Arnschwang

Arnschwang
Coat of arms
Arnschwang
Location of Arnschwang within Cham district
Coordinates: 49°16′N 12°49′E / 49.267°N 12.817°E / 49.267; 12.817Coordinates: 49°16′N 12°49′E / 49.267°N 12.817°E / 49.267; 12.817
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Oberpfalz
District	Cham
Government
• Mayor	Michael Multerer
Area
• Total	28.30 km2 (10.93 sq mi)
Elevation	390 m (1,280 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	1,946
• Density	69/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	93473
Dialling codes	0 99 77
Vehicle registration	CHA
Website	www.arnschwang.de

Arnschwang is a municipality in the district of Cham in Bavaria in Germany. It has the charming character of a rural but also modern community. The area offers quiete a variety of attractions for tourists. The population was 2,004 at the 2010 census. In recent years Arnschwang focused on the production of environmentally friendly energy from biomass and water.

The municipality Arnschwang is situated in between the Bavarian Forest and the Bohemian Forest approximately 16 kilometres northeast of the town of Cham in the valley of the river Chamb.

The earliest inhabitants around Arnschwang left the Celts visible traces in the first century BC. In the so-called Castle Wood ("Burgholz") towards Zenching is a well-preserved Celtic square enclosure, which might probably have served for religious purposes or as a central meeting or court place for the village communities in the area.

From the point of language of these first historical inhabitants can derive, by the way, also the river Chamb - the village Arnschwang its name: "wang" is meant flat field, meadow. This ending is preceded by the personal name "Aruni". Pastures in the near Chamb valley gave Arnschwang its name. From the "pasturage of the Aruni", "Aruni-wang" became "Arinswanch", during the 14th century then "Orenswanch" and, finally "Arnschwang".

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 of Furth im Wald was bifurcated and made into independent parish in the year 1585 and finally the village Dalking in 1697.

The first mention of Arnschwang is documented 1173. At that time a knightly vassal of the margrave of Cham was called like this village.

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.