Arnsberg is located in the north-east of theSauerland in theRuhr river valley. The river Ruhrmeanders around the south of the old town of Arnsberg. The town is nearly completely encircled by forest, and the nature parkArnsberger Wald lies to the north".
Arnsberg is connected byFederal Motorway 46 (Autobahn 46)Brilon in the east and (using theFederal Motorway 445)Werl in the west. It is also connected by several railroad stations, which provide a connection to the major cityDortmund and theRuhrgebiet. There is also aregional airport, located in the city district of Vosswinkel, which is exclusively used for small private aircraft.
The municipal territory spans a distance of up to 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the southern to the northern limits.[3]
Arnsberg was first mentioned in 789 in theCarolingian records (Urbar) as belonging to the abbey ofWerden.
Arnsberg was the seat of the Counts of Arnsberg from around 1070 and received city rights in 1238. In 1368 the last of the Counts of Arnsberg, Count Gottfried IV, handed over the city and county to Kurköln as he had no heir.[4]
They built acastle there whose remains can still be visited and are occasionally used for public celebrations.
In the 12th century, old Arnsberg became the seat ofWestphalian jurisdiction (whose coat of arms is still used today by theHochsauerlandkreis). Later, the city lost its independence and was subject to theArchbishops ofCologne.
In 1794 the French attacked Cologne, so parts of the treasure of theCologne Cathedral were brought to safety in Arnsberg, along with the relics of theBiblical Magi. In 1804, the treasure was returned to Cologne, as commemorated by a plaque in the Propsteikirche.
In 1816, Arnsberg came underPrussian rule and was made a local administrative centre.
During theSecond World War, Arnsberg first suffered widespread destruction and catastrophic loss of lives whenRAFLancasters breached the dam of theMöhne Reservoir in the night of the 16 to 17 May 1943 (Operation Chastise). The nearby Abbey Himmelpforten was completely washed away.
Later, dozens of Arnsberg's citizens were killed in several Britishair raids aimed at destroying the railwayviaduct. The targets were finally destroyed on 19 March 1945 using a'Grand Slam' bomb.[5]
The current city of Arnsberg was created in 1975 by merging 12 surrounding municipalities (Bachum, Breitenbruch, Herdringen, Holzen, Müschede, Niedereimer, Oeventrop, Rumbeck, Uentrop, Voßwinkel and Wennigloh) into one city.[6]
Old Arnsberg itself and Neheim-Hüsten are the two main urban areas, while the other parts are mainly rural areas.
The arms of the city depict a white eagle on a blue field. Earlier it was a white eagle on a red field, introduced in 1278 and as used by the counts ofArnsberg . In the 17th century the red was changed to blue, reflecting theBavarian blue of theHouse of Wittelsbach.
This article's list of residentsmay not follow Wikipedia'sverifiability policy. Pleaseimprove this article by removing names that do not have independentreliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are residents, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriatecitations.(October 2024)
Noah Wolff – German Jewish industrialist and philanthropist (1809–1907)
Karl Brüggemann (1896–1977), honorary district in Kreis Arnsberg from 1961 to 1969
Franz Stock (1904–1948), since 1934 pastor of the German Catholic community in Paris, during the German occupation chaplain for French prisoners (companion sentenced to death), 1945 head of a prisoner of war seminar in Chartres
