Geography
Position
The municipality Arnschwang is situated in between theHistory
Early history
The earliest inhabitants around Arnschwang left theOrigin of the parish
After establishment of monastery in Chammünster a church could have been founded few decades later also in Arnschwang in the year 795. The extraordinary size of the parish and the Upper Paladinate rare Martin´s patronage of the church are strong indications of such an early establishment of the church. It means that the parish Arnschwang is the first bifurcated parish from Chammünster. From the parish Arnschwang the town ofCastle and village in the Middle Ages
The first mention of Arnschwang is documented 1173. At that time a knightly vassal of the margrave of Cham was called like this village.Max Piendl: ''Landgericht Cham.'' In: ''Historischer Atlas von Bayern.'' vol.8, 1955, pg. 33. At this time the still recognizable structure of the village with the both settlement poles were established: The church with an impressive fortification on the highest point of the old village and the moated castle lying below the Chamb with farmyard and mill. After the family of the ''Arnschwanger'' followed in the 14th century the family of the ''Kaelbl'' and later the ''Püdensdorfer'' and the ''Sattelbogner''. In the year 1426, the area was repeatedly attacked and pillaged by invading Hussites. When Emperor Henry was defeated with a large army in Bohemia in 1431 only ''Erasmus Sattelbogner'', the knight of Arnschwang brought back his forces again. The folk theatre which is performed annually as ''The dragons sting of Furth im Wald'' - the so-called " Further Drachenstich" references to this event during the Hussite riots. In 1489 the noble knight of Arnschwang ''Sigmund von Sattelbogen'' and several other knights rebelled in the so-called "Löwlerkrieg" against theArnschwang in the Early Modern period
In 1722 ''Alois Bonaventura'', Earl of Kreuth took over the Hofmark Arnschwang. In this time the grand gallery above the vestry of the parish church was created, it can be admired till today. In 1801 ''Baron von Völderndorff'' acquired the estate Arnschwang. He started to build up a sugar factory, tried with the manufacturing of glass and boiled, finally vinegar also. 1826 took over theDisastrous fire in 1858
On St. Michael, 29 September 1858, almost the entire village was destroyed by a fierce fire. The destruction was so severe that the school building, the parsonage and 41 houses with 142 shops burnt down, and 240 people became homeless. With a help of a nationwide collection the village was rebuilt.The modern municipality
In the course of the ''municipality reform in Bavaria'' the largest parts of the municipalities of Zenching and Nößwartling were added to Arnschwang on 1 July 1972. After bitter opposition by the citizens of Arnschwang the affiliation of the village to the administrative community Weiding was taken back after few years again. Now since 1985 Arnschwang is an independent municipality again.Politics
Coat of arms
Blazon: ''Azure, a lowered silver waved bar growing to the golden haloed St. Martin with a red garment and a silver coat, the cut with the sword of the blue coat, on the top left coming a gold, red and silver divided split plaque.'' The coat of arms was approved at the 19th of April 1984 by the government ofTraffic
Road
Through the municipality area runs the route of the Federal Highway 20 which leads from Cham to the German-Czech border.Railroad
Arnschwang owns a railway station in the section Cham-Furth im Wald. It is served almost every hour by the regional trains of the Oberpfalzbahn.Air traffic
Close to Arnschwang a small airfield is located at the coordinates 49 16 19,2 N / 12 46 48,0 E.Places of interest
Churches
Parish church of St. Martin
The site of Arnschwang is characterized by the baroque parish church of St. Martin. The choir in its outer walls as well as the base of the tower are gothic. Rebuilt in 1723. 1899 the nave was raised, expanded and extended by two baysChurch of St. Giles (St. Ägidius)
In the local part Zenching there is the parish exclave St. Giles from the 18th century. In 1730 rebuilt the church using existing parts of the wall. 1845 enlargement by two side chapels. 1939 demolition and rebuilding of the church nave.Dance of Death
In the soul chapel in Zenching the only Dance of Death in the eastern part of Upper Palatinate. Representation of the death in 8 pictures. Probably around 1760 created by the painter Martin Josef Hueber of Kötzting. In 1910 renewed by the painterPatrona Bavariae of glass
Glass facade of the chapel in Tretting with representation of ''Our Patron Saint of Bavaria'' as a ''Holy Mary with the protective coat''. It is moulded in the year 2002 by the glass artist Bernhard Schagemann in the technology of the ''lost moulds''. Modern interior with 14 ''Stations of the Cross'' and relief plates made of unglazed ceramics by sculptor Veronika Schagemann of the same year.Center of Human and Nature
In the local part Nößwartling the Center ''Human and Nature'' of the ''Bavarian Regional Association for the Protection of Birds (LBV)'' can be visited in the ''Old Mill''. Since 1991 the ''Old Mill'' in Nößwartling is in the property of the municipality Arnschwang. The area ''Drahtinsel'' directly bordered to the LBV center was leased in 1979 by the ''LBV'' and by the arrangement or optimisation of biotops as a living space for rare flora and in particular fauna designed and preserved.Archaeological monuments
* Near the local part Zenching there is a well-preserved Celtic square enclosure dating from pre-Christian times. * The ''Swede´s bulwark'' in the ''Ponnholz forest'' is early-medieval and was built up for the protection of the ancient road between Cham and Furth im Wald. * Old mine tunnels for the dismantling of lime-stones in the local part Kalkofen are still recognizable in the area.Subterranean passages
In Arnschwang there were numerous of the very rare subterranean stables, the so-called "Schrazellöcher".Labyrinth fountain
Village-fountain sculptured by the local sculptor ''Toni Scheubeck'' on the occasion of the 1200-Jubilee year in 1995. Made of ''Fürstensteiner'' granite, the water channels polished, thereby brighter active; the remaining surfaces shaded. Source place and mouth of the watercourse in the fountain are marked with the annual figures 795 and 1995.Moated castle
It is 2-storey, long-stretched building. We will see the remains of architectural paintings as window frames. Of the original and the irregular three-winged palace, only the west wing has been preserved. The ground floor with parts of the upper floor still belong to the structural fabric of the 14/15th century. In the following construction phases numerous changes in the building have been carried out. At the beginning of the 20th century one floor was demolished.Bernhard Ernst: ''Burgenbau in der südöstlichen Oberpfalz vom Frühmittelalter bis zur frühen Neuzeit, vol. II.'' In: ''Arbeiten zur Archäologie Süddeutschlands'' vol. 16, 2003, pg. 22-23. Since 2010 the building will be radically redeveloped.References
External links
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