Waldkirchen is the biggest town in the district of
Freyung-Grafenau
Freyung-Grafenau is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the districts of Passau, Deggendorf and Regen, the Czech Republic and by Austria.
History
The district was established in 1972, ...
Mentioned for the first time in 1203, it soon became an important trading place along the "Goldener Steig" (Golden Path), a salt-trading route between Bavaria and Bohemia in the late
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. In the 13th century the
Bishop of Passau
The Diocese of Passau is a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany that is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.market).
After several raids by
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohe ...
n soldiers during the 15th century the city built a "Ringmauer", a big stonewall, to surround it, which is still to be seen in many places of the city.
Belonging to the Bishop of Passau's territory for more than 600 years, the city became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806 and in 1871 of the
German Empire
The German Empire (), Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditar ...
.
Waldkirchen burned down six times between 1492 and 1945. The last fire was on April 26, 1945, when the 16th Company of Regiment Grossdeutschland, SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Das Reich" arrived from St. Pölten, Austria. Each squad of ten men was armed with one light machine gun, one machine pistol, two Panzerfaust and rifles. Eight civilians were killed in combat with the 11th Armored Division, and 48 houses and city's historical church were destroyed. In the course of the action 120 families also lost shelter. The devastated city was rebuilt during the 1950s and was chartered in 1972.
Waldkirchen was host of the 2007
Landesgartenschau A ''Regional Garden Show'' (''Landesgartenschau'') is an exhibition on horticulture that takes place on a regular basis in several German and Austrian states. In Germany, a state horticultural show at the state level is the smaller counterpart to t ...
Attractions in the town include the City Wall, St. Peter's and St. Paul's Churches, the Schratzlgaenge (hidden labyrinth under the town) and the marketplace.
Tourism
Waldkirchen's main "industry" is tourism. Embedded in the
Bavarian Forest
The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest
The Bavarian Forest ( German: ' or ''Bayerwald''; bar, Boarischa Woid) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech border and is c ...
, Waldkirchen is close to Prague, Munich and Vienna.