Bechenheim

Bechenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Alzey-Land, whose seat is in Alzey.

Geography

Location

As a winegrowing centre, Bechenheim lies in Germany's biggest winegrowing district, in the southwest of Rhenish Hesse. Bechenheim is Rhenish Hesse's highest winegrowing municipality.

History

In 824, Bechenheim had its first documentary mention in a document from Fulda Abbey.

Politics

Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 council members and the honorary mayor as chairman. The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:

Year	Social [Democratic Party of Germany\|SPD]	FWG	Total
2009	5	3	8 seats
2004	3	5	8 seats

Coat of arms

The municipality's arms might be described thus: Gules a dexter arm embowed armed argent, the hand naked of the same and holding a beaker Or.

Economy and infrastructure

Winegrowing

Bechenheim belongs to the “Wonnegau Winegrowing Area” in Rhenish Hesse. Active in the municipality are six winegrowing businesses with 33 ha of vineyard under cultivation. Some 76% of the wine made there is white varieties. In 1979, 22 such businesses were still running, and vineyards covered 32 ha.