Arnschwang Castle

The first documented mention of Arnschwang occurred in 1173. At that time, a vassal of the Cham Margrave, stationed here, named himself after the place.

After the "Arnschwanger" family, the Kälbl family followed in the 14th century, later the Püdensdorfer and the Sattelbogener.

From 1426, the area was attacked and plundered several times by invading Hussites. When Emperor Heinrich was defeated with a large army in Bohemia in 1431, only the Arnschwang knight Erasmus Sattelbogen was able to bring his forces home. This event during the Hussite Wars is the basis for the folk play performed annually at the Further Drachenstich.

In 1489, the lord of Arnschwang Castle, Sigmund von Sattelbogen, along with several other knights, rebelled against the Bavarian Duke in the so-called "Löwlerkrieg". Arnschwang was subsequently plundered and the castle destroyed.

Between 1527 and 1612, the Hofmark Arnschwang was owned by the Franconian family Fuchs von Wallburg.

During the Thirty Years' War, Swedish troops attacked and plundered the village twice. After the first invasion in 1633, the plague struck Arnschwang a few weeks later, claiming more than 280 lives. In their distress, the people of Arnschwang then vowed to pilgrimage annually to the Mother of God in Weißenregen near Kötzting. This tradition has been preserved to this day.

Arnschwang Water Castle is located between two arms of the Chamb River in the eastern part of the village. Today it is a two-story, elongated building. On its facade are remnants of architectural paintings as window frames. Of the originally irregularly three-winged complex, only the west wing and part of the moated ditch remain. The ground floor with parts of the upper floor still belong to the building fabric of the 14th/15th century. Numerous changes have been made to the building in subsequent construction phases. At the beginning of the 20th century, a floor was removed. Since 2010, the building has been undergoing fundamental renovation.