located within sight of a ford of the medieval military and trade route following the Werra valley (today Federal Highway 19 and mostly signposted as Meininger or Nürnberger Straße) on the northern steep bank of the Werra opposite the village of Wernshausen and belongs to the municipality of Fambach.

The earliest mention of a fortification "Warthe" on the hill protected by steep slopes occurred in 1185. The original mouth of the Schmalkalde was located below the castle rock of Todenwarth and marked an important border point of the "Breitunger Mark" with the "Schmalkalder Cent". In 1318, a consultation of the Thuringian counts and spiritual princes took place within its walls regarding the enforcement of the Landfrieden (public peace).

Despite extensive land sales, most recently in 1330, the former protectors of the Breitunger area, the Lords of Frankenstein (also referred to as "Counts of Frankenstein") were ruined and disappeared as a political power in the mid-14th century. In 1330, Count Berthold VII (1272–1340) from the Schleusingen line of the Counts of Henneberg acquired large parts of the territories sold by the brothers Siegbodo and Ludwig von Frankenstein.

For border security, a Landwehr (defensive line) was built in the 14th century, which protectively surrounded the Henneberg territories. Count Wilhelm III of Henneberg had the complex expanded into a toll castle in the mid-15th century. The road led through the two castle gates; within the castle grounds, goods were assessed and taxed. The castle garrison was commanded by the Wolff brothers from Schmalkalden, possibly experienced mercenaries or captains of the city guard from Schmalkalden. In 1432, the name "Tote Warte" (Dead Watch) was mentioned for the first time.