The castle, which began in the 12th century, was expanded in the 13th century into a shared estate with a total of three mountain peace spots. During the Thirty Years' War, it was already in decay and was looted, burned down, and destroyed in 1689. In 1796, the last Schönburger passed away. The ruin reverted to Kurtrier. There were several changes of ownership until, towards the end of the 19th century, the German-American banker T. J. Oakley Rhinelander from New York bought the ruin and had it restored. In 1950, the city of Oberwesel was able to re-acquire it from the American's son.