Wolfenschiessen

Wolfenschiessen
Coat of arms
Wolfenschiessen
Location of Wolfenschiessen
Coordinates: 46°54′N 8°23′E / 46.900°N 8.383°E / 46.900; 8.383Coordinates: 46°54′N 8°23′E / 46.900°N 8.383°E / 46.900; 8.383
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Nidwalden
District	n.a.
Area
• Total	92.77 km2 (35.82 sq mi)
Elevation (Wolfenschiessen village)	510 m (1,670 ft)
Highest elevation (Titlis Glacier)	2,880 m (9,450 ft)
Lowest elevation (Niederrickenbach Station)	488 m (1,601 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	2,148
• Density	23/km2 (60/sq mi)
Postal code	6386
SFOS number	1511
Surrounded by	Beckenried, Dallenwil, Engelberg (OW), Innertkirchen (BE), Isenthal (UR), Kerns (OW), Oberdorf
Website	www.wolfenschiessen.ch SFSO statistics

Wolfenschiessen is a village and municipality in the canton of Nidwalden in Switzerland. Besides the village of Wolfenschiessen itself, the municipality includes the settlements of Altzellen, Büren ob dem Bach, Dörfli and Oberrickenbach, together with a large area of high alpine land, mountains, lakes and glaciers.

Wolfenschiessen was first mentioned around 1200 as ‘’Wolvinscizin’’ though a 14th century copy of a land record from around 1160 mentions two fields at ‘’Wolfenschiessen’’. During the 12th century the farm and fields of Wolfenschiessen were owned by the Benedictine Muri Abbey. In the 13th and 14th centuries the lands were gradually transferred to Murbach-Lucerne and Engelberg Abbeys. Between the 12th and 13th centuries, the von Wolfenschiessen family were, probably, raised from farming to minor nobility and appointed to administer the monastery’s estates at Wolfenschiessen. They built a tower in the center of the village from which they administered and ruled over the village and farms. The family eventually grew to local prominence, before losing most of their wealth and status in the 15th century and dying out at the beginning of the 17th century.

A village church was built by 1277 but was initially a filial church of the parish church in Stans. The village received its own priest in 1438 and in 1469 became an independent parish. During the 14th through 16th centuries several other hamlets developed around Wolfenschiessen.

The municipality's coat of arms is Azure, a Wolf rampant Argent pierced by an Arrow in bend sinister Or. This is an example of canting where the name of the municipality is translated or represented on the coat of arms. In this case, Wolfenschiessen means "to shoot the wolf."

Wolfenshiessen encompasses both sides of the deep valley of the Engelberger Aa river downstream of Engelberg, with high alpine areas encircling Engelberg to the north, west and south. The settlements of Wolfenschiessen, Büren ob dem Bach and Dörfli lie in the valley, whilst Altzellen and Oberrickenbach are on higher ground to the east.